Board OKs food price increases
The Brainerd School Board Monday approved price increases in the food service lunch and breakfast programs for the coming school year in order to help reduce the projected food service deficit in half.
The price for paid students will go up from 30 to 50 cents at all elementary schools and the adult breakfast will increase from $1.40 to $1.90. Milk will increase by five cents.
The following teachers were hired for the coming school year: Lorie Duevel and Elizabeth Gjerde, both special education teachers; Christian Halverson, secondary geography teacher; Alisha Henricksen, elementary teacher for one year only; Gina Larson, first-grade teacher; Amy Nielsen, secondary mathematics teacher; Holly Olson, reading/writing lab teacher; Jennifer Peterson-Cramer, middle school art teacher; Deirdre Swaggert, secondary Spanish teacher; Jacqueline Vandenbergh, elementary teacher for one year only; and Leslie Zander, orchestra teacher.
Resignations were accepted from Jan Holmes, elementary teacher, effective Dec. 1; Doug Johnson, secondary teacher, July 30; Todd Tetzlaff, media specialist, effective 1999-2000 school year; and Jeff Moen, special education teacher, effective 1999-2000 school year.
Resignations were also accepted from Wally Bostrom, computer technician, effective May 18; Laree Pickar, bus aide, June 2; and Mary Beth Wroolie, teaching assistant, effective in September.
Julie Anderson was hired as the secretary at Baxter Elementary. Steve Dickenson was named the director of business services. Dickenson, who will begin July 1, will make $82,708 a year.
Board members made changes in the 2000-01 calender to reflect recent legislation to add more staff training time to the school year. One of the changes includes removing the student day on June 1, 2001, and provide a half staff day. The other half day would be moved to Aug. 29 to provide more planning time at the start of the school year. Other changes are to replace two student days on Nov. 27 and Jan. 2, 2001, with staff training.
Similar changes were made for the 2001-02 school year.
Gregory Zinda of Fort Ripley was the highest bidder with an estimated $44,000 to purchase a three-bedroom home constructed by students in the building trade class. The home is located behind the high school on the south side. Zinda plans to transport the home south of Brainerd on a 20-acre parcel.
Marianne Heinrich, first-grade teacher at Lowell, has been selected for a Technology and Information Education Services' classroom project award. The program is designed to identify exemplary technology projects and practices in education and to recognize technology leaders in Minnesota.
The program was established to help narrow the gap between the use of technology in schools and society.
Health insurance premiums for district employees will increase 25 percent effective in September. Single rates will increase from $194 to $242 and family rates from $480 to $600 per month.
Diversified Communication was hired to install the telephone system in the high school.
With the budget changes, the board approved the proposed 2000-01 budget. In the general fund, the anticipated revenues are estimated at $48.2 million and the projected expenditures are about $48.7 million.
Renewed membership in the Minnesota Rural Education Association. Board member Ruth Gmeinder said the district has had good representation with the association.
Kathleen Kelmin inquired about purchasing a piece of land from the district in Garrison Township. She wants to raise animals. The board decided to have the property appraised and then decide if it wants to see the parcel.