[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6161705,"mediaKeyId","5441020-b3293e84443d4730f4407a8afd6a8070","parentId",5441020,"title","Board accepts community donations, including $3,000 from POET for ALC","audioSeconds",88,"startMs",84000,"endMs",172000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5441020-b3293e84443d4730f4407a8afd6a8070&start=84&end=172","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5441020-b3293e84443d4730f4407a8afd6a8070/thumbnail_84000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6161705/Minnesota/Board-accepts-community-donations-including-3000-from-POET-for-ALC","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161705-69a5149f394290a6ffd41f200fc2d8b0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771033589&Signature=krRQt7y1PSObK8RQyVgy2gFntyL~O7QKsXuo5z5HJDM3kZGK4VwxT-eXiCfNw~WhaxulsY6E0LZqBazrdxXaxJQFqKVlLuh-u0XBzlHidqDdlcXopcVYCcH8wULRp0FNVNlEOiFGpdI~CnH6gEMQSJGEmIF55L~bk6yoJDjZyQccJ-CxmQ6ciNpIiwLcZlOFEIWorur6zN83LNuA7P4IZpOyPE7tGeaeu2l9UmFh4eqrO3fF7fTUV4GHzVGkDoPXbjh5Nddw0Cj7keX7iVz8aOzYKT4AG6XZaRMvLG-PZ2pOQW3cugltD2LI0UXum8fGr9vrUjofDYdsVnkPlOOrAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Albert Lea Public School District","date","2025-07-22T20:36:57.077Z","article","The Albert Lea School Board accepted three community donations during its meeting: an in-kind or cash gift from Casey’s for the Alternative Learning Center (ALC); a $3,000 donation from POET earmarked for an ALC project; and a donation from the Blackbaud Giving Fund to support early-childhood special education.

The donor list and intended uses were presented to the board by a district representative. The presenter asked for board approval of the three donations and acknowledged staff who helped secure and coordinate the gifts, including ALC staff and administrators Johanna Thomas and Andrew Gustafson.

A board member moved to approve the donations. After a second and no discussion, members voted by voice and the board accepted the contributions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Albert Lea Area Schools - School Board Meeting - 7- 21- 25","oneSentenceSummary","The board accepted several community donations: funds from Casey’s and a $3,000 contribution from POET for the Alternative Learning Center (ALC), plus a gift from the Blackbaud Giving Fund for early childhood special education.","taxTitle","ALBERT LEA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Boards, Minnesota","taxId",65555,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6161710,"New superintendent stresses trust, communication and alignment in first weeks",553,213000,766000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5441020-b3293e84443d4730f4407a8afd6a8070&start=213&end=766","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5441020-b3293e84443d4730f4407a8afd6a8070/thumbnail_213000.jpg","/articles/6161710/Minnesota/New-superintendent-stresses-trust-communication-and-alignment-in-first-weeks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161710-4f244390df1c3d6624bb3712b1230877/orig.mp4?Expires=1771033589&Signature=RnELl4FeEr6E45nfJAdQCTLgI6SdQXw4Yta1Qx0MmJKJK2ueDJUC7UYtBCHQ5A5XmWEu4vMANPv6As3a8D0DdwmNRuxUT7gL5avyyXokwTwRfPxeY5Q5m6YwInALPIzx2j-WT2msy7jY49oqp2-W5UGt1I-vO8T~Z5NZ2uhKhrauM9K7Gec01odUzpKJLkL4pMH1wnPR1IBa6VHjBN2ZrjML2oq6Ie99Qj6fowfPWcYsiDoNXbMePxAazknepo2e1HJCsQMbMzGo1HVr6PJ6EFOxarlj0Lq9MYkhL4Y2PfWgYxUv36g4sdUjcBi-VuS~7aK338qW5cGeuGA8ghfLCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The district’s new superintendent told the Albert Lea School Board he has spent the first three weeks meeting staff, principals and community partners and identified trust, communication and alignment as early priorities.

In a report to the board, the superintendent said he had met roughly 50 employees and attended community events, including Kiwanis and business visits, to gather input. He described small, practical steps to improve communication — for example, installing signage and making the walking track at the Hammer Complex clearer to the public. \"It's just that communication of the community. And hey, we're open and thank you for all that you've given us and this is here to use,\" he said.

