All speakers are asked to complete the Listening Session Sign-in Form including as much detail as possible and including a printed / written copy of your presentation if one is available. This is an opportunity for the Board to listen, the Board will not engage in dialogue. As a general rule, the Board will not comment on or respond to any comments made by speakers. Please do not include names of Greenbush Middle River employees or representatives, their title, or location in your remarks for your own legal protection and the legal rights of staff.

Each speaker will have five (5) minutes to speak: speakers may not roll their time to another speaker. Speakers will be timed and are asked to complete their comments in this time frame. Board members may ask questions if needed.  Please begin your presentation by stating your name and topic only.
In the spirit of fairness to all participants, we request that you respect the format above. Thank you for taking the time today to attend this meeting and share your concerns and suggestions.
Members of the public may wish to email Board [listening session] communication(s) to <info@greenbush.k12.mn.us>

McKenna Bennett (12) is a State Officer in FCCLA.  She will provide an informational presentation to the Board.

 

-   01 General Fund
-   02 Food Service
-   04 Community Services
-   07 Debt Redemption
-   08 Scholarships
-   09 Student Activities
•-  see attached 
Attachments: (1)

- $500.00 donation to First Robotics from Greenbush Pharmacy
- $500.00 donation to First Robotics from Greenbush Ace
- $250.00 donation to First Robotics from Wahl Brothers Racing
- $300.00 donation to First Robotics from Oren's Parts
- $2,000.00 donation to First Robotics from Greenbush Vet Clinic
- $25.00 donation to Gator Readers In Memory of Rochelle Wieser from Stacy Dahl
- $150.00 donation to Drama In Memory of Rochelle Wieser from Mara Gust
- $100.00 donation for a pizza party for Student Council from Northwestern MN Mfg Assn
- $50.00 donation to Softball Bathroom Project In Memory of Rochelle Wieser from Carrie Jo Howard

Wiktel donated $4,729.00 to the GMR School to help defray the cost of internet connectivity.

The Arlys Graff Trust Fund paid for the costs associated with placing graphics on the School's enclosed travel trailer.  The graphic design was the effort of the GMR High School Student Council.  (see attached)

Motion by Board member ______________ and seconded by __________ to accept February 2023 donations to the School.

Sarah Pulk (8) placed 1st in the Regional Girls Wrestling Tournament in Sartell on Feb. 11th.  Sarah will now compete in the State Wrestling Tournament on March 4 in St. Paul.

The MN State High School League is awarding local reporter [and GMR Drama Director] Mr. Ryan Bergeron an Outstanding Media Service Award for his reporting of school activities.

Ryan will be recognized with service award during halftime of the Class AAA boys basketball championship game on Saturday, March 25 at Target Center in Minneapolis.  Congratulations Ryan.

GMR representatives (K. Stenberg, P. Kern & A. Harder) on the Joint Powers Board [GMR and Tri-County) to provide up-date on the selection of the Superintendent of School.

NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release

Contact: Kurt Stenberg, GMRTC Joint Powers Chair

GMRTC Joint Powers Selects Superintendent

Karlstad, MN — At a special board meeting on February 13, 2023, the GMRTC Joint Powers Board voted to select Barb Muckenhirn as the next superintendent for the Greenbush-Middle River School District and the Tri-County School District.
"Barb brings a wealth of experience as a school administrator in both small rural settings and larger regional centers," said Kurt Stenberg, Board Chair. "Her variety of successful experiences and her dedication to public education will be a real asset for our school districts.  We look forward to working with her."
 
The Joint Powers Board will be conducting contract negotiations with Ms. Muckenhirn, and a contract is expected to be approved by the Board at a special board meeting later this week. 
 
The pending start date for Barb will be July 1, 2023. 

During a meeting of the Joint Powers Board on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, the Joint Powers Board unanimously approved an Agreement with Mrs. Muckenhirn.
 

The current GMR School Principal / Activities Director signed a one-year Agreement which expires June 30, 2023.  This will conclude a 37 year career in the GMR School District (12 Years of teaching and 25 years as an Administrator).

Attached is a vacancy posting to recruit a replacement effective July 1, 2023.

Mrs. Muckenhirn has expressed interest in participating in the selection of the new Principal / Activities Director.

MN became the 26th state to mark Juneteenth as a State holiday when Governor Dayton signed legislation making June 19th a State Holiday.
The state's newest holiday will be recognized for the first time this year, with government offices closed.  Public meetings for public entities (eg:  Schools, Cities, Counties, etc.) can not be held on this day.

