NRHEG School board organizes for 2025

In addition to completing legally required “organizational” steps, members of the NRHEG School Board accepted two retirements during their Jan. 2 meeting.

Secondary art teacher Cynthia Gail is now taking advantage of a Minnesota law which allows eligible teachers to be officially retired and receiving retirement benefits while also continuing to teach; Gail informs the Star Eagle she plans to continue in her position through the end of the school year, and will decide sometime in March whether she will stay with the district through the 2025-’26 school year. Woodworking and construction skills instructor Brad Root is also teaching under the same program.

Barb Hagen, long-time secretary for the secondary guidance office, also had her retirement approved. Her last day working for the district will be Jan. 17.

The first element of the “organizational” portion of the Jan. 2 meeting was a ceremonial oath of office for re-elected members Loren Schoenrock and Pat Theuer and newly elected member Kelly Delacruz, each of whom is at the start of a four-year term scheduled to run through the end of December 2028. Board members Rick Schultz, Amy Ihrke, Aaron Phillips and Pat Theuer will complete their current terms in December of 2026.

Board chair for 2025 is Rick Schultz; Loren Schoenrock is vice chair; Terri Engel will serve as clerk; Pat Theuer is the board treasurer.

Board members elected to keep the amount of pay issued to them at $100 for meetings of a typical length or $150 for all-day meetings or work sessions. In addition, the chair will receive a $200 annual stipend; the clerk will receive $150; the treasurer $100.

The NRHEG Star Eagle will continue to be the district’s official newspaper; any legally required public notices regarding district activities will appear in its pages. The State Bank of New Richland continues to be the official depository along with the Minnesota School District Liquid Assets Fund.

Board members made no changes to their schedule of monthly meetings taking place at 6:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month; when that Monday falls on a legal holiday, as it does this year in January, February, and April, the meeting will occur on the Tuesday following the regular meeting day. Board members alternate the location of their sessions between the elementary and secondary sites, always in the facility’s media center. For 2025, meetings will be in Ellendale during the months of January, March, May, September and November.