He outlined work on hiring procedures, saying the district has used surveys and staff input in recent principal and assistant-principal searches and will formalize hiring processes for administrators, coaches and other positions so steps are documented and defensible. He also noted concern about hiring hard-to-fill positions, including a Hawthorne music teacher and a high-school counselor.

The superintendent described his review of the district’s existing strategic plan with the consultant TeamWorks. He said the plan \"never really rolled out as it was ever designed to roll out\" and that parts of the documentation the district had paid for were not consistently distributed; he said he is collecting the material from the consultant and will test the plan with staff and the community before a full rollout.

Board members welcomed the superintendent's outreach. Kristen Seager, the district’s teacher representative, told the board ALEA staff appreciated the meet-and-greets and the way staff input was incorporated into the high‑school principal hiring process.

The superintendent said he will continue building administrative processes and alignment across the district and will schedule building tours and business visits to maintain visibility and strengthen community relationships.","In his first three weeks, the district’s new superintendent told the board he has been meeting staff and community leaders, working on hiring processes and seeking to align a previously deployed strategic plan with district operations.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6161714,"School board approves temporary bus stops for 15 students at hazardous Highway 69 crossing",1375,2940000,4315000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5441020-b3293e84443d4730f4407a8afd6a8070&start=2940&end=4315","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5441020-b3293e84443d4730f4407a8afd6a8070/thumbnail_2940000.jpg","/articles/6161714/Minnesota/School-board-approves-temporary-bus-stops-for-15-students-at-hazardous-Highway-69-crossing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161714-849d2efd50c5a7f94d64fde2a30112d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771033589&Signature=LJyDMgxV-LSnRMUifvWKeA9R1Pjj54r4ADfrwpUgiD2rZTM~gUo9bTnFv2ZRICgNQTANx2gKiMp1oewabLcSP~aQ9r7i3uNUDOP1HrKY1aYzTpdbOiIOpp0WtrJpzNDybvjWKYicCRSEr8U6WHeeni1eSfp7EOgDteYcd6pvD4JKq02VptWCvEhrA7x5CLN7xvfPdAI7u5L0Gwfx9hE~i30biEg8iesfHiU2IOP1juol1fmzDSV-gIAHAra5ZfN2UZUo~HsA-3QpkEI7RLnHavZqHikuXCfNNn-DZtj2vcR9YQDscSZ4-6A8Geay5t7wbpwWViSgub7tYjewvrL-qg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Albert Lea School Board voted to temporarily provide bus transportation for students living west of State Highway 69 who currently walk across a four-lane, 45 mph stretch near West Front Street and the YMCA.

District staff presented the site as one previously identified in a 2018 Safe Routes to School review and described repeated safety concerns: high traffic volume, truck traffic, visibility problems and a nearby intersection with a recent fatality. Paul Durban, who presented the matter to the board, said MnDOT and county emergency-management officials reviewed the location and recommended additional study and interim measures.

Durban told the board the neighborhood includes 15 elementary students — 10 of whom are in grades K through 2 — and two Southwest Middle School students. He said the district requested a temporary solution while MnDOT studies and proposes longer-term fixes: “So the ask this evening, is to temporarily provide transportation services to and from Southwest Middle School and Sibley Elementary, to students residing in the neighborhood bound by State Highway 69… Wedgwood Road and West Front Street extended to the west of Highway 69.”

Durban said MnDOT advised a two-year window for study and interim steps, including installing cameras in October to capture traffic patterns during school arrival and dismissal. He gave a district cost estimate for hazard-zone bus transportation of $4,764 for the 15 students and said the district would not need a crossing guard at that location during the same period, saving an estimated $8,212.

Board members debated whether to retain a crossing guard while the transportation arrangement is in place. One board member urged retaining guards given the long‑standing concerns and local knowledge of the intersection’s danger. Durban noted that MnDOT suggested that continued on-the-ground management could require up to three crossing guards to safely handle pedestrian movement across both sides of the divided highway during peak times.

Board members also asked how the service would be implemented. Durban said the students would be added to an existing route; the district would not launch a separate route for these riders. He said Albert Lea Bus — the district’s contracted carrier — will notify families and that district staff will follow up directly with parents who raised concerns.

Director Schindler asked about liability implications if students who were offered transportation still chose to walk; Durban said that scenario would be handled the same as other walk-zone choices, and he emphasized that the district has had “foreseeability of risk” at the location since 2018.

