Thanks to The North 40 Tavern for their support. A north woods tavern somewhere in the middle of a big city. They regularly rotate tap beers, so stop in to see what’s currently flowing.
The ISD 197 School Board got an initial look at the budget framework, recognized two tech groups from Two Rivers High School, and approved board goals for the year.
2024-2025 Budget Framework
An initial budget framework and parameters were shared with the board. These are the guidelines and basic assumptions that will guide the creation of next year’s budget. No details were included and no action was taken.
- Assumptions: Most of the basic budget assumptions about class size and other factors are the same.
- Fund balance: The board has a policy to maintain a fund balance of 8%. The projected budged has a fund balance of 6.5%, though Superintendent Peter Olson-Skog noted it is on an upward trajectory. Leeway on the fund balance has been proposed as one way to meet teacher demands for the current contract negotiation (an agreement has been reached and is currently being voted on by the teacher’s union).
- Timeline: The budget framework will be discussed in more detail at the next board meeting. A preliminary budget will be presented in May with a final budget to be approved in June.
Tech Recognitions
The board recognized two tech groups from Two Rivers High School, the Tech Warriors and the Lightning Turtles robotics team.
- Tech Warriors: This group handles tech repair at the high school, filming and live streaming events, and behind-the-scenes tech in the auditorium. The group has surged in popularity this year, doubling to about two dozen students.
- Lightning Turtles: This group recently won first place in the international FIRST Robotics Competition 2024 Digital Animation Awards. The Lightning Turtles were fresh from a tournament in Duluth where they didn’t place well but learned a lot as they head into the next tournament in Minneapolis.
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Other Items on the Agenda
- Board goals: The board approved a series of goals for the year, including a exploring a resource to deepen their knowledge, engaging in regular development sessions, lay out partnerships for political advocacy, create a guide for expectations around school and committee liaison roles, and designing a board T-shirt to help the community identify and engage with board members.
- Reading: March is Read Across America Month with multiple extra reading activities, including high school students reading to elementary students, Battle of the Books at Heritage, and a read-a-thon at Friendly Hills with more than 250,000 minutes read and more than $6,000 raised.
Engage
- More: Agendas and minutes for ISD 197 School Board meetings are available online.
- Watch: You can watch this meeting online.
Coverage of ISD 197 School Board meetings happens thanks to the support of our members and our successful member drive.
