ELY – The board meeting room at ISD 696 was practically vacant Monday night as school board members held their business meeting remotely as a precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Board chair Ray Marsnik, Superintendent Erik Erie, and district secretary Mary Wognum, along with two newspaper reporters, attended the meeting in person. Other board members and staff were connected by telephone.
As part of the school’s precautions, everyone who enters school buildings must have their temperature taken and answer health-screening questions by the school nurse.
Speakers were required to identify themselves before speaking. All board action was conducted by roll call vote. “Speak loudly and clearly and press your telephone mute button when not speaking,” Marsnik advised. Despite a couple of garbled statements and pauses of silence, the light agenda was covered in less than an hour.
Ely students have been subject to distance learning protocols since last week as all schools in the state remain locked down as ordered by Gov. Tim Walz.
The roll out of the new distance learning procedures is now completed, although some technology obstacles, such as uneven access and intermittent and slow Internet service, have created problems for some students.
Erie said last week that he was surprised at the number of requests for Internet access devices from both students and staff— and that’s an issue that school officials have sought to address. “We have a new access point in the parking lot for our Internet for those students who are having (connection) difficulty at home,” said Erie. “That may be because of the number of people who are trying to connect, including parents who may be working from home. So they can come to our parking lot and connect to our high-speed Internet.”
As many as 40 mobile wifi hot spots have been distributed to families in the district who don’t have Internet service, according to Erie. “At least 80 devices, such as laptop computers or iPads, have been distributed to families,” he said.
School buildings are essentially closed to the public for the duration of the shutdown. A critical care team of as many as 12 to 14 workers, including administration, custodial staff, para-professionals, bus drivers, and office staff report to work every school day on a rotating basis, according to Erie.
More than 300 breakfast and lunch meals were distributed to students on Monday. That service, as mandated by the Governor’s executive order, is provided by district cafeteria staff. Families can pick up the meals on regular school days. Meals are delivered by transportation staff as needed.
Childcare for those essential employees in the community continues to be provided. Those numbers were as high as 14,” Erie said. “The numbers have dropped a little bit, but could fluctuate according to need.” Just six students received the service on Monday.
Emergency, hospital, and first responder employees are entitled to have their children cared for by the school district during the school day. Other essential workers required to provide critical services in the community are also allowed to use the service.
School board members praised the staff and teachers for transitioning to the new learning procedures that are in place at least through Monday, May 4. While nobody would say it out loud, the 2019-2020 school year will likely end without students returning to school in person. Erie said he expects an update on school distance learning by the Department of Education by mid-week. “According to the Governor, the chances of school being back in session this year were ‘slim’ or ‘not likely,’” he said. “We are preparing both ways for the end of the year. Right now we are very guardedly optimistic that (athletic) events will not be called off.”
Athletic Director Tom Coombe said any school athletics will follow school being called back into session. “If school does not go back in session, spring sports seasons are likely over before they begin,” he said.
Marsnik added, “From what I heard today, this coronavirus in Minnesota probably won’t peak until the middle of May or the first part of June. As of right now, it doesn’t look very good for schools to come back in session.”
Building project
On a 5-1 vote, school board members approved a construction management contract with Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. for the $20 million school facilities renovation and building project.
With a proposed timeline to present a bonding referendum to district property owners on Tuesday, August 11, board members are planning to vote on moving forward with the project at their next meeting on May 11.
Professional service providers, including the district’s lobbying group and architect, were set to meet this week, according to Erie, to examine the project’s scope and budget.
Kraus-Anderson’s management contract will cost 2.25 percent of the total cost of the $20 million project, assuming voters approve the funding later this year. The company will be paid $9,500 either way for planning services associated with project— a provision that board member James Pointer questioned. “Why are we paying Kraus-Anderson to duplicate services?” he asked. “I thought we were paying ARI (Architectural Resources Inc.) and our lobbyist to do that. It seems like we don’t really need the construction manager to go for the referendum.”
He questioned why the facilities committee did not get input from other construction companies on project management services. “It seems like Kraus-Anderson jumped the gun on putting in their proposal.”
Heidi Mann questioned the duplication of services that Kraus-Anderson proposed to provide in the contract. “I would hope that they are not taking the time to redo the (building) condition assessment that has already been done,” she said. “At the same time, I imagine that a company like this wants to have that knowledge in their own heads and they are going to want their own lay of the land, so to speak, in order to move forward.”
Marsnik noted that the contract proposal letter indicated that Kraus-Anderson’s services included a “review” of the existing information. “I don’t think they are going to go back, and I don’t see that there would be any duplication here,” he said.
Later in the meeting, Marsnik noted that a legal opinion indicated “schools are not required to follow the competitive bidding process when contracting for professional services.”
He also noted that board policy requires the hiring process of a project manager be reviewed by a facilities committee and brought before the full board for approval. The ISD 696 facilities committee consists of Erie, district facilities director Tim Leeson, and board members Marsnik and Tony Colarich.
Pointer voted against hiring Kraus-Anderson as the district’s building project manager.
Other business
In other action the board,
• Accepted the retirement of Robin Erickson, Memorial school secretary, effective June 22,
• Accepted the resignation of Darren Visser as head girls basketball coach and Amanda Vanderbeek as head dance team coach,
• Approved the hiring of Maddie Swenson and Darren Visser as assistant girls track coaches,
• Approved the following head coaches for the 2020-2021 school year, Cory Lassi, head football coach, Andrea Thomas, head volleyball coach, Jayne Dusich, head boys and girls cross country coach, Ben Johnson, head hockey coach, Paula Anderson, head Nordic skiing coach, and Tom McDonald, head boys basketball coach,
• Heard from 6-12 principal Megan Anderson that 2020-2021 class schedule selection process for students, based on a six-period day, will begin soon.