ELY- The ISD 696 school board accepted $30,000 in donations from the Ely Educational Foundation at its regular monthly meeting on Monday. Two-thirds of the money is for murals and signage for the school featuring the district’s timberwolf mascot. The graphics include a timberwolf head under the Ely Public Schools sign on the front of the district’s building complex, a giant timberwolves sign at the top of the wall in the commons area in the new addition, and opaque door graphics for both sets of double doors at entrance No. 1 between the high school and elementary school offices.
“We spoke with the Ely Police Department about the door graphics,” Superintendent Anne Oelke remarked, “and they like it because it prevents someone [who might intend harm] from seeing into the school.”
The remaining $10,000 of the donation is for health textbooks and the reading intervention program.
Benefits dispute
In a bit of new business that generated no discussion, the school board denied a level three grievance lodged by the Ely Education Association (EEA), the local teachers’ union, and approved the text of a letter to EEA stating its reasons. The EEA took issue with paying administrative and brokerage fees on top of employees’ contributions to premiums for the district’s Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) health insurance.
The BCBS policy is new. Because of cost savings of over 13 percent, the school board and the EEA approved a new health insurance policy from BCBS in fall 2023. The previous provider was the Minnesota Public Employees Insurance Program (PEIP).
In its letter to the EEA, the school board remarked that administrative and brokerage fees are not itemized but bundled in the monthly bill from BCBS, just like they were in the past with PEIP. The district pays the monthly bill “according to contract provisions and longstanding past practice,” according to the school board’s letter to EEA.
The letter goes on to state, “The EEA was aware at [the] time it elected to accept BCBS as a carrier, that such fees would be part of the premiums.”
Following the meeting, Oelke explained the grievance procedure. “There are three levels of grievance in the EEA contract. The first two levels give the two parties an opportunity to discuss both sides and determine if the parties can come to an agreement on the grievance issue. Level three goes before the school board.”
If the EEA is not satisfied with the board’s decision, it can now initiate arbitration.
In other business, the school board:
• Approved the March 2024 financial report, showing receipts of $871,152, and disbursements of $469,327.
• Approved the request from Amy Kingsley for an extended leave of absence for three years beginning August 2024.
• Accepted the resignation of Grace Johnson from her position as paraprofessional effective April 27.
• Accepted the resignation of Max Gantt from the position as head girls basketball coach effective immediately. School board chair Ray Marsnik expressed the district’s appreciation for Gantt’s efforts in leading the team to all its recent victories and championships.
• Hired Beth Ohlhauser as assistant girls track coach.
• Approved Jayne Dusich as a volunteer assistant track coach and Cheri DeBeltz as a volunteer assistant golf coach for the spring season.
• Approved the third reading and adoption of revised Minnesota School Board Association (MSBA) policies for out-of-state travel by school board members, and employment background checks, and its Code of Ethics; and for the third reading and adoption of the MSBA policy on service animals, which is a new policy for the district.
• Heard the report of Tim Leeson, director of facilities, who wanted to thank the snow removal staff for the district, Ely, and both counties “on keeping the roads open” during multiple days of snow the week before Easter. “Sorry to everyone who wanted snow days,” he quipped.
• Heard the report by Superintendent Anne Oelke that she will bring the financial committee’s recommendations on raising revenues and cutting costs to the upcoming school board study session on April 23. The district is looking at a half million dollar shortfall for the 2025 fiscal year, as reported in the April 5 edition of the Timberjay.