Luverne’s Board of Education conducted its first meeting of the 2015-16 school year Tuesday night, July 21. It was also the first meeting with new superintendent Craig Oftedahl in attendance.
Since his start on July 1, Oftedahl said his welcome in Luverne has been a warm one as he and his family transition from Warroad to Luverne.
“The community has been tremendous,” he said. “I look forward to working with you for many, many years.”
At the first meeting of the new school year, board members (minus Eric Hartman who was not at the meeting) approved bids, renewed membership to the Minnesota School Board Association and made official designations.
Members awarded the bakery projects bid to Bimbo Bakeries USA, dairy projects to Deans Foods North Central and the vehicle fuel bid to ExpressWay Luverne BP.
The Star Herald was approved as the district’s official newspaper.
Minnwest Bank of Luverne, Exchange State Bank, First Farmers and Merchants National Bank, Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus and Smith Barney Inc. were named official depositories.
Two law firms were designated as school attorneys. They are Knutson, Flynn and Deans of Mendota Heights and Ratwick, Roszak, Maloney and Bartel, Minneapolis.
The board approved the elementary and middle/high school parent/student handbooks.
They also supported the administrators’ recommendation to place the handbooks online with paper copies available upon request.
Board members increased their special meeting compensation from $30 to $50 per meeting. They also approved a separate compensation of $110 for meetings lasting more than six hours including travel time. Regular scheduled board meeting compensation stayed at $60 per meeting.
The board last raised its compensation rates for the 2013-2014 school year.
Substitute teacher rates stayed the same at $110 per day.
Bus driver physical and license reimbursements were set at $115 for the physicals and $47 for licenses.
The board set the rate of $345 per pupil for private/parochial school transportation, which was also increased last year.
In other business, the board also:
•approved a 3.5-percent salary increase to $32,085 for Ann Rigney, food service director.
•accepted custodian Mark Ehlers’ resignation effective July 22.
•approved Josh Crabtree and Dan Serie as volunteer football coaches and Cameron Blackwell as volunteer marching band adviser.