Shakopee board elects officers, affirms district signers and administrative delegations

Shakopee Public Schools' Board of Education elected its 2025 officer slate and approved a bundle of routine organizational items during its Jan. 6 organizational meeting at the district office.

The board elected Jeff Smith chair, Christie Peterson vice chair, Joe Aldridge treasurer and Caroline Valdez clerk — each chosen by acclamation after nominations. The board then approved the 2025 compensation and administrative designations that guide daily operations and financial procedures for the district.

Why it matters: these annual actions set who can sign checks, act on routine financial matters and represent the district with outside vendors and state systems, and they establish how the district will publish legal notices while a local newspaper is not available.

Key actions approved included keeping the board member stipend at $45,100 per year with an additional $500 for officers; naming the clerk, treasurer and chair as check signers; authorizing the use of facsimile signatures by those officers for checks; and designating the director of finance and operations (or designee) to deposit and invest surplus funds. The board designated Hometown Bank, Old National Bank, Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus, Mintrust, Associated Bank, US Bank (bonds), Wells Fargo and related accounts as official depositories and approved PMA Securities LLC as the district's municipal financial advisor.

The boar…