The Crookston School Board met Monday evening in the Crookston High School Choir/Orchestra room.
ADDITION OF ASSISTANT BOYS AND GIRLS HOCKEY COACHES
The board approved the addition of a boy’s hockey assistant coach and a girl’s hockey assistant coach. Participants for both teams are expected to be up significantly this season. “We are expecting the numbers to increase. Currently, for the boys, we are projecting 40 players, and the girls are projecting 37, which is a significant increase from last year,” said Superintendent Randy Bergquist. “Safety and security have always been a priority of mine, and you have two coaches for 20 players, and that isn’t a lot to ask, and hopefully ensures safety and security for our students, community, and parents as well.”
The addition of two coaches will cost the district around $8,000. “You look at $4,000 for each coach,” said Superintendent Bergquist. “Honestly, $8,000 is much cheaper than a potential liability issue because we didn’t have supervision for our student-athletes.”
ACCEPTING DONATIONS
The board approved donations of $12,030. The donations were $9,380 from the Pirate Fine Arts Boosters (PFAB) for the fine arts programs, $2,200 from the Crookston Youth Soccer Association and $200 from Scott Buhler to go towards the Pirate Boys Soccer Program, and $250 from Harbott, Knutson, Larson, and Holten PLLP for the Crookston High School Hall of Fame. “One thing I have learned is how great the community and organizations are in Crookston,” said Superintendent Randy Bergquist. “Over $12,000 in donations in one board meeting is awesome. I can’t thank the district, the community, the businesses, and the organizations enough for how much they give to our school district, specifically our students. Thank you to those organizations and groups.”
ADDITION OF STAFF
Other consent agenda items included the hiring of Ashley Bregier and Marisa Arriaga as paraprofessionals at Highland School, Marianne Isaacs as a full-time substitute teacher at Highland and Washington Schools, and Jeremy Harris as an evening custodian at the High School. The school district added a $1,500 sign-on bonus for the custodian job and had three applicants.
MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION
The only item on the main agenda was the approval of the application to the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Foundation. “They (the MSHSL) based on student population. It isn’t a hidden secret that they charge a lot for various activities,” said Superintendent Bergquist. “It is good the state high school league is giving back because they are charging our parents and community members to attend the extracurricular activities down in the cities when it is already expensive as it is. We will get a certain amount back.”
The money the school district receives goes back to the district activities and also helps cover the cost of participating in activities for those who can’t afford the activity fee.
The next scheduled school board meeting will be Monday, November 27, at 5:00 p.m. in the Crookston High School Choir/Orchestra room.
