• Absentee and in-person voting takes place at MAS office, auditorium

By Melanie Stegner

news@pctribune.com

The Minnewaska Area School Board discussed the upcoming special election for the tech levy its regular meeting last week. The public can vote early with polls open at the school now through Election Day on November 7. 

In-person voting will take place in the Minnewaska Area High School Auditorium from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on  Tuesday, November 7. Those voting on Nov. 7 should enter the school through the District Office doors (Door #1).

Residents can also vote Absentee which started on Sept. 22 and continues through Nov. 6 at the Minnewaska Area Schools District Office.  The office is open from  7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Absentee voting will take place at the Minnewaska Area Schools District Office inside the high school (Door #1). Absentee voting will be unavailable on Friday, Nov. 3.

The results of the special election will be canvassed at 7:30 a.m. in the district office on November 16, it was decided. 

The technology levy that was passed by the community in 2014 is up for renewal and a funding increase.  As the dedicated source of funding for MAS technology solutions for the next decade, the tech levy represents a critical investment for students and staff at Minnewaska Area Schools, it was stated. 

The board chose to recognize the middle school intervention staff, Kasey Douvier and Stephanie Thoen, for their work organizing data collection and creating a timely intervention schedule to provide support to at-risk students. 

Superintendent Chip Rankin walked the board through the monthly financials and food service reports and gave some updates regarding ongoing projects such as the completion of updating the routers in the elementary school and the nurse’s office completing Narcan training. “We’re currently fully staffed, and our board chair attended a workshop with the county and city regarding the daycare project,” he added.

Donations to the school were accepted in an amount of $18,200. Several projects were supported including the elementary media center, scoreboard sponsorship, tech levy campaign, speech donation and band donation. 

Seniority lists were approved for the Minnesota Teacher’s Association and Mental Health Practitioners. A second reading of school policy updates that were required by statute adoption. At that time, the meeting went into closed session to discuss negotiations for the 2023-2025 AFSCME Council 65 master agreement. 

The master agreement is the contract that covers non-certified staff including paraprofessionals. Board member Justin Zavadil moved not to approve the contract as it stands. “Team, we’re very close here and the one thing we want is to be able to hire people with experience at the appropriate level, that’s the biggest thing,” he said. Superintendent Rankin discussed some of the other benefits that have been approved including paid time off. Ratification of the contract as it stands would make it impossible for the school to hire any non-certified staff with sufficient experience. The board voted unanimously not to approve the contract.

Board member Angie Reichmann asked about the homecoming parade and if it will be done at the school going forward. “If our neighbors can close down four lanes for seven blocks, why can’t we do a couple blocks of two lanes?” she asked. This year, weather events made it difficult to have the parade in a timely manner. At this time, no decision was made, but the administration is open to entertaining ideas. 

The next meeting of the school board will be November 20 at 7 p.m.