Board approves preliminary 2025 levy

During the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (NRHEG) school board’s regular monthly meeting on Sept. 16, district business manager Karla Christopherson summarized briefly that, of the district’s $13 million annual budget, about $2.4 million is covered by property taxes levied against land, homes, and structures within the district’s boundaries, which reach into three counties including Waseca, Freeborn, and Steele. The anticipated levy amount reached in preliminary calculations is that, whereas the district levied for $2,402,000 in 2024, it is likely to levy for $2,472,000 in 2025, about $70,000 more, which amounts to less than a one-percent increase.

 

Based on state law, all publicly-funded agencies must submit a preliminary tax levy to relevant county governments. Counties then send property owners a statement during November letting them know what their anticipated property tax burden from all sources will be during the upcoming year. Taxpayers have the opportunity to attend a “truth in taxation” meeting in December, where they can acquire further information about how their money is being distributed. NRHEG’s truth in taxation meeting was set for 6 p.m. Dec. 16 at the district’s secondary site located in New Richland.

 

Public comment was received from Tracy Smith, who has children in the district. Smith pointed out that, while the nurse’s office at the Ellendale site is manned full time by a licensed practical nurse (LPN), the office at the New Richland site is sometimes not. “Unlicensed staff does not have the training to understand the types of side effects or unexpected outcomes which might be caused by some medicines,” said Smith. Stating that errors made by staff have already put students in danger, she went on, “For everybody’s safety and welfare, the district should have licensed [medical] staff available at all times.”

 

School board members were presented with certificates of appreciation in observance of “School Board Appreciation Month,” as sponsored by the Minnesota State School Board Association. As he presented the certificates, district superintendent Michael Meihak thanked board members for their dedication to the district’s students and their willingness to contribute their time, experience, and knowledge to keep the district moving forward.

 

During administrative reports, elementary principal Craig Kopetzki told board members parents have been complimenting the new student drop-off zone which is part of the expanded paved area added during this past summer’s construction projects. Kopetzki explained the new zone has a clearly marked one-way traffic pattern which reduces wait times and congestion.

 

District community education director Macy Whiteside provided information about preschool education programs. At the Ellendale site, 18 3-year-olds and 23 4- or 5-year-olds are registered; in New Richland, there are 17 3-year-olds and 23 4- or 5-year-olds, for a total of 82 participants.

 

Secondary principal Grant Berg told board members students seem to be complying with the newly implemented cell phone policy which forbids phones from being visible or in use during class hours. He reported that “Impact Teen Driver” seemed valuable and worthwhile, and that he hopes to schedule it every year from now on. The hour-long presentation, which includes comments and observations from state highway patrol officers and a dramatic video regarding the consequences of poor choices while driving, was presented to NRHEG sophomores on Sept. 4.

 

Student travel arrangements occupied a significant portion of the evening’s meeting.

Secondary social studies teacher Theresa Buendorf summarized the summer trip to Australia which she supervised this past summer through the student travel company Education First (EF). Buendorf said a total of 48 travelers from NRHEG spent 10 days in Australia and New Zealand; the group included six parents who paid to accompany one of their children, as well as one adult chaperone for each six student travelers–the EF company’s recommended number.

 

Buendorf was given approval to organize a 2026 trip to Europe. She told board members the 10-day journey would include London, England; Paris and Versailles, France; Switzerland; Lichtenstein; and Munich, Germany. As has been the case for previous tirps, participants would be expected to pay for the trip in advance; EF’s price is $4,829. Any who cannot pay the cost all at once can arrange to pay monthly installments.

 

A trip to the 2024 Future Farmers of America (FFA) national convention came within one vote of being disallowed by school board members, all of whom expressed disapproval they were learning in September about the organization’s intent to transport 10 students to Indianapolis for an October 22 to 25 event. Members also expressed discomfort with the request to use a district school bus and driver as transportation, and with the apparent intent to have only one male chaperone even though the trip was scheduled to include participants of both genders. After a motion to disallow the trip failed on a 4 to 3 vote, board members instead came up with a list of criteria which needed to be met before the trip would be allowed. These included either sharing transportation with other FFA groups in the region or finding another means of transport which did not entail a school bus; taking at least two chaperones, one of each gender; and ensuring that criteria for selecting participants were fair and equitable.

 

After spending roughly 40 minutes of their meeting time on the topic, board members asked Meihak to draft a set of criteria for all future requests which involve student travel.

Before going into a closed session to address the annual evaluation of Superintendent Meihak’s job performance, board members authorized spending up to $51,000 for new storage cabinets to be installed in the secondary band room. They also authorized spending no more than $4,000 as a retainer fee to a legal firm whose task is to take care of legal paperwork which will transfer ownership of two parcels of land on the east side of School Street to the school district. Current owners of the property have agreed to donate the land, which Meihak says total to be about the size of two residential lots, to the school, as long as the district takes care of the necessary legal work and fees.

 

FFA advisor Dan Sorum has since told the Star Eagle he is able to comply with the criteria and is going forward with the trip. He observed that his request to take a school bus was to make the trip eligible for a $500 grant from the Minnesota Corn and Soybean Growers Association: the grant was contingent upon using a vehicle powered by biodiesel fuel.