Big Lake school board approves insurance-funded repairs, hears enrollment uptick and state budget updates

The Big Lake Public School District board on Jan. 21 accepted contractor bids to repair hail damage across multiple district buildings and approved a contract to replace exhaust fans, while hearing a finance update that showed the district is slightly above its revised budgeted average daily membership.

District finance staff told the board the district’s January enrollment report showed gains concentrated in Big Lake Online and some increases at Liberty Elementary. “What that shows graphically is that we are actually above our budget,” Angie said while presenting enrollment charts and budget status. Angie also told the board that a new state report reduced an earlier projection of a $150,000 drop in compensatory revenue to a roughly $50,000 decrease under current law.

Why it matters: The board’s contract approvals will use insurance proceeds to repair multiple roofs and building envelopes and fund mechanical work at several schools, and the state budget and aid changes described by staff could affect the district’s FY2026 operating budget.

Enrollment and state budget items Angie, speaking during the financial report, said Big Lake Online accounted for the bulk of month-to-month enrollment growth and that the district’s ADM sits a few students above the revised budget. She briefed the board on state-level changes that affect district revenue: a recent state report reduced the district’s expected compensatory-revenue loss from about $150,000 to roughly $50,000. Angie also summarized elements of the governor’s budget proposal, including a one-time statewide $30 million appropriation to cover summer-term unemployment costs for the next fiscal year; proposed reductions to special-education transportation reimbursement (95% reimbursed in FY2026 and 90% in later years under the proposal); elimination of Q-Comp beginning FY2027; suggested changes to how literacy incentive aid would be calculated (moving from MCA test data toward poverty data); and proposed elimination of nonpublic pupil aid and nonpublic transportation aid and their program requirements. Angie cautioned the board these items are proposals and subject to change as the legislature and forecasting processes proceed.

Food service Angie introduced the district’s incoming food-service director, Alyssa Waxman of Chartwells, and said Chartwells staff will return next month to discuss participation and menu/program updates; staff plan a budget revision for food service midyear.

Insurance claims and repairs District staff and the board discussed two sets of insurance-funded projects and bid results related to 2023 hail damage. TJ summarized bids for building-envelope and roofing work. For the roofing and related envelope repairs, the low bidders and recommended awards included Jackson and Associates and Granite City Roofing; TJ said the work is funded through the district’s insurance claim. TJ described a consultant scaling error on one line item that increased the low bidder’s line-item total by roughly $90,000; the district and consultant recommended accepting the low bid rather than holding the bidder responsible for the consultant’s scaling error.

TJ recommended award of multiple base-bid line items to Jackson and Associates (Independence Elementary, Liberty Elementary copings and counter flashings, middle school standing-seam roof and other outbuildings) and to Granite City Roofing for the high school standing-seam metal roof and perimeter flashings. The board approved accepting those bids as a package.

TJ reported a second bid opening for HVAC/exhaust fans and related mechanical work produced a low overall bidder, Centrisoda, which submitted the low bids on four line items: $195,000 for the high school item; $51,700 for a middle-school line item; $76,000 for Independence Elementary; and $98,700 for Liberty Elementary, for a total the presenter said was roughly $421,000. TJ said the new fans are more energy-efficient and lower maintenance. The board approved awarding the four-line-item contract to Centrisoda.

Bond-project and facilities updates Board members said the district’s current bond construction program is tracking toward a projected surplus of roughly $450,000 if the middle-school renovation can be completed within budget. The district reported it earned about $1,063,000 in interest on bond proceeds during construction, which staff said helps cover inflation-driven adjustments and could fund remaining needs such as a scoreboard or window work if budget targets hold. Board members also discussed potential partnerships with the South Bowl Association on athletic-field improvements and said they would vet maintenance and safety implications before committing district resources.

Labor negotiations and closed session Board members reported a mediation session with SEIU that lasted many hours and described it as positive with progress made; the board scheduled a closed session to discuss labor negotiation strategy as permitted by Minnesota Statute section 13D.03.

Donations and student recognition The board approved the consent agenda and accepted donations; the group of Junior Ambassadors that included Madison Hemauer was recognized after the donation vote. Hemauer told the board she had fundraised for CPENS “for dyslexic students because I wanted to help dyslexic students because I’m dyslexic.” The board also received a brief student-representative report noting Wright Tech enrollment figures the student representative supplied: 633 students at Wright Tech and 87 at Wright Academy (79 high-school, 3 middle-level, per the student representative).

Other board business Members who attended the Minnesota School Boards Association conference described sessions on AI, data use (SLEDS), and legislative advocacy. Several board members said AI-session presenters emphasized data protection, IT capacity, and cyber insurance but that no consensus model policy had emerged. A staffing pivot was also reported: the district moved to a virtual professional-development day at short notice because of extreme cold; staff and operations were credited with the quick change.

Votes at a glance - Approve meeting agenda — motion by Nelson, second by Chabillion; voice vote, motion carries. - Approve consent agenda (minutes, claims and accounts of $1,363,072.62, credit card report, personnel, MOU for building substitutes) — motion by Sixbury, second by Nelson; voice vote, motion carries. - Accept donations listed on the agenda (including Junior Ambassadors fundraiser) — motion by Chabillion, second by Sixbury; voice vote, motion carries. - Approve financial report — motion made and seconded by board members; voice vote, motion carries. - Accept and award insurance-funded roofing/envelope repair bids (multiple base-bid line items) — motion to accept the package of base bid line items; motion and second on the record; voice vote, motion carries. Contracts recommended to Jackson and Associates and Granite City Roofing; work funded by insurance proceeds. - Approve contract with Centrisoda for four HVAC/exhaust-fan line items (high school, middle school, Independence Elementary, Liberty Elementary) — motion by Chabillion, second by Brown; voice vote, motion carries. - Adjourn meeting and convene closed session for labor negotiations under Minnesota Statute 13D.03 — motion and second; voice vote, motion carries.

The board scheduled its next regular meeting for Feb. 26; additional committee and policy meetings are planned in the interim.