Blue Earth Area activities director Travis Armstrong updated the School Board on the fall sports season and highlighted the three girls who qualified for the State Tennis Meet, the volleyball team’s playoff win and the success of the cross country team.

A report from the Blue Earth Area School Board’s Activities Committee sparked a discussion about sports co-ops during this past Monday’s BEA School Board meeting.

As School Board member Ted Armon gave the other board members an update from the committee meeting, board member Mark Franta questioned whether the subject of a sports co-op with Genesis Classical Academy in Winnebago had been discussed.

Armon said the topic of sports co-op agreements was discussed just in general terms, with an explanation of the ways one can be created.

“It is a complicated procedure,” Armon said. “But, I want to point out that Blue Earth Area has not been approached by Genesis or any other school or school district in the area about creating a sports co-op agreement.”

Franta pressed for more discussion on the topic, saying that it is important to remember the people of Winnebago are voters in the BEA School District.

“I think the point, one more time, is that we have not heard from the Genesis administration about this,” board member Stacey Beyer, who is also on the Activities Committee, said. “This does not have to be discussed at this time.”

At the end of the meeting, Franta brought up another issue, one he had also raised at the previous board meeting.

It has to do with the board holding a special work session to discuss a plan to increase the MCA State Testing scores.

Board member Armon and others repeated that they had had such a work session this past September, where they reviewed the scores and heard the plan for making improvements in the scores.

Board member Armon said he felt it would be more beneficial to wait and see the new scores next August and meet in September of 2024.

School Board chair Sara Hauskins said the school does have plans for making improvement in the scores.

“Three years ago we made some big changes, getting a curriculum director and changing some of our curriculum to match state requirements,” Hauskins said.

Earlier in the meeting, BEA activities director Travis Armstrong gave a report on having a successful fall sports season.

“The volleyball team had a playoff match, the cross country team had 13 members do well at the Section Meet, with 10 doing a personal record best and three doing a season best,” he said. “Three girls went to the State Tennis Meet and 16 girls were out for cheerleading.”

He also listed the recent concerts and the play scheduled for this weekend as other activities underway.

As part of his report he also listed the very preliminary report of how many are out for winter sports.

Although practices are just starting and the numbers are subject to change, Armstrong said there are 28 girls out for basketball, 12 for gymnastics, 37 for boys basketball, 20 plus for wrestling and nine cheerleaders – so far.

Armstrong also gave an update on promoting Buc Pride in the school and at events, as well as practicing good sportsmanship – from the players to the fans in the stands.

“We have our Buc Road Ambassadors,” he said. “These are students who go to the officials at away games and tell them that if there are any problems with our fans, the officials should let them know and they will take care of it.”

In other business, the School Board:

• Approved the 2023-2025 Master Agreement with the BEA Education Association.

The agreement calls for an 8.7 percent increase in certified staff salaries over the next two years.

• Approved a list of winter coaches for 2023-2024.

• Approved the Assurance of Compliance for BEA and the 2023-2024 World’s Best Workforce Report.

• Approved a donation from Kerry Ingredients for the BUCC-Y Bags program.

• Approved several personnel changes, including resignations from paraprofessionals Katie Welsh and Sara Arbeiter, new hire for paraprofessional Mariah Vaughn and the retirement of bus driver Tim Anderson. The board thanked Anderson for his 18 years of service to the district.