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The ISD 197 School Board approved shifting their elections from odd to even years and heard site reports from Mendota Elementary School and Heritage E-STEM Magnet School.
Shifting Elections
The school board voted unanimously to shift elections from odd years to even years.
- The move will save the district $50,000 in costs and another $20,000 to $30,000 in staff time as Dakota County and other cities take over election duties reducing redundancies.
- The transition will start immediately, with the 2025 election pushed to 2026. Board members will have their term extended by one year to accommodate the change.
- There has been little debate or pushback about the move, and multiple other districts are considering a similar change.
Site Reports
Two schools gave their annual site report, including Mendota Elementary School and Heritage E-STEM Magnet School.
Mendota: Principal Steve Goldade shared with the help of two students and the school’s instructional coach.
- Focus: The school is emphasizing character growth, a growth mindset, the tree metaphor, and community building.
- Points of Pride: Recent highlights include a walking field trip to Bdote, DEI work with the Black History Month choir and culture night, and teachers piloting new curriculum.
- Looking ahead: Upcoming events include local author Isaiah Allen visiting in February, a new yearbook that will be provided for all students, and a coming mural with local artist Tara Aiken.
Heritage: Principal Heidi Koury and Associate Principal Rachel LondonNyhus presented.
- Focus: This year the school is focusing on joy.
- What’s new: This year’s new electives have give students more choice. Some of those options include marine science, teenager 101, coding/mechanical systems, and more.
- Student voice: They’re empowering students to shape the school with a student council. They’ve already implemented changes in the cafeteria.
Other Items on the Agenda
- Student recognitions: The board recognized Mendota’s Black History Month Choir and the math teams from both middle schools.
- Highway 13: The consent agenda included a letter of support for MnDOT applying for a federal grant for slope stability planning on Highway 13. Last year the road was closed for five months due to landslides. The project would explore long-term solutions to stabilize the bluffs.
Engage
- More: Agendas and minutes for ISD 197 School Board meetings are available online.
- Watch: You can watch this meeting online and see the video recap from Superintendent Peter Olson-Skog and Board Member Jon Vaupel.
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