VIRGINIA- The board chair gavel for the ISD 2142 school board for 2022 landed in the grasp of District 1 member Pat Christensen at the annual reorganization meeting, after two other members declined nominations.
Outgoing board chair Dan Manick declined a nomination to serve another term, and instead nominated Christensen for the position. Bob Larson was also nominated but declined, leaving the position to fall to Christensen for the upcoming year.
Manick offered a humorous assessment of his tenure as he passed the gavel to Christensen.
“I avoided all scandal in my time as board chair,” Manick laughed.
With Christensen moderating, sole nominations resulted in quick approval of Bob Larson as vice-chair, Lynn Hilde as secretary, and Chet Larson as treasurer.
The board kept their salaries the same at $400 per month, paid regardless of attendance at regular and working meetings, and $12 an hour for attendance at special meetings, committee meetings, workshops and conferences. Board members are allotted the same meal per diem as all district employees— $15 for breakfast, $20 for lunch, and $25 for dinner.
Frandsen Bank, North Star Credit Union, and Ely Area Credit Union were the three primary designated depositories approved by the board. Frandsen Bank will handle the district’s operating account, flex benefit plan account, while student activity and petty cash funds will be distributed by school across all three institutions.
Colosimo, Patchin and Kearney, Ltd. was retained as the district’s legal counsel, and the district’s required legal publications will again be printed in the Cook News Herald.
The board adjourned the meeting and then immediately reconvened in a working session to receive an update on the progress in implementing the Check and Connect student support program in the district from St. Louis County Engagement and Intervention Coordinator Lisa Perkovich, who oversees the program that currently serves 26 county schools.
Perkovich presented a school-by-school asset assessment detailing the personnel and various levels of support available at each of the district’s attendance centers for helping students who may be in need of additional support for attendance, behavior, course performance, and family engagement issues. The individualized look at school systems and graded levels of intervention are designed to ensure that all students who need support receive it from the appropriate source without duplicating services, Perkovich said.
Check and Connect mentors work with students to build positive engagement with their schools to increase attendance and positive behaviors and promote academic achievement and school completion. Perkovich presented some preliminary data about mentoring activities in participating schools and ISD 2142, but indicated it was somewhat incomplete due in part to differences in hiring dates for staff and also in certain reporting requirements. However, she said the program is off to a good start, and she will provide more complete data to the board at an upcoming meeting.