Cass Davis, a student at Blue Earth Area High School, was recently selected to serve as a student school board member. Above, he is welcomed to the board by board chair Susie Rosenau. Davis was highly recommended for the position following his interview. His first official school board meeting will be Jan. 3.

The Blue Earth Area School Board held their Truth in Taxation public hearing as the first item on their agenda at their regular monthly meeting held last Monday night, Dec. 13.

After a report on the budget and levy from the school district’s fiscal services coordinator, Alan Wilhelmi, the board voted on the tax levy to be levied in 2021 and collected in 2022.

The total levy for the district was set at $3,134,692. Wilhelmi reported that was an increase of $126,688 from the year before, which is a 4.1 percent hike in the property tax levy.

Of that levy, $2.381 million is for the General Fund (75.97 percent), $135,475 for Community Service (4.32 percent) and $617,779 is designated for Debt Service (19.71 percent).

Wilhelmi also pointed out that the Community Service Fund and the Debt Service Fund amounts from the levy actually decreased from the previous year, but the General Fund increased enough to make the levy increase by the 4.1 percent.

He also responded to a question from the board and said the levy increase numbers do reflect the voter approved operation levy, too.

The board also heard their annual audit report from auditor Laura Buechner of CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen) Auditors.

Buechner reported a clean audit for the district for the previous year’s financials.

Part of her report included that the General Fund revenues for the previous school year had been $13,614,458, with 78.49 percent coming from state funds, 12.29 percent from the local tax levy and the rest from other sources.

Under her superintendent’s report, Mandy Fletcher gave a COVID update that included the information that the school currently has one student and one staff member under COVID quarantine.

She also reported that the two new nurses have been handling all the in-school COVID testing.

Fletcher also reported that motivational speaker Joe Beckman will be at the school on Jan. 10. He will also be giving a session in the evening that will be open to the general public.

Fletcher also introduced the newly selected student board member, Cass Davis, to the School Board members.

Although he was the only one to apply for the position, Fletcher said the selection committee was very impressed with Davis during the interview and highly recommended him to serve on the board. His first official meeting will be on Jan. 3.

In other business at the meeting, the BEA Board:

• Heard a report from State representative Bjorn Olson.

Olson reported on actions taken at the State Legislature which would affect school districts across the state, including an increase in state aid to schools.

• Voted to raise guest teacher pay (formerly called substitute teachers).

The current rate of $125 per day would remain in effect for one to four days of teaching, while the rate for five to 14 days would increase to $175 and for 15-plus days it would be $200 per day.

• Approved the purchase of a new bus for the school district.

The used 77-passenger 2020 Blue Bird Vision school bus has low mileage and comes at a price of $66,000. The district will be using Esser Funds for the purchase.

• Approved a roofing bid for the Performing Arts Center and stage area in the high school. It is part of a multi-year roof replacement project started in 2016. There is just one more portion of the high school roof left to do after this.

• Heard an update from Brenda Smith concerning the basketball court project at the elementary school.

She reported that the committee has raised $41,000 to cover the cost of the resurfacing of the courts, but are continuing to fundraise to cover the cost of lights for the courts.

• Approved the winter sports coaches list, as well as the certified staff seniority list and the non-certified staff seniority list.

• Approved a resolution establishing “a combined polling place for certain multiple precincts and designating hours during which the polling places will remain open for voting for school district election not held on the day of a statewide election.”

Fletcher said this resolution is approved every year in case a special school election needs to be held.

• Approved personnel changes including the hiring of Kirby Olson as a paraprofessional and Theresa Eckles as an elementary teacher, leaves of absence for Kali Erichsrud, Sara Rothmeier and TJ Schmidtke, resignations from Nicole Hasbargen (paraprofessional), Jennifer Berkner (technology coordinator) and Jeremy Frank (high school custodian).