BLUE EARTH– Soon after hearing a revised spending budget update in the course of its meeting final Monday evening, the Blue Earth Location College Board decided to raise staffing in specific regions.

The spending budget update, offered by fiscal solutions coordinator Alan Wilhelmi, showed that the district is in fantastic monetary shape, in most regions, for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, which ends on June 30.

Superintendent Mandy Fletcher had a proposal to raise staffing in specific regions, for this subsequent college year, 2023-2024.

These regions incorporated adding a further section (class) for second and third grades, adding an ELA (English Language Arts) instructor for sixth grade and one particular in the higher college, and an assistant principal/behavior specialist.

When questioned by board members, Fletcher mentioned she estimates the general expense of adding the new employees for the subsequent college year would be about $450,000.

Soon after discussion, the board voted in favor of adding the proposed new employees members for the subsequent year, but just on a one particular year trial basis.

The board also voted in the course of the personnel section of the meeting to add a new chemistry/physical science teacher for subsequent year. It voted to employ Brittany Eckhardt to fill the position.

In other small business in the course of the meeting, the board discussed the ongoing negotiations with the city of Blue Earth regarding new tennis courts which would be constructed at the higher college.

The City Council had lately passed a motion to spend $330,000 towards the expense of courts at the college, rather of undertaking a percentage of the expense. The city would also nonetheless cover all the expense for building with the College District paying them back by means of lease payments for its share.

College Board member Ted Armon was not pleased with the new proposal from the city.

“I believed we had agreed to a 60/40 split of the expenses,” Armon mentioned. “Then they wanted to modify it to 70/30. Now, it is going to a $330,000 expense share from the city, which is just 27.five % of the estimated $1.two million expense.”

Soon after a lot more discussion, the board decided to send the whole matter back to the joint powers committee for a lot more negotiations, despite the fact that no formal motion was created.

Fletcher mentioned she would also schedule a meeting with city administrator Mary Kennedy, to additional overview the project.

In other small business at the meeting, the College Board:

— Heard an update from BEA music teachers Peter Koenig and Paul Johnson about the general music system.

March is Music in Our Schools Month, they mentioned, and they described all the distinct music possibilities for students in grades kindergarten by means of 12.

— Heard an update from Emily Davis, the BEA Workforce Coordinator, on activities for students to discover profession possibilities.

These have incorporated field trips, business partnerships, tour of manufacturing plants and an Ag Day at South Central College.

— Also heard an update from technologies coordinator Stacy Haase which incorporated information and facts on a Chromebook refresher system, revamping the college web page and information about social media.

— Authorized the spring sports coaches list, the 2022-2023 revised spending budget and donations to the Bucc-y Backpack Plan.

Today’s breaking news and a lot more in your inbox