Jan Mitchell, LWV Observer
At the organizational meeting of the Board, the 4 people elected in November to serve on the Board (Diane Cirksena, Jeff Quinnell, Ellen Iverson, and Ann Maple) were sworn in and welcomed. Kari Nelson was re-elected to serve as Chair, and Diane Cirksena was elected Clerk. Committee assignments are to be determined at the next meeting.
The regular meeting opened with announcements and recognitions, including
appreciation of the several holiday concerts involving student groups.
A grant of $1500 for playground equipment at Sibley from the Northfield Foundation District employee participation in the United Way campaign was up by 6% compared to last year, and monetary support up by 35%.
Karl Mader, a high school student, scored in the top 1% of students in a national competition on financial literacy, and more than 50 other NHS students scored well also.
The formation of a Fine Arts Booster Club was commended.
The Holiday Skate event drew many participants and benefited the food shelf.
The custodial staff was thanked for the extra work they did and continue to do as a result of the snowfall.
TIES recognition of exceptional teachers using technology identified Rebecca Messer and Rebecca Glassing from the Northfield District.
Tom Stringer presented the enrollment projections for next year, which are essentially steady. These numbers are used to budget for the next year, and so are very important. The district expects 3,742 students next year.
Kari Nelson announced that the Board will meet with the City Council and all local organizations that work with youth in the near future to coordinate their efforts.
NOTED – at a special session of the Board on December 22, they approved a motion to proceed with the design phase for an addition at Sibley School. They also thanked Paul Hager, Wendy Smith, and Katy Hargis for their service as Board members.