Duluth Public Schools board elects officers, approves organizational resolutions and discusses legislative priorities

Duluth Public Schools ISD 709 convened its organizational meeting on Monday, Jan. 6, where board members elected officers, adopted several routine administrative resolutions by voice vote and discussed a draft legislative agenda focused on school funding, special education reimbursement, technology and workforce development.

The meeting opened with roll call and the board moved quickly through officer elections. By acclamation, Member Kelly Eater was selected chair for the 2025–26 school year; Member Loeffler Kemp was elected vice chair; Member Mika Sell was elected clerk; and Member Sadowski was elected treasurer. The board also approved appointments for deputy clerk and board secretaries by motion and voice vote.

The meeting’s nut graf: the organizational session set governance and administrative authorities the board will use during the year and gave members a chance to refine a draft legislative platform the district plans to present to state legislators in upcoming meetings.

Key actions and routine resolutions

The board approved a slate of administrative resolutions by voice vote with no roll‑call tallies recorded in the minutes. Those actions included:

- Setting regular board meetings for the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the District Service Center, with a one‑day postponement rule if weather or unforeseen circumstances cancel a meeting. (Resolution B‑1‑25‑4073; adopted by voice vote.)

- Designating a list of depositories for district funds — Harbor Pointe Credit Union, North Shore Bank of Commerce, BMO Harris Bank, U.S. Bank, KeyBank, Wells Fargo, Park State Bank and Western Bank — and authorizing the treasurer and finance officials to arrange collateral as required by law. The resolution lists $250,000 as the maximum…