Board makes annual decision on probationary teachers

What is now done by two will be done by one next year as Southwest Middle School and Albert Lea High School media specialist positions will be consolidated for the 2018-19 year, according to a resolution passed by the Albert Lea school board Monday.

The school board also passed a resolution of termination and non-renewal of probationary teachers’ teaching contracts for 10 probationary teachers from four different buildings. Executive Director of Administrative Services Jim Quiram said one of those 10 was related to budgetary cuts through the consolidation of the media specialist position. As all media specialists in the district are dually licensed, one of the current media specialists will be absorbed into the district as a teacher, as the other covers media services for both buildings. The media specialist reassigned as a teacher will take the position of a current probationary teacher whose contract is not being renewed. Quiram said this consolidation is not a reduction in media services, but in the position itself.

School board member Angie Hanson said she was pleased to see that cuts related to budget were low this year.

Quiram said the low budget-related cuts were due largely to timing.

“A lot of times, some of our pots of money are not known,” he said. Some of the funds and people assigned to those funds are not confirmed before the board’s April staffing decision, and therefore, the district takes a more conservative approach on staffing, Quiram said.

“If you don’t know what all those pots and dollars are, it’s hard to assign staff to them and guarantee a job when you don’t know it,” he said. “I think we’ve improved our processes, but we also know those dollars.”

Part of that is because now the district receives some of its funding sources automatically, and part because Quiram said the district and the teachers’ bargaining unit came to a consensus on its alternative teacher performance pay system sooner this year than in the previous one. ATPPS is a program that funds professional learning communities and instructional coaches, Quiram said.

The resolution for termination and non-renewal of probationary teachers’ teaching contracts passed with a 5-1 vote. School board member Jill Marin voted no.

The school board also voted to renew its district insurance with National Joint Powers Alliance’s HealthPartners insurance. Deputy Superintendent Lori Volz said the district had a consultant compare the current plan with Public Employees Insurance, PEIP, as the district considered its plan renewal.

According to both district Superintendent Mike Funk and Hanson, the differences between PEIP and NJPA is an indirect comparison because the offerings are very different.

Volz said the district’s current offering of the Well@Work clinic, an on-site clinic made available to employees covered by the district-sponsored health plan, is not supported by PEIP’s insurance. Therefore, the general fund would have to bear the operating costs for the Well@Work clinic.

With PEIP, insurance would cost the district an additional $252,000, Volz said.

The vote passed 5-1. Hanson did not vote in favor of the district’s insurance renewal with NJPA. She said she favored PEIP’s more consistent, lower yearly premium increases and its individualized plan style.

School board member Neal Skaar spoke in favor of NJPA’s Well@Work clinic support, lower out-of-pocket costs for employees than PEIP and NJPA’s freedom of access to providers.

“I think you’re completely comparing apples to oranges as far as the quality of the plan and in addition to that, you have the on-site clinic,” Funk said.

The insurance renewal is valid for one year, Volz said.

In other action, the district looked at the positive review and comment from the Minnesota Department of Education regarding its proposed construction for the Hammer Complex updates. “Based upon the department’s analysis of the school district’s required documentation and other pertinent information from sources of the Minnesota Department of Education, the Commissioner of Education provides a positive review and comment,” the review and comment read.

Marin said she received questions from community members regarding whether any money financed by the bond, should it pass, would go toward maintenance and upkeep of facility and grounds.

Volz said the district has applied cost estimates for additional building maintenance, and the school board considers the costs maintainable with the district’s current income.

Funk said he does not see the project increasing maintenance or upkeep expenses. Additionally, the school board has had conversations with the city about sharing staff for some facility upkeep.

“I’m not aware of any extra costs,” he said of the updated facilities’ maintenance.