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Board approves consent agenda, policies, calendar and IUOE contract; sets special sessions
Summary
The South St. Paul School Board approved the consent agenda, a slate of district policies, the 2025–26 calendar, and a tentative IUOE Local 70 contract at its March 31 meeting; all recorded votes were unanimous (5–0).
The South St. Paul Public School District Board of Education approved several business items on March 31, 2025, including the consent agenda, the final reading of multiple district policies, the 2025–26 school-year calendar, a tentative collective bargaining agreement with International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 70, and scheduling of special sessions with TeamWorks. All votes recorded at the meeting carried by a 5–0 tally.
Key votes and outcomes
- Consent agenda: The board approved financial claims, bills payable and staffing as presented. Vote: 5–0 (approved).
- Final reading of district policies: The board approved the final reading of a slate of policies after previous committee and board reviews. Policies listed on the agenda and approved included: Policy 6-27 (Academic Honesty); Policy 3-07 (Emergency Closing Procedures); Policy 4-01 (Equal Employment Opportunity); Policy 4-04 (Employment Background Check Policy); Policy 5-36 (Student Information Technology Acceptable Use); Policy 101.1 (Name of the School District); Policy 101 (Legal Status of the School District); Policy 103 (Complaints: Students, Employees, Parents, Other Persons); Policy 501 (School Weapons); Policy 502 (Search of Student Lockers, Desks, Personal Possessions, and Student's Person); Policy 505 (Distribution of Non-School Sponsored Materials); Policy 512 (School-Sponsored Student Publications and Activities); Policy 526 (Hazing Prohibition); Policy 528 (Student Parental, Family, and Marital Status Nondiscrimination); Policy 801.1 (Naming of District Facilities); and Policy 903 (Visitors to School District Properties and Facilities). Vote: 5–0 (approved).
- Special sessions with TeamWorks: The board approved a special work session with TeamWorks (Ray Queener) on April 22, 2025, to work on evaluation tools aligned with the district’s strategic plan and to continue planning the board’s two-year agenda. The board also approved a special business session on April 22 to accommodate staffing and scheduling items that cannot wait until the regular April 28 meeting. Vote(s): 5–0 (approved).
- 2025–26 school-year calendar: The board approved the proposed school calendar for 2025–26 after committee review and multiple stakeholder surveys. Highlights discussed included aligning days off between elementary and secondary sites, moving some spring conference days to no-school days, and completing the school year in June. Vote: 5–0 (approved).
- Collective bargaining agreement: The board approved a tentative agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 70 for the contract period of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2026. The district reported the unit ratified the agreement on March 27, 2025. Settlement components described at the meeting included increases to base wages (the transcript references 4% and 3% but the precise year-to-year assignment in the transcript was unclear), a change to the district’s 403(b) contribution described as a 2.5% district contribution for unit members, addition of stipends for required equipment/operator licenses, and a change to the pay structure for required weekend and holiday work. District staff said the proposal was within board-established parameters and recommended approval. Vote: 5–0 (approved).
Board procedure and next steps
Several motions were made and seconded during the meeting; some motions were explicitly attributed to board members in the record (for example, a motion to approve the agenda and minutes was moved by “Wendy” and seconded by “Anne” in the transcript). Where the transcript did not name a mover or seconder, the motions were recorded with the standard board procedure and a unanimous voice vote was taken. The board scheduled follow-up administrative work and a special April 22 session to continue evaluation and planning work.
No items in tonight’s business section were tabled or failed. The board moved into a closed session after the public agenda to discuss Office and Professional employee negotiations under Minnesota Statute 13D.03.