Juneteenth, which is celebrated June 19, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved Black people at the close of the Civil War. On that date in 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to ensure the last remaining enslaved people were free, the action coming more than a month after the Confederate surrender at Appomattox and more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

With the Board's regular monthly meeting scheduled for the third Monday of the month, the Board will have to choose an alternative meeting date because of the Juneteenth holiday.

Renewal of Property & Liability [Cyber] Insurance includes a Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) also called 2-step verification requirement

The District's current Property & Liability insurance carrier Vaaler Insurance/Marsh & McLennan Agency has an insurance rider to protect the school against ransomware attacks.  The district has been informed that in order to renew Property & Liability insurance effective July 1, 2023, the District must implement cyber security efforts including multi-factor authentication efforts for its domain.  "Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a critical security control to reduce risk across an enterprise.  By ensuring that users not only use a password, but also a secure token, an organization can significantly reduce phishing attempts, credential stuffing attacks, and ransomware incidents. MFA should be enabled for email, VPN, and critical system access."  source:  Vaaler Insurance, A Marsh & McLennan Agency

 

Suggested Board Action:   none requested - informational.  District requirement to implement effective July 1, 2023 as a condition of renewing Property & Liability [Cyber] Insurance.

 Development of 2023-2024 School Calendar 

Board Action:  Review calendar options.  Adoption in the March School Board meeting or other future Board meeting.

Note:  MN Statute does not permit school (student days) to start before Labor Day which falls on the first Monday in September.

          Date                             Holiday

2023-2024 School Calendar option(s) to be attached

 

Board Approval in regards to a Request by the [Badger] Greenbush Middle River School District to form a MN State High School League Wrestling Cooperative with the Tri-County School District effective 2023-2024.

The [Badger] Greenbush Middle River (B/GMR) Wrestling program has seen a decline in its participation, in part, because of the District's declining enrollment trend.

Participation in girls and boys wrestling will be across 13 weight divisions each beginning with the 2023-2024 season following approval of the Minnesota State High School League’s Board of Directors.  In recent years, the B/GMR wrestling program has not had enough participation in its program to "fill" an entire wrestling competition roster.

GMR Activities Director will report on a TCS student interest survey towards a desire to participate in wrestling.  

Activities Director report to include:

1. Existing GMR sports cooperatives;

2. Process to form an athletic cooperative;

3. IF TCS participates in the B/GMR Wrestling Cooperative, TCS participants are responsible for their own transportation; and

4. Determining the School’s cost-sharing of cooperative (per participant).

Board Discussion:

The Greenbush Middle River & Tri-County Athletic Directors have developed a plan to implement a cooperative agreement for Wrestling effective with the Fall 2023 school year.
 
The GMR and TSC Athletic Directors recommend approving a cooperative high school Wrestling Agreement with the [Badger] Greenbush Middle River School District.  The GMR School District would be the sponsoring school district.

A motion was made by Board member _________________ to introduce the following
Resolution to Dissolve Existing Sports Cooperative by and between the Greenbush Middle River School District and the Badger School District as a Necessary Requirement to Approve a New Sports Cooperative to Include Students in the Tri-County School District to Participate in the Minnesota State High School League Wrestling Program.
     Whereas the Board of Education of the Badger School District #676 and the Board of Education of the Greenbush Middle River School District #2683 had each previously (early 1990’s) and mutually approved a resolution to form a Sports Cooperative in accordance with MN State High School League by-laws; and
     Whereas the Sports Cooperative is named Badger / Greenbush Middle River (BGMR); and
     Whereas representatives of the Badger School District and GMR School District meet approximately four times per school year to review and discuss events, activities and recommend governance of the BGMR Sports Cooperative to their respective School Boards; and
     Whereas the BGMR High School Wrestling program has seen a decline in student athlete participation in its wrestling program over the past three years; and
     Whereas the Tri-County School District ISD #2358 does not have a wrestling program; and
     Whereas, in an effort to improve student participation in wrestling, the GMR School District is seeking to add the Tri-County School District ISD #2358 to the existing BGMR Sports Cooperative for eligible students to participate in wrestling contingent upon approval of the Badger School District Board of Education; and
     Whereas, the Tri-County School Board approved a resolution to enter into a Sports Cooperative for students to participate in wrestling with Badger School District and the Greenbush Middle River School District (BGMR) during their regular School Board meeting on January 25, 2023; and
     Whereas, to include the Tri-County School District in the existing BGMR wrestling Sports Cooperative to allow for eligible student participation in wrestling would require, according to the by-laws of the MN State High School League (MSHSL) the dissolution of the BGMR Sports Cooperative.  This dissolution is contingent upon approval by the Board of Education of the Badger School District #676 and the Board of Education of the Greenbush Middle River School District #2683; and
Whereas, a new Sports Cooperative will include eligible students to participate in a wrestling program who are from the Tri-County School District ISD #2358, the Badger School District #676 and the Greenbush Middle River School District #2683;
     Therefore, the Board of Education of the Greenbush Middle River School district approves to Dissolve the Existing Sports Cooperative by and between the Greenbush Middle River School District and the Badger School District in order to approve a new Sports Cooperative to include students in the Tri-County School District to participate in the Minnesota State High School League Wrestling Program.  The dissolution is contingent upon approval by the Board of Education of the Badger School District #676.

