INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 656
REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
Monday, September 22, 2025 ~ 5:30 p.m. ~ Regular Board Meeting
Faribault District Office
I. Call to Order : John Bellingham called the meeting to order. All members are present except for Candace Knudsen. Student representatives, Zamara Williams and Essa Alli are also present.
II. Agenda Approval: Approved as printed.
III. Recognition, Awards and Presentations
IV. Items of Information
IV.A. Student Board Representatives shared information about various student activities, including plans for Homecoming, as well as talked about noticing positive attitudes and excitement for the school year. Some students, however, have reported difficulty in getting and/or changing courses.
IV.B. School Board Members
Linda Moore comments on survey problems. She noted that many people have no access to the Faribault Daily News and feels the schools need more places to share information about the schools. She also noted that MCA scores in reading, math, and science have gone down, and she feels the School Board should be addressing this issue. She also suggested that there should be evidence of grant funding programs being effective.
Linda Bodreau asked about support for students and staff regarding the killing of Charlie Kirk.
Chad Wolf noted that there have been a lot of requests for various kinds of information from Board members, which puts a significant burden on staff whose time is taken away from other tasks.
John Bellingham noted that there are a lot of positives about this current school year including the encouraging enrollment numbers
IV.C .Superintendent Mr. Bente reported on student numbers and shared that student numbers are exceeding what had been anticipated.
V. Public Comment: None
VI. Consent Agenda (Consent Agenda Items are approved by one motion unless a board member requests separate action.) The consent agenda was presented and passed with 5 yeas and I nay vote (Linda Moore)
VI.A. Regular meeting minutes, August 18, 2025, Work session minutes, September 8, 2025
VI.B. Employment
VI.C. Additional Assignments
VI.D. Authorization of payments
VII. District Advisory Committee – No report
VIII. Policy Committee
Prior to the review of the individual policies, Linda Moore noted that she has issues with 3 of the policy proposals, as follows:
Policy 209- Code of Ethics: This policy should include mention of Federal LAWS.
Policy 425- Staff Development: (Revision): Members have been appointed by the Board in the past. There is an objection to the policy’s change that appointments will be made by the Superintendent.
Policy 512-School-sponsored Student Publications and Activities (Revisions): The objection is to youth being allowed to make decisions about publications/activities within the limitations spelled out instead of having administration responsible. Comment was that administration is shirking its responsibilities by giving them to youth who are not equipped to make appropriate decisions.
Board discussion followed. Cassie commented that most of the committee voted yes for all of the policies, following discussion of these points at the policy committee meeting. Linda Moore questioned why policy 512 was changed in the legislature. This represents turning over decision-making responsibility for student publications to the teachers and students. Although the school district still has some control, this furthers a trend of giving these responsibilities away to students who are not able to make these decisions. Chad Wolf supported policy 425 and Linda Moore again stated that this is an overall pattern of responsibility being taken from parents and schools and turned over to youth.
Linda Bodreau asked what the Staff Development Advisory Committee is, saying she had never heard of it before.
John Bellinghamd notes that policy is a revision of old policies dating back to 1894 and 1862. The revisions confirm the appropriate roles of the School Board, emphasizing that school boards are not involved in day-to-day operations. That role falls to the Superintendent/Administration.
IX.A. Finance Committee
Minutes of the July and August meeting action include approval of the contract with River Bend Nature Center and a report on the enrollment numbers which are up 161 students over 2024-25.
X. Other Matters
X.A. Gifts and Donations to the school districted were acknowledged and accepted with the Board’s gratitude.
X.B. Dissolution of and application for cooperative sponsorship for dance teams was approved.
X.C. Preliminary 25 Pay 25 Property Tax Levy Barbie Roessler, Finance and Operations Direction recommended the preliminary maximum of 2.22% levy with a 2nd approval in the future for the actual amount. The recommendation was approved.
X.D. Roessler also recommended approval of the RBNC and FPS contract for the FY 25-26 with a 1.8% increase from the previous year. That recommendation was approved.
XI. Upcoming meeting dates were shared as shown in the meeting agenda.
XII. The meeting was unanimously adjourned.
