Blue Earth Area School Board chair Sara Hauskins swears in new student representative Reagan Machacek at a meeting held on Monday, Feb. 12.

Blue Earth Area Schools will start earlier this fall after a decision was made at the BEA School Board meeting on Monday night, Feb. 12.

But, the decision did not come easy, as there was a long discussion by the board members before there was a vote on two different motions.

The first vote on the matter came on a motion by Ted Armon and second by Mark Franta to postpone the decision to the March meeting. That vote failed on a 5-2 count.

A second motion, to proceed with the new proposed calendar, passed on a 5-1 vote.

Board member Franta first questioned whether a decision on the calendar could be postponed to the March meeting. Superintendent Mandy Fletcher said it could be postponed, but probably not later than March.

Franta said he would prefer some more study of the changes, particularly starting school in August, as well as the issue of having Spring Break during Easter week.

“I am also concerned how this early start would affect all of those who go to the State Fair for FFA,” Franta said.

Board member Armon said he would like to see more time to get input from the public and possibly do a poll.

“We did that,” board member Stacey Beyer said. “We said at our last month’s meeting that school board members should get input on this. I talked to 20 families, and 17 were in favor of it.”

Beyer also said the Calendar Committee had spent a lot of time talking to staff and members of the public to create this calendar.

“The committee has done their due diligence,” board chair Sara Hauskins agreed.

Armon said he missed the last board meeting and wanted to get more input, and then made the motion to postpone the decision to March.

“I just want more time to get more feedback,” he said.

The possibility of creating a poll was also discussed, but one member spoke against that idea.

“If we do a poll, most of those who take the poll will be the ones against the new calendar,” board member Jeff Eckles said. “Those who favor it or don’t care either way probably won’t take the poll.”

Only Armon and Franta voted for the motion to postpone. Board member Kyle Zierke made the motion to accept the new proposed calendar with the early start and Eckles seconded it. Only Franta voted against it.

The new calendar has school starting on Aug. 26 for grades 8-12 and on Aug. 28 for grades K-7. Both days are before Labor Day weekend.

The calendar has Christmas Break from Dec. 23 to Jan. 1, and a Spring Break from March 17-21. The last day of school will be on May 28.

In other business, the School Board had a presentation from Sarah Mittelstadt of the Southern Plains Education Cooperative concerning their Special Ed programs.

The cooperative serves several school districts, and Mittelstadt, the Special Ed director, explained the services they provide for the Blue Earth Area District.

She said they provide 63 targeted services to the districts, and they are serving 188 students in some way or other.

Costs are divided up among the districts in accordance with the number of students they have in the programs.

“It is a little complicated,” Mittelstadt said. “But it is based on each district’s use of all the services.”

She explained that last year $401,000 was billed to the BEA District, but the district captured $385,000 of that in other funding for the programs.

“We are missing full federal funding,” she said. “That is the issue and always has been.”

In other business at the meeting, the BEA School Board:

• Heard an enrollment update from superintendent Mandy Fletcher that listed the current enrollment at 1,023 for grades K to 12.

“That is down around 20 from this past October,” Fletcher said. “But it is only down one student from this same time last year in February. That is just how it works each year.”

• Swore in a new student representative to the School Board, junior Reagan Machacek. Senior Leah Becker is serving her second year on the board.

• Appointed the Faribault County Register as the school district’s official newspaper.

• Approved a resolution proclaiming February 2024 as School Board Recognition Month. One board member, Franta, voted against the resolution.

• Approved several donations to the Buccy Backpack Program.

• Approved several personnel items, including the resignation of SPED teacher Kristie Rolling, a contract with Jim Wirkus to be Buildings and Grounds supervisor, and approved lane changes for Peter Koenig, Leonor May and Heather Hernandez.

Wirkus, who is currently a member of the custodial staff, will begin his new position immediately, Fletcher said after the meeting, and will work with current Buildings and Grounds Supervisor Al Gieser, who will be retiring in a few months.

• Approved the final readings and changes to seven School District policies.