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School board approves four policy updates, accepts audit and adopts 2025 committee assignments; policy 102 draws objections
Summary
At the Jan. 16 meeting South Washington County Schools Board approved four policies (including Policy 102 on equal opportunity education), accepted the FY2023–24 audit with a clean opinion, and approved 2025 committee assignments. Two board members voiced opposition to Policy 102 before the board voted to approve all four policies.
The South Washington County Schools Board on Jan. 16 approved four policy updates, accepted the district—s fiscal year 2023–24 annual comprehensive financial report and special purpose audit reports, and adopted committee assignments for 2025.
Board action: Following a summary of the auditor—s presentation and a policy committee review, the board voted to accept the annual audit, approve four policies (101; 101.1; 102; 103) and confirm 2025 committee assignments. The audit presentation reported a "clean opinion." The motions to approve were moved and seconded and passed by voice vote.
Why it matters: Acceptance of the audit completes the district—s formal review of FY2023–24 financial statements; approval of the policies updates the district—s governance documents; committee assignments determine which board members will work on specific oversight areas in 2025.
Policy 102 debate: Policy 102 (Equal Opportunity Education) prompted substantive objection from at least one board member who said the policy language, as written to align with Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) model language and Minnesota statute 121.803 (referenced in the meeting), could allow students with male anatomy into girls— sports and locker rooms. That board member said they could not in good conscience approve Policy 102 and urged the board to send it back to administration for further review. Another board member expressed similar concerns and asked to table the policy to study legal and programmatic implications. Superintendent Julie Nielsen noted the policies had been reviewed at the Jan. 2 workshop meeting and were distributed in advance as part of normal procedure. Chair Katie Schwartz called for a vote; the board approved the four policies despite the objections.
Audit and committees: The district—s independent auditor (MMKR) had presented the FY2023–24 audit at the Jan. 2 workshop; the board accepted the audit at the Jan. 16 meeting. Committee assignments for 2025 were circulated to board members in December and were approved at the meeting after no questions were raised about the assignments.
What was said (selected): - Eric Tesser, board member: "It is my understanding that the language, used in in policy 102, is written in conjunction with MSBA standards... this policy, in no uncertain terms opens the door to, persons with male genes and male anatomy, into women's sports in the school district as well as women's locker rooms." - A second board member voiced similar concerns and urged tabling the policy for more analysis (the transcript does not attribute that second comment to a different named speaker at the place it occurred).
The board moved and approved the policies and other items as a group; the chair announced the motion passed.
