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Bemidji board approves LTFM plan, three-year bus contract, bus-stop rule changes and personnel actions
Summary
At its July 21 meeting the Bemidji Public School District board approved a 10‑year long‑term facilities maintenance (LTFM) plan, a three‑year bus contract with Bemidji Bus Line, four additional non‑8‑way bus stops under Minnesota Statute 169.443, accepted donations and several personnel actions; most votes were unanimous.
The Bemidji Public School District Board of Education on July 21 approved a 10‑year long‑term facilities maintenance plan, a three‑year contract with Bemidji Bus Line for supplemental transportation, four additional non‑8‑way bus stops under Minnesota Statute 169.443, accepted three community donations and approved several personnel appointments and other routine items.
The board voted by roll call to adopt the district’s LTFM plan required by the Minnesota Department of Education. Ashley, a district staff member who presented the plan, told the board the LTFM plan "consists of 3 parts: a 10 year expenditure projection, a 10 year revenue projection, and a statement of assurances," and that the statement of assurances must be signed by the superintendent.
The board approved a three‑year supplemental transportation contract with Bemidji Bus Line covering nine routes, with estimated contract amounts of $643,720 for fiscal 2026, $676,476 for fiscal 2027 and $710,876 for fiscal 2028. Ashley said contracting the routes reduced driver shortages and helped avoid route cancellations experienced in prior years.
Under a separate action the board approved four additional bus stops that will operate as non‑8‑way stops on roadways where the bus can pull completely off the traveled portion of the roadway and students do not cross the street. Ashley cited Minnesota Statute 169.443 as authorizing those stops and described the locations as two on Highway 2 west of Palace Junction C‑store, one on U.S. 71 north of Nature’s Edge Garden Center and one on Bemidji Avenue North in the Northern attendance area.
The board accepted three donations: $650 from the Minnesota Historical Society to Lincoln Elementary School; $6,000 from FIRST to Bemidji High School robotics; and $2,000 from 8 Man Games to the Bemidji High School art club. The board also approved two additional certified staff appointments added to the consent packet: Matthew Aurel and Teresa Wienbergen, both assigned to the middle school (special education and reading/math interventionist, respectively).
Other personnel and policy actions included approval of Christopher Conway as assistant principal at Bemidji High School (effective July 1) and the first reading of the revised crisis management policy SBR 910‑3R to note the Minnesota Department of Public Safety statewide anonymous threat reporting system; the crisis policy change was presented as required by a recent statutory change.
Most votes were taken by voice and were unanimous or carried with no named dissent. The LTFM plan was approved by roll call (Manakee: yes; Frenzel: yes; Long Woechner: yes; Akas: yes; Haugen: yes; Wall: yes). On routine items the board chair called for aye/nays and recorded no oppositions except on one personnel/academic staffing item discussed separately (see related article).
Board members and staff said the actions were meant to preserve facilities, improve transportation reliability and comply with state requirements. The meeting closed after the superintendent’s report and a summary of the superintendent evaluation.