After discussion, a motion to offer temporary transportation for up to two years passed on a voice vote. District staff said they will track use of the service, coordinate with MnDOT’s study and report back to the board; if families decline the service, the district will not be charged for unused riders.","The board approved a two-year temporary transportation arrangement for students who currently live within walking distance but cross State Highway 69 at a site MnDOT and local emergency management flagged as hazardous.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6161719,"School board adopts 10-year LTFM plan, prioritizing roofs and health-and-safety projects",1521,1400000,2921000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5441020-b3293e84443d4730f4407a8afd6a8070&start=1400&end=2921","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5441020-b3293e84443d4730f4407a8afd6a8070/thumbnail_1400000.jpg","/articles/6161719/Minnesota/School-board-adopts-10-year-LTFM-plan-prioritizing-roofs-and-health-and-safety-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161719-5e8128f7a2ed096a008f4eddc3acf5a7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771033589&Signature=manAXOwwS7Uls3f0BI3wlsLq1slKr6N5xRyPiofJ4LnRJnpbcr0Yv8r~j6HMf7i65TNPuuQi2PY1AM3F4IiRvR~tYgP0wsFhst4V7zjEWh6oMhZ-Oo6khD1~jSciihC5QOW7urwGpJjBOEaGrX9a25HwfmiwLlvWG73O6lP9x3JoB7Np-WevA5QP97gtrHlxysImB0WibJdsDdSlSKW3tQzMwYmFcgMjBCFAbgE-aglc23BZGjxuuVmQk3Dz8sM6hRbzthtImgcTBjn~wce1oS7jWSGi-QQwR5XIDKlPV86W4HDg5xtcBkQyQl1MuCzIt4-rdpboScHYv0bz-LBc5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Albert Lea School Board voted to adopt the district’s 10-year Long-Term Facilities Maintenance plan for fiscal year 2027 and authorized staff to submit the required documents to the Minnesota Department of Education.

The plan maps out allowable LTFM and capital projects across district buildings, prioritizing roof replacements, health-and-safety work and accessibility upgrades. Facilities presenter Paul Durban told the board the district will submit the revenue and expenditure worksheets required by MDE and sign the related assurances before the July 31 deadline.

Durban said the LTFM program “is a program that's run through MDE, Minnesota Department of Education. And it's required to get school board approval every year.” He told members the district builds a 10-year master spreadsheet tying projects to UFARS finance codes and that the plan is revised annually when unexpected failures occur.

The plan calls for a mix of capital and LTFM spending across sites. Durban said roofs are the single largest category in the 10-year plan, accounting for roughly a third of projected LTFM expenditures, and that Albert Lea High School — the district's largest building — represents about 29% of the planned spending over the decade. He also said the district is working to eliminate a roughly $750,000 maintenance deficit over several years rather than in a single budget cycle.

Durban walked the board through site-level priorities now planned for the coming year: restroom and fixture replacements at Lakeview and Halverson elementaries; new steel door frames, locks and classroom doors at Hawthorne Elementary to standardize safety hardware; ill-performing boilers at Hawthorne and other sites; ongoing heat pump replacements at the high school; and a retaining-wall repair near the high‑school greenhouse. He noted that projects above $175,000 require formal bidding while smaller projects typically use three quotes.

Board members asked about the plan’s detail and the meaning of an “other” category on a spending chart. Durban said each spreadsheet cell ties to a detailed needs list and invited any director to review the master document for site-specific breakdowns. He thanked facilities staff and consultants involved in compiling the plan.

The board approved the resolution adopting the MDE LTFM plan after a motion and second and recorded voice votes in favor.

District staff said the construction fund (fund 6) items tied to the high-school HVAC and dehumidification work are expected to be completed in the current fiscal year and that staff will continue to update the plan annually to reflect repairs that arise during the year.

The board’s adoption allows district administration to file the required LTFM paperwork with MDE and continue planning bid and procurement steps for the projects listed.

The board's finance and facilities staff said they will provide board members additional detail on any spreadsheet cell on request.","The Albert Lea School Board voted to adopt its fiscal year 2027 long-term facilities maintenance (LTFM) plan, a 10-year blueprint that emphasizes roof work, health-and-safety upgrades and a phased recovery from a prior maintenance deficit.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board accepts community donations, including $3,000 from POET for ALC

New superintendent stresses trust, communication and alignment in first weeks

School board approves temporary bus stops for 15 students at hazardous Highway 69 crossing

School board adopts 10-year LTFM plan, prioritizing roofs and health-and-safety projects