The resolution was seconded by member ______________.  and,
 upon Roll Call Vote, the following voted in favor:

and, the following voted in opposition:

Thereby the resolution passed / failed.

Suggested Board Action:  If discussion from Agenda item 10.03. a leads to agreement...

Member _________________ introduced the following resolution and moved its adoption:
 
RESOLUTION TO FORM WRESTLING COOPERATIVE by and between Badger High School, Greenbush Middle River High School and Tri-County High School
 
     WHEREAS, a proposed Agreement has been negotiated regarding the cooperative sponsorship of a joint high school Wrestling program between Tri-County and the Badger and Greenbush Middle River School Districts.
 
     NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the School Board of Independent School District #2683 as follows:
 
1.    The Cooperative Sponsorship Agreement by and between Badger High School, Greenbush Middle River High School and Tri-County High School is hereby approved;
2.    That the Chairman and Clerk are hereby authorized to execute the Cooperative Sponsorship Agreement and to make the required application to the Board of Directors of the Minnesota State High School League.
3.  The Cooperative Agreement is contingent upon approval by the Badger School District Board of Education and Tri-County School District Board of Education.
 
The motion for the adoption of the foregoing resolution was duly seconded by member ________________ and upon vote being taken thereon, the following voted in favor thereof: 
                       
            and the following voted against the same:    
 
            whereupon said resolution was declared duly passed / failed.

Democrats have majority control of the House, Senate and the Governor’s office.  With that said, the Governor and members of the House and Senate are moving in the same direction.

A record number of Bills have been introduced in the MN Legislature, including Bills related to Public Education. They include, new funding and new mandates for public schools:

- Universal Free School Meals
- Teacher Prep time [60 minutes]
- Paid Family Leave (0.7% payroll tax)
- Health Insurance
- Unemployment Insurance for hourly staff (para, bus drivers, etc.)
- Para Compensation increase
- Prohibit K-3 student suspension
- Ethnic Studies requirement
- Climate Justice Course requirement
- Civics in 11th and 12th grade
- Personal Finance requirement
- Service Learning integrated into education
- Comprehensive Sex Education
- Affirmative Consent instruction required
- Proposed General Education Formula Allowance 4% & 2% tied to inflation beginning in 2025
- increase in Special Education Cross-subsidy aid

Legislative action or lack thereof may determine the degree of Budget Reductions for the GMR School for 2023-2024.

The MN Legislature has a deadline to adjourn on or before May 22, 2023. 

See attached MN Budget [Surplus] articles.
 

Not long ago, the school reached the mid-point of the current school year.  The school administration is already starting to make plans for the next (2023-2024) school year which include but are not limited to:

• Development of a 2023-2024 school calendar

• 2023-2024 High School student registration and Master Schedule

• Plan for staffing in 2023-2024 (based on enrollment and academic programming)

• Scheduling of activities and events in 2023-2024

• Creating 2023-2024 activity calendar

• Preschool Registration will be held on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 between 3:30 and 5:30PM in the GMR Preschool Room, enrolling 4 and 3 year olds for the 2023-2024 school year

• Kindergarten Round-up in Spring 2023

Motion by__________________        Second by ____________________ to ADJOURN

• K-12 Book Fair on March 3, 2023   
• Regular March School Board Meeting - March 20, 2023 @ 7:30 p.m. in GMR School Library
• H.S. Band & Choir Concert on March 21, 2023
• 6th Grade Class Trip   May 4-6
• Hunter Pinke Student Assembly   May 18
• GMR Gym CLOSED for floor maintenance July 31 - August 6