In its May meeting, the Pequot Lakes School Board voted unanimously to provide a stipend of $750 to all active staff members of the district for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The stipend will be available for all staff members except those positions that are exclusive to Schedule C of the Education Minnesota Pequot Lakes master agreement, as well as substitute employees who worked less than 300 hours in the current school year.
“With the COVID money that the district is receiving - three separate federal rounds of stimulus dollars - I recommend that the board provide all active staff members who have been employed here throughout the year with an essential employee service stipend for their incredibly hard work,” Superintendent Chris Lindholm said. “This is a gesture of appreciation for the essential employee work that they've been doing for the last 15 months.”
In other action during the Monday, May 17, meeting, the board:
Adopted a request for fund balance transfers to community education.
“As you know, community ed is the one area of the district that lost revenue,” Lindholm said. “This is simply just moving $100,000 from one (area of the budget) to another.”
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Approved a memorandum of understanding regarding pay options for the upcoming school year, as the district is now required by the Department of Labor to pay hourly employees on an hourly pay system as opposed to an annual pay system.
Accepted a donation of snowpants, jackets, boots and backpacks for students in need.
As a part of its consent agenda, the board accepted the retirements of custodian Mike Franzen and high school office clerk Diane Marcum, as well as the resignations of food service worker DeAnn Roggenkamp and nurse Robin Golden.
The board also approved the hiring of payroll/human resources clerk Megan Carlson, dance coach Kate Schmaltz and middle school physical education/health teacher Justin Franke.
Extended leaves for health office licensed practical nurse Michelle Singh, teacher Brian Lempola and teacher Joan Hampson were also approved.
Dan Determan may be reached at 218-855-5879 or dan.determan@pineandlakes.com. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@PEJ_Dan.
