The Crookston School Board met Monday evening in the Crookston High School Choir/Orchestra room and approved the 2024 preliminary levy.
PRELIMINARY LEVY-
The board unanimously approved the 2024 preliminary levy at the maximum 4.55 percent increase. The district will work on the levy over the next several months before the December Truth in Taxation hearing for the final approval of the levy. “We started up high, and most school boards do that, and I’m glad the Crookston School Board did that,” said Superintendent Randy Bergquist. “When you do the maximum, it covers the top dollar amount. We will have more information over the next couple of months, and that can fluctuate. We can always go down, but we can never go up. It will be finalized in December.”
MULTI-USE COMPLEX BID DISCUSSION
The board received the Multi-use complex bid information from Superintendent Bergquist. He said they had six companies bid on the earthwork this time compared to only one in the bid opening in May. They are waiting for the bid information to be finalized, but it looks like the dirt work will be around $800,000 lower than the lone bid in May. They are hoping to have the finalized numbers and information later this week. “I want to make sure we are doing everything correctly. I just want to ensure we are getting our ducks in a row, and it came in a lot less than in May,” said Superintendent Bergquist. The goal of the Pirate football and soccer teams to play on the turf field in the fall of 2024 and the track team to compete in the spring of 2025 is still on schedule.
CUSTODIAL STAFF CONTRACT APPROVED
The board approved the AFSCME Custodial master agreement for 2023-2026. “It only took one meeting, so it was really nice. The custodians have worked really hard, and we got the meeting done in two and a half hours. Both sides had to do some give and take,” said Superintendent Bergquist. “They have put in their time, and they got a little bit more of a bump and a $1,500 bonus at the end of this year. They have worked so hard, especially in the summer. It is a reward with all the construction going on this summer, and they did a great job.”
MISCELLANEOUS-
The board approved participating in the City of Crookston Housing Incentive Program and the fundraising requests. Two new fundraising requests came from the Pirate Girls Hockey program for apparel sales at home hockey games and the Pirate Girls Golf team fundraiser with letters to family and friends.
CONSENT AGENDA-
The consent agenda included the approval for the employment of Amber Peitruszewski and Emma Mekkes as paraprofessionals Clayton Briggs and John Tweet as part-time aids at Highland School, Natalie Martinson as an aide at the high school, and the hiring of Business Manager Blake Stoltman to replace the retiring Laura Lyczewski.
The consent agenda also included the approval of staff status changes for Jaci Wilder as Kitchen Helper and Karen Reirson as head cook.
The board also accepted the resignation of paraprofessional Tabitha Borkowski and lane advance requests.
DONATIONS-
The board accepted a donation from the Crookston Central High School Class of 1973 in the amount of $1,000 for the anti-bullying curriculum. They accepted an anonymous donation in the amount of $1,000 for the Pirate dance team. The final donation came from the Crookston Eagles Aerie and Fred and Tandra Landman in the amount of $770 for the FFA program.
The next regular school board meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 23 at 5:00 p.m. in the Crookston High School Choir/Orchestra room.
