Brookings School Board approves donations, insurance broker and other routine business

At its Feb. 9 meeting the Brookings School District board handled several routine action items, approving donations, procurement memberships, committee appointments and procedural protocols.

Donations: The board approved a list of donated items for January. The Bridal School Orchestra received $850 from Libby Peterson and Hillcrest School received $150 from Peggy and Bill Kohn. The board also acknowledged roughly $22,400 in contributions from local businesses to support an upcoming disability-awareness event.

Negotiations protocol: The board voted to retain the district’s existing negotiations protocol with the Brookings Education Association for the current cycle. A board member noted a conflict of interest regarding participation in negotiations and was advised to file the required disclosure.

Appointments and scheduling: President appointed Wes Cheddar as the district’s representative to the Board of Equalization for the week of March 16–20; the appointment was approved by the board. The board also approved scheduling a workshop for Monday, Feb. 23 at 4 p.m. to continue facilities planning.

Insurance broker and contracts: The board voted to designate Marsh McLennan Agency as the broker for the district’s self-insured plans, contingent on a contract change requested by district counsel (replace governing-law venue with the state of South Dakota in section 6.2). Board members emphasized that the change is administrative and that employee benefits and insurance carriers will not change as a result of the broker selection. Marsh McLennan will begin working with the district before its contract-billing start date in May to prepare for the next plan year.

Procurement: The board approved continuing membership in the Eastern South Dakota Food Buying Group for the 2026–27 school year to seek volume pricing on food purchases.

Votes at a glance: All listed motions were approved by recorded voice or electronic vote during the meeting; the transcript records unanimous 'aye' votes in the meeting for the motions presented. Specific actions approved: donated items (approved), negotiations protocol (approved), appointment of board equalization representative (approved), Marsh McLennan selected as broker (approved, pending contract edit), Eastern South Dakota Food Buying Group membership (approved), workshop scheduling for Feb. 23 (approved).

No contested items or formal amendments were recorded on the transcript. Several board members asked clarifying questions about Raptor ID scanning, insurance timelines and committee meetings; those were answered by staff during the meeting.