Winona Area Public Schools board installs officers, approves routine organizational resolutions

The Winona Area Public School District Board of Education completed its organizational business at a meeting that included swearing in newly elected board members and approving a set of routine governance resolutions.

Board members sworn in and officer elections followed the oath of office administered at the start of the session. By acclamation the board selected Nancy Denzer as chair, Carl Sonneman as vice chair, Michael Hanratty as clerk and Jack Hedin as treasurer.

The board then moved through the standard organizational items required at the start of the year. Key approvals included designation of Merchants Bank as the district depository; authorization of Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A., as legal counsel for the coming year with a plan to issue a request for proposals (RFP) in the fall; confirmation of existing board member stipends; appointment of Sarah Slaby as deputy clerk and deputy treasurer and Casey Hovis as second deputy clerk; and authorization for routine electronic transfers and use of facsimile signatures on checks until officer signatures are implemented.

Board members also approved a limited investments policy for non-OPEB funds that restricts investments to collateralized certificates of deposit, savings and checking accounts, Treasury bills, repurchase agreements of federal agency securities, collateralized guaranteed contracts and the Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund.

On the matter of legal notices, the board designated the Winona Post as the district’s official newspaper after a roll-call vote. The choice followed discussion about accessibility and cost of competing bids; one board member voted no. Board staff noted that legal publishing requirements and deadlines can affect the district’s ability to post short-notice items such as negotiation sessions.

Finally, the board approved the calendar as posted through the July meeting and set a date to revisit the regular meeting schedule on March 20; administration said the full calendar would be revisited at the July meeting before any schedule changes took effect.

Votes at a glance - Election of board officers (chair, vice chair, clerk, treasurer): elected by acclamation (no recorded roll-call tally required by acclamation rules). - Depository resolution (Merchants Bank): approved (roll-call recorded). - Designation of legal counsel (Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A.): approved; board directed administration to issue an RFP for future counsel selection. - Board member stipends: approved (no change to amounts). - Committee assignments: approved. - Deputy clerk/deputy treasurer (Sarah Slaby) and second deputy clerk (Casey Hovis): approved by roll call. - Authorization of electronic transfers and use of facsimile signatures until new signatures are implemented: approved. - Investment restrictions policy (non-OPEB): approved. - Official newspaper designation (Winona Post): approved (roll-call vote; one dissent noted). - Calendar posting through July and scheduling review: approved; board directed further discussion and a decision by March 20 with implementation no earlier than summer.

Why it matters: organizational votes set the district’s administrative and legal framework for the coming year — designating banks, legal counsel, fiscal procedures and official notices affects how the district conducts day‑to‑day business and responds quickly to short-notice needs such as negotiations and financial transactions.

What’s next: administration will post dates and proceed with the RFP for legal counsel; the board will revisit the regular meeting schedule later this spring as previously indicated by staff.