Red Lake School Board's vote to allow schools to reopen in January 2021 fails

RED LAKE, MN – At the Reorganizational Red Lake School Board Meeting held on Monday, January 4, 2021 at the District Headquarters Office, the Board vote to allow some students to return to school at the start of the third quarter, January 25, 2021, failed 2-2-2. They will take another look at it at their Regular Board Meeting at 3 PM on January 20th.

The decision came after reviewing data from the current Red Lake and Beltrami County case numbers, as well as numbers throughout the state that continue to fluctuate. Some members felt it was just too early yet to allow any students back to school, along with too many uncertainties on the vaccines and the new strain of the virus. (Situation Update for COVID-19: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/situation.html#dailyd1)

In other Board actions, Robert Pemberton, Jack Desjarlait and Michael Barrett were sworn in by Board Clerk Barb Thomas at the beginning of the meeting for their new 4-year terms of office.

Michael Barrett was elected at Board Chairman, Rob McClain was elected as Board Vice-Chairman, Barb Thomas was elected as Board Clerk and Roy Nelson was elected as Board Treasurer.

Regular Board Meetings will be held on the third Wednesday of the month, but at 3 PM, rather than 2 PM as in the previous year.

Board compensation remained the same, as well as the District's Legal Counsel, Kennidy and Graves, the Bemidji Pioneer was designated as the Official District Newspaper, and official Depositories were designated as the Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund, the First National Bank of Bemidji and Boarder State Bank of Clearbrook.

Committee assignments for 2021 were also granted, along with the designation of Corporate Certificates of Authority.

The meeting adjourned at 4:32 PM.