Red Lake School Board Meets: Certifies election results, new hires and more

RED LAKE – The Red Lake School Board met on Thursday, August 16, 2018 at the Administration Headquarters at 2 PM. All Board Members were there except Jack Desjarlait.

One of the first items heard was a presentation by Red Lake Nation College President, Dan King. He spoke about the college obtaining financing for student housing near the college, and was requesting the land area where an unused softball field currently sits.

The school district is currently negotiating with the Tribe on that land, as part of a land exchange, and would work with King on the project.

The Tribe has yet to approve a land trade with the school on the land Red Lake Housing and Red Lake Inc. currently sit. The school wanted to trade for the land near the lake where two softball fields currently sit.

The Board approved the hiring of David Barrett as a security guard at the Secondary Complex; approved a transfer request from tony Mortensen into an open school security guard; approved a maternity leave request from Lonnie Fier starting Sept. 4, 2018 until October 31, 2018; approved the 2018-2019 non-licensed and licensed substitute list; approved additions into the Elder Program; approved hiring Thomas Charnoski Jr. and Robert Maxwell as Custodians in the Secondary Complex; accepted a resignation from Leighchelle Thompson, a part-time dispatch secretary; approved Raven Isham;s application to the Minnesota Indian Teacher Training Progrqm; rescinded an employment offer to hire Eric Sayers as an Elementary Teacher at RLES; and approved hiring Kimberly Pepin into the open Elementary Teacher position at RLES.

The Board also approved bills and wire payments in the amount of $3,065,419.02, adopted Resolution 2018-5 canvassing returns of votes of the school board primary election, approved entering into Architectural and Engineering Professional Services agreement with Widseth Smith Nolting in support of the Red Lake Elementary School and Early Childhood Center improvement project.

In a very low voter turnout from all 5 precincts on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, Robert McClain received the most votes with 135, Barb Thomas received 118, Marcus Tyler and Roy Nelson Sr. each 106, Victor Roy 104, Nathaniel Taylor 86, Alyss B. Mountain 76, Cheryl Schoenborn 59, Thomas J. Cain 58, Deanna K. Lasley 53 and Rae Lynn Sayers 49. The top eight advanced to the November 2018 General Election, of which 4 members would be elected to serve on the School Board.

A discussion was also held about people who have been staying at the Elementary School and High School during the summer months. The district will review their policies and may or may not be allowing this in the future.

The Board also met 15 new teachers that would start this year at various locations, the most ever at one time.