Underwood School Board Meetings – August 14 and August 16, 2023

The Underwood School Board Regular August meeting was held Monday, August 14, 2023 in the Choir Room. Present were Board Members John Wold, Jen Albjerg, Kyle Sem, Adam Baker and Rebekah Meder; Superintendent Jeff Wilson, Principal Arick Follingstad, Activities Director/Dean of Students Brian Hovland and Business Manager Margie Thieschafer. Absent: None. Others present: Dave Thieschafer, Erin Hoyt and Chad Gronner. Wold, Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 6:30 a.m. with a quorum present. Member Albjerg read the School Belief Statements. Motion to approve the amended agenda (Albjerg/Meder: MCU). Chris Waltz joined the meeting at 6:31 p.m. Visitor comments: Gronner addressed the Board regarding potential hire of a teacher applicant. Motion to approve the consent agenda items: July minutes, Financial Reports and Donations; Resignations of Brady Hunter, Social Studies teacher, Chrstina Knaack, English teacher, Lisa Sande, MARRS Coordinator and Marianne Mealey, Food Service Asst, Cook; Termination of Alicia Knutson, paraprofessional; Approve new hires: Jacob Western, social studies and Molly Johnson, English teachers; Robbie Mavis, high school secretary/MARRS Coordinator, Michele Fitzgibbons, Food Service Asst, Cook and Ben Naddy, paraprofessional. (Waltz/Meder: Roll Call Voting in Favor: Meder, Sem, Baker, Wold, Albjerg and Waltz; Voting Against: None: MC). Donation: $1,020 Anonymous for delinquent lunch accounts. Committee reports given: Wold on Fergus Falls Area Special Education Cooperative and Waltz on Phase II of MN School Board Association workshop. Dave Thieschafer gave a Buildings and Ground update. Hovland gave the Activities Director/Community Ed Report, Follingstad gave the Principal Report and Wilson gave the Superintendent Report. Sem left the meeting at 7:08 a.m. Motion to set transportation pay for FY24 (Wolde/Baker: MCU). Activity Bus Driver $15.50/hr and Activity Van Driver with students $14.64/hr. Motion to set substitute pay for FY24 (Meder/Baker: MCU – Wold Abstained). Less than 2 hrs $50, Half Day Less than 4 hrs $70 and Full Day $150. Wold gave the summary of Superintendent Wilson’s evaluation. Waltz left the meeting at 8:25 a.m. Motion to approve 23-24 Student Handbook, Teacher Handbook and Crisis Management Plan (Baker/Albjerg: MCU). Other agenda items tabled until the next board meeting. Motion to adjourn (Meder/Albjerg: MCU). The meeting ended at 8:50 a.m. Rebekah Meder Clerk Special Session – The Underwood School Board August Special meeting was held Wednesday August 16, 2023 in the Conference Room. Present were Board Members: Wold, Albjerg, Waltz and Meder; Superintendent Wilson and Business Manager Thieschafer. Absent: Baker and Sem. Visitors included: None. Wold, Chair, called the meeting to order at 6:37 a.m. with a quorum present. Motion to approve agenda as stated (Albjerg/Meder: MCU). Board discussed practice for reviewing bills. Motion to approve addendum to Policy 409–403b for 12 month employees (Wold/ Meder: MCU). Motion to close meeting at 6:46 a.m. per MS 13D.03, for negotiations (Wold/Albjerg: MCU). Motion to open meeting at 7:31 a.m. (Meder/Wold: MCU). Motion to adjourn meeting (Albjerg/ Meder: MCU). Meeting ended at 7:32 a.m. Rebekah Meder Clerk (This publication constitutes the legal printing September 20, 2023 of the official minutes of this meeting.)