Pepin Board of Education hears volleyball co-op update

In a regular meeting held January 26, the Pepin Area Schools Board of Education heard a report that the Alma and Pepin volleyball teams will co-op next season.
Minutes from the December 15 regular meeting were approved with no discussion.
District Administrator Bruce Quinton announced the Mark and Susan Dusek Farm nominated Pepin Area Schools to receive a grant from the American Farmers Grow Communities program. He said details will be coming, and thanked the Dusek family for the nomination.
Quinton commended the band and choir directors, Nick Peters and Lou Ann Ruff, as well as the band and choir students who applied, and were selected to participate in the all-conference honors band and choir in January.
Participants included: Ben Peterson, Carson Raethke, Hanna Peters, Isabelle Miller, Laurie Wheeler, Rachel Siefert and Claire Raethke in honors band, and; Claire Peters, Rosemary Middlebrook, Jacob Riesgraf and Christopher Bocksell in honors choir.
Principal Lydia Gnos reported on upcoming events for pre-K through 8th grade.
An in-service day was used January 23 for educator effectiveness, nebulizer and epi pen training, and time to work in the classroom. The nebulizer was purchased with a donation received from the Immanuel Lutheran Church Women to assist students with asthma. Gnos thanked the group for their donation.
Gnos also reported Books and Breakfast was to be held January 30. A Valentine craft night will be held February 5, sponsored by the Family Resource Center. A spelling bee will be held February 6.
The sixth graders are taking a ski trip on February 10. An AR and Walking Club assembly will be held February 11, and Jump Rope for Heart will be held February 20.
Policy Committee Member Betty Glander presented the Emergency, Injury, and Illness policies and procedure manual that was developed by school nurse Katie Kallstrom. Quinton thanked Kallstrom for her thorough work on the manual.
Buildings and Grounds Committee Member Daniel Lerum reported the three-year maintenance plan is in the final stages, and will be presented to the board in the near future. The committee also discussed installing video cameras in the busses, and a couple of drinking fountains will be replaced throughout the building.
Quinton presented information on the upcoming budget process and reviewed the three-year projection, as well as the tentative plan on revenues that the district will have to work with in preparation for future years.
Quinton reported the calendar committee is in the final stages of proposing the 2015-16 school year calendar with hopes for a finalized proposal to present to the Board for approval in February.
Quinton reported he will be going to Maidson to testify for the SAA on Senate Bill #1.
Quinton also updated the board on the volleyball co-op for this coming year. Quinton stated numbers are right, and a C-team will be offered to get players proper experience. Quinton reminded the Board that three years ago, the board at that time approved the cooperation of all sports, and each year delayed the volleyball co-op until both districts felt it was in the students’ best interest.
The Board approved vouchers in the amount of $339,403.61.
The next regular Board meeting will be held Wednesday, February 25, at 7 p.m.