Meihak’s contract renewed till ‘27

At their January 16 meeting, members of the NRHEG school board approved a contract retaining Michael Meihak as the district superintendent. The contract takes effect July 1 of this year and continues through June of 2027. Under its terms, Meihak will receive a 1.5% pay increase for the 2024-25 school year, being paid $145,250.

 

During the “public comment” portion of the meeting, board members heard from Tracy Smith, who is both a district employee and parent of an NRHEG student.

 

Saying she knew of more than one case when students had received the wrong medication, she stated “for the health and well-being of all students, there should always be a licensed nurse staffing the nurse’s offices at both school sites.”

 

Reached for comment later, school nurse Carrie Petsinger stated it is the practice to have a licensed nurse on staff every school day. She noted one member of the team had been away on maternity leave, but has now returned. Petsinger acknowledged errors in delivering medication had occurred, but said she could not release further information.

 

During the “reports” section of the meeting, teaching and learning coordinator Jason Toupence informed board members he is working on acquiring the teaching materials needed for a new state-required “earth science” course for freshmen. He mentioned that scheduling is underway for the annual Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) testing which will involve most of the district’s students at many different levels.

 

He said staff members had found the Jan. 15 “professional development” day, during which they met and collaborated with their counterparts in the Blooming Prairie school district, as a strong opportunity to share information and teaching methods.

 

Superintendent Meihak complimented district building and grounds department head Scott Schuller for facilitating some facelift projects during the holiday break. He thanked board members for attending the annual Minnesota School Board Association (MSBA) convention held January 11-12. He reported that preparatory meetings are underway for the major construction work scheduled for this summer. The work will include resurfacing parking areas both in Ellendale and New Richland, and will also entail some interior remodeling, including replacing many wooden doors to be compliant with modern codes.

 

He also informed board members the district had received $9,400 in donations over the past month. $1,000 had been given toward the purchase of new choir robes, $200 had been donated to the DECA club, and about $8,000 had been given to support the Cheerleading team’s upcoming trip to national-level competition.