Laporte School Board meets for the first time in 2023

Board meetings will continue to be held on the second Monday of the month at 6 p.m., or the second Tuesday if Monday is a holiday.

Board Chair compensation was changed from $550 to $750, with the clerk and treasurer pay staying at $500. Board member meetings pay will remain at $55 and committee meetings at $25.

Melissa Schmidtke was re-appointed as recording secretary with her pay per meeting raised from $150 to $175.

In new business, the board passed a resolution directing the administration to make recommendations for reductions and or restructuring of programs and positions to develop the 2023-24 schedule, which is done every year.

The board also heard about the Laporte JO (Junior Olympic) Volleyball program, which is separate from the school district, and whether an agreement needs to be in place. The three area teams are 10U, 12U and 16U.

A facility-use agreement is already in place

After a few minutes of discussion, the board decided the extra-curricular committee will meet with the JO Volleyball reps to come up with an agreement.

“This is a really good program and we need to make it work,” said Seegmiller.

The JO teams use the school every Sunday during a season that goes until the end of May. Coaches are paid from the team’s own funds, which does its own fundraising. 

In other school business, the board:

Approved the consent items that included the Dec. 12 meeting minutes; monthly bills of $486,969.88; accepted donations; and hired Spencer Potter as the varsity baseball coach and Lincoln Ryan as assistant baseball coach.

Appointed the school’s official depository as First National Bank of Walker.

Appointed the school’s official newspaper as The Pilot-Independent.

Approved a resolution authorizing Superintendent Aaron Dombeck to act as IOWA for Education Identity Access Management.

Approved resolution declaring Columbus Day not be a holiday for school district purposes.

Approved resolution for superintendent, business manager and payroll coordinator to invest and transfer funds.

Authorized superintendent, business manager, payroll coordinator and Shena Brandt with SMS payroll services to make electronic fund transfers.

Authorized facsimile signatures.

Set the standard mileage rate at 65.5 per mile.

Presented a Minnesota School Board Association 2023 Directors’ Award to board member Holly Wright.

Hired Courtney Holland-Bull as a full-time special education paraprofessional, a position that is vacant.

Hired Jennifer Kolodji as a full-time kindergarten teacher, which is a change in the contract for a position she is now licensed to have.

Discussed the School Safety Review that included some minor issues that have already been fixed or will be.