Board approves administrators' contract, accepts superintendent contract edits and honors outgoing members

The Lakeville Public School District board on Dec. 17 approved a tentative 2024—26 administratorscontract with LAHSA and accepted edits to the superintendent's contract before adjourning and recognizing outgoing board members.

Brenda Albrecht summarized the LAHSA tentative agreement, which covers principals and other administrators and includes longevity steps at years 10 and 15, a 2.25% increase to the salary schedule in year one and a 4.75% increase in year two. "The total package cost of the settlement is within board parameters at 8.36%, and the settlement is recommended for approval," Albrecht said. Director David Anderson moved to approve the settlement; the board approved the motion by voice vote (reported 5-0).

Separately, the board discussed and approved edits to the superintendent contract to make the evaluation schedule more specific and to move up the date by which the superintendent must notify the board if he will not seek another term. Director Kelleher proposed language requiring the board to "evaluate the superintendent's performance each contract year" and that the evaluation tool and timeline be developed by the board with input from the superintendent. Board members also agreed to language setting the notification deadline to "no later than the first Monday after January 1st." Director Kelleher moved to accept those edits and advance the contract; the motion passed by voice vote (reported 5-0).

The meeting closed with administration and board tributes to outgoing board members, who were presented with student-crafted appreciation plaques made in Lakeville North's STEM labs. Several retiring members offered remarks reflecting on decades of service and urging future boards to keep students central to decisions.