歪歪漫画

BEMIDJI 鈥� Members of the Bemidji Education Association made their voices heard during Monday鈥檚 Bemidji Area 歪歪漫画s Board of Education meeting, which also included board action related to bargaining units for bus drivers, technicians and custodians throughout the district.

During the public participation portion of the meeting, four teachers spoke for increased support for teachers in terms of salary increases and other contractual obligations.

While highlighting her passion for teaching with the phrase, 鈥淲e do it for the kids,鈥� physical education teacher Jackie Stoffel spoke on increased burdens placed on teachers coinciding with an increased cost of living.

鈥淭eachers in the Bemidji 歪歪漫画 District have accepted sub-par pay increases for far too long because they鈥檝e been told there are no funds. So, we did it for the kids,鈥� Stoffel said. 鈥淚 fear that if teachers continue to be under-supported, undervalued and under-compensated, the 鈥榳e do it for the kids鈥� won鈥檛 be enough to keep some of those great teachers as well as obtain new qualified teachers.

鈥淏eing a teacher won鈥檛 be enough to support their own families and if that continues, who will be teaching my children? It is my hope that the Bemidji 歪歪漫画 District sees the direct correlation between investing in their teachers and the district鈥檚 ability to provide a quality educational experience for each student in Bemidji.鈥�

Social studies teacher Rick Toward and English teacher Gina Bernard spoke about recent state investments in education, namely a $2.2 billion funding boost for K-12 education that the Minnesota Legislature passed in May. Bemidji Area 歪歪漫画s is set to receive 10.9% of the funding for 2023-2024 and 4.6% for 2024-2025.

鈥淭his is exactly the time for the school board to prioritize those dollars to be directed to a contract that is designed not only to attract highly qualified teachers but to retain those current, highly effective teachers we already employ,鈥� Toward said.

Special education teacher Rick Kehoe noted a trend of educators seeking employment at area charter and private schools in lieu of Bemidji Area 歪歪漫画s.

鈥淥ur jobs are getting harder every year and what is asked of us is getting to be more and more,鈥� Kehoe said. 鈥淚鈥檝e watched how the morale of my peers has slowly eroded over the years. 鈥� It is because of what I see as a disconnect between us, the teachers and the powers that run this district. We鈥檙e struggling to find teachers, paras, bus drivers. You name a position in education, and there is a shortage.鈥�

As this wasn鈥檛 an agenda item, no official action took place on contracts for district educators.

As agenda items during Monday鈥檚 meeting, the board unanimously approved tentative settlement agreements with bargaining units for bus drivers, custodians and maintenance personnel, and updated terms and conditions for bus technicians and diesel mechanics.

鈥淭he district has always maintained that fair compensation within our means is an important bargaining principle,鈥� District Human Resources Director Jordan Hickman said. 鈥淭o ensure our ability to attract and retain quality staff, the district is committed to providing the best possible compensation for our employees within the means available. Wage adjustments are necessary to improve our ability to recruit new employees and retain current staff.鈥�

The agreement reached with the Minnesota 歪歪漫画 Employees Association on behalf of bus drivers includes a $1 per hour increase in the district鈥檚 salary schedule for 2023-2024 and a 2.5% increase for 2024-2025.

The district鈥檚 health insurance contribution will remain at $845 a month for 2023-2024 and increase to $885 per month effective July 2024. Bus drivers will also gain a weekly attendance incentive starting Dec. 4 for any driver who is not absent for any reason during a scheduled work week.

The projected total two-year cost of this agreement is $243,666.83.

For custodians and maintenance personnel, a $.70 per hour increase for 2023-2024 and a 2.25% increase for 2024-2025 will go into effect. Their health insurance contribution will also remain at $845 a month for 2023-2024, then increase to $920 a month for 2024-2025.

Hickman noted this higher increase is due to custodians and maintenance personnel having higher priority for district insurance contributions.

These staff will also be granted 25 vacation days after 20 years of service starting July 2024, a decrease from 22 years of service currently in place. The projected total two-year cost for this agreement is $279,540.94.

Terms and conditions for bus technicians and mechanics include a salary schedule increase of $1 per hour for 2023-2024 and a 2.5% increase for 2024-2025. Health insurance contributions match that of bus drivers and 25 vacation days will also be granted to these employees after 20 years of service.

The estimated total two-year cost resulting from this motion is around $30,000.

The board also unanimously approved the sale of Central Elementary to Red Lake Nation for $350,000.

The board voted in March 2021 to close Central at the end of the 2020-2021 school year as a cost-saving measure for the district. During a closed session portion of a March 27, 2023, special meeting, the board set a minimum sale price and use restrictions for the building which was then declared as surplus property in August.

Pioneer file photo

Red Lake Nation will be prohibited from using the building for any Pre-K through 12th-grade educational purposes 鈥� excluding non-educational child care 鈥� and for the sale, manufacturing, distribution or storage of cannabis products or low-potency edible hemp products.

Board chair Ann Long Voelkner spoke to plans for the facility, which will include renovating the building to offer a variety of services surrounding wellness and addressing needs in the community related to poverty.

鈥淭he objective is to reduce the ongoing and high-level poverty level within Beltrami County through the services that can and will be offered within that facility,鈥� Long Voelkner explained.

Discussion has taken place on using Central as a child care center and using the gym as a meeting space.

鈥淭he opportunity would be to bring individuals and families in the community together with events and opportunities to interact,鈥� she added.

Red Lake鈥檚 ownership of Central will aim to expand partnerships throughout the region. According to Long Voelkner, Bemidji State has indicated that students will be able to leverage the facility to advance within their degree programs.

She added that Sanford Health and Northern Dental Access Center have also expressed interest in partnerships with Red Lake Nation through the use of the facility.

The full meeting can be viewed on the

The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 18, in the district board room. A Truth in Taxation meeting will follow at 6 p.m.