District highlights community partnerships, contracts and a $5,000 child‑abuse prevention agreement

ISD 709 presented a package of community partnerships, expenditure contracts and grant applications to the HR Business Services Committee on Sept. 8. The committee packet listed many no‑cost partnerships with community organizations — for example, Men as Peacemakers, Women’s Care Center, and the Duluth Children’s Museum — and district staff emphasized the role those partners play supporting students. Among expenditure contracts the committee was told about a $5,000 contract with First Witness Child Advocacy Center to provide child abuse prevention information to teachers, staff, parents and children in district elementary and ECFE sites on request. The committee packet also highlighted a contract with Lutheran Social Services for the Foster Grandparent Program; staff described seeing positive impacts from foster grandparents volunteering at Myers Wilkins. The committee reviewed a grant application authored by Adam Wasaki to the Hospitality Minnesota Education Foundation for three reimbursable grants to support Duluth East Culinary Arts: equipment and supply reimbursement, ProStart ServSafe certification reimbursement and food reimbursement. Other procurement items discussed included a renewal bid with Kemp’s Dairy for milk supplies (bid 1322) and an expenditure of about $7,000 for a social‑media archiving service to capture district social media channels. The committee expressed thanks to community donors listed in the donations acceptance resolution and requested a correction to the donations list to reflect two microwaves and a mini refrigerator donated to the Lincoln Park American Indian program by Diana Kirk and Michelle LeBeau; staff agreed to add that detail.