BLUE EARTH– The Blue Earth Area School Board took care of several first of the year housekeeping topics as well as one which pertained to next school year during its meeting on Monday.

Teachers Molly Eckhardt and Megan Sukalski gave the board members an update from the school calendar committee.

The two said the consensus of the committee is to leave the calendar pretty much the same as this current year.

The current calendar includes an early start to the school year, with school beginning in August before the Labor Day weekend.

“Our proposal is to keep the early start, and have the first day of school on Aug. 25, with the last day of school for students to be May 27 and for staff on May 29,” Eckhardt told the board. “Christmas break would be two weeks and spring break would be just three days.”

The two reported that the committee had done a survey of staff, parents and students and had received 408 responses.

“It was pretty evenly split with 37 percent responses in favor of the calendar, 37 percent not in favor and 24 percent had no preference either way,” Eckhardt said.

The board questioned how some things went with the new calendar in place this year, including with students at the State Fair, and the state testing schedule.

The board will consider the calendar later in the school year before authorizing it.

The start of the year items included electing the School Board officers. All of the current officers were re-elected. That includes Sara Hauskins as board chair, Ted Armon as vice chair, Stacey Beyer as clerk and Lindsay Mensing as treasurer.

Three board members were also sworn into office by board chair Sara Hauskins. They included Ted Armon, Lindsay Mensing and Gary Armon.

Ted Armon and Mensing were re-elected to their positions on the board, while Gary Armon is a newly elected member of the board.

The board also discussed committee assignments and just a few changes were made from the past year’s assignments.

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

— Heard an update from chair Hauskins concerning a closed special meeting that had been held for a half year evaluation of the superintendent.

Hauskins said the board had found superintendent Mandy Fletcher had been making “effective progress” on attaining her goals.

Hauskins added that a full year superintendent’s evaluation will be conducted in May or June.

— Approved a resolution directing the administration to make recommendations for reductions in programs and positions. Fletcher stated this is a standard resolution the board needs to make each year, whether any reductions are planned or not.

— Approved both the Certified Staff Seniority List and the Non-Certified Staff Seniority List for 2024-2025.

— Approved donations to the BUCC-Y Bag (weekend meal program) from a variety of businesses and individuals.

— Approved several personnel matters including: new hires Danielle Garlick (paraprofessional) and Rebecca Lunn (full time substitute teacher); contract with superintendent Mandy Fletcher for 2025-2028); lane changes for Jennifer Kafka, Heather Hernandez, Peter Koenig, Dani Morris, Sara Albright and Nick Milbrandt.