Votes at a glance: Faribault board approves routine resolutions, committee rosters and McKinley remodel bids

The Faribault Public Schools Board of Education approved a slate of organizational items at its Jan. 6 meeting, including the calendar of meetings, committee and school assignments, business‑office annual resolutions, and authorization to solicit bids for the McKinley remodel.

Votes at a glance: - School board meeting schedule: Approved (voice vote). - Committee assignments: Approved (motion passed; chair appointed members as listed in board materials). - School representative assignments: Approved (voice vote). - Board member salaries: Approved. The board set monthly pay at $275 per member and $300 for the chair; one trustee (Jerry Robichaud) recorded a vote against the salary motion. - Business office annual resolutions (Resolutions 25‑13 through 25‑19): Approved by roll call. These seven routine annual resolutions covered designation of depositories, official publication, facsimile signature authorization, payment of claims between meetings, petty cash, investment authorization and appointment of responsible contract authority. - Resolution 25‑21: Appoint Julie Hull as the district’s Local Education Agency (LEA) representative for state reporting: Approved by roll call. - Resolution 25‑20: Designate Superintendent Jamie Benty as the identified official for Minnesota Department of Education secure websites: Approved by roll call. - Legal counsel: Ratwick, Rosnick & Maloney, P.A. was named the board’s legal counsel for 2025 and the chair and superintendent (and their designees) were authorized to consult the attorney: Approved. - McKinley remodel bids (agenda item 15b): Authorized. The motion approves remodeling classrooms, bathrooms and the kitchen at McKinley to bring facilities up to code; the motion carried 7–0.

Board members and staff framed the approvals as standard organizational business for the new term. Several trustees and members of the public asked clarifying questions during roll calls about which committees meet publicly and how board representatives should coordinate visits with building administrators. The board chair and superintendent repeatedly emphasized requests for board members to route information requests and school‑visit scheduling through the superintendent’s office.

The board also recognized newly elected or re‑seated trustees and the student board members and asked staff to circulate possible retreat dates to review strategic goals and the district’s seven‑year plan.

Included in the board packet and approved during the meeting were the detailed committee roster and the seven business‑office resolutions; the board’s roll‑call votes are recorded in the official minutes.