Laura Eastridge

The recap covers highlights from two sessions: a special meeting on January 21st and the main school board meeting on January 26th. The special meeting involved adopting a resolution reinforcing the commitment to student safety and access to education. The January 26th meeting saw the formal adoption of the 'Strategic Choices for a Sustainable Future' plan, aiming to reduce the 2026-2027 operating expenses by $5 million. Additionally, the board approved legislative priorities for the 2020 succession cycle, advocating for modernizing testing and school safety policies. The board also ratified the 2025 through 2027 contracts with the Association of Bloomington Clerical and Health Services Units and accepted a $10,000 grant from the Minnesota Vikings to support Kennedy High School's girls flag football program.

The organizational meeting focused on the formal commencement of the new term, including the administration of the Oath of Office to several members. Key actions involved the election of new School Board officers, resulting in Tom Bennett being elected Chair, Mia Olson as Vice Chair, Matt Dymoke as Clerk, Dawn Steigauf as Treasurer, and Rod Zivkovich as Deputy Clerk. The Board also unanimously approved the organizational structure items (letters A-I) for 2026 and confirmed various board representation appointments. Specific appointments included Dawn Steigauf to the Intermediate District 917 Board and Ted Moore as the representative to the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL). The Board also approved grant acceptance and a contract/agreement related to educational access cable television.

The School Board meeting included several recognitions, specifically approving a proclamation for February 2026 as Black History Month, which included the presentation by Equity Specialists and students. The Board also recognized January 19, 2026 through January 25, 2026 as Paraprofessional Recognition Week. Key actions included the approval of Part A items, acceptance of a Memorandum of Understanding with Lutheran Social Services, acceptance of the New America Student Support Grant totaling $137,500, and approval/ratification of the 2025-2027 Master Contract for Clerical staff and the 2025-27 Negotiated Contract for Health Services. The Board accepted donations totaling $99,000.94 and ratified the award of the sale for $41,515,000 General Obligation Alternative Facilities Refunding Bonds, Series 2026A. Furthermore, bids were accepted for mechanical improvements at Jefferson High School and Kennedy High School. The Board approved a list of $5.0 million in budget adjustments for the 2026-27 budget, approved a cooperative sponsorship agreement for sports, approved a Master Services Agreement for virtual reality software, approved an exclusive listing agreement for real estate, and approved the 2026 Board Community Engagement Plan and the 2026 State Legislative Priorities.

This legislative platform outlines the Association of Metropolitan School Districts' priorities for 2026, recognizing ongoing fiscal challenges like inflation and instability in key funding streams. It identifies immediate priorities such as increasing the Safe Schools levy, permitting limited removal time in discipline, and strengthening secure gun storage requirements. The platform also details ongoing priorities aimed at stabilizing education funding, modernizing permanent school fund distributions, reevaluating Minnesota's assessment system, and reducing mandates to restore local control, all to sustain high-quality education.

This document outlines the 2025 legislative priorities for Bloomington Public Schools, focusing on critical education funding and policy reforms. Key policy initiatives include modernizing student assessments by advocating for the replacement of MCAs with the ACT and enabling secure remote testing, enhancing student and staff safety through funding for secure facilities and promoting secure firearm storage, and updating instructional time requirements to allow for more flexible, competency-based learning models. Funding priorities include advocating for full state funding for Special Education and English Learner services, increasing optional location funding, and ensuring full funding for extended time programming.