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ROCORI board approves retirement MOU, donations, staff‑development contract and other actions
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Summary
At its regular meeting the ROCORI PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT School Board approved an MOU tied to a staff retirement/TR A purchase arrangement, accepted multiple donations, authorized a roughly $30,000 PLC staff‑development contract, approved a student expulsion, and passed several personnel and membership resolutions.
The ROCORI PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT School Board approved a set of routine and personnel actions at its meeting, including a memorandum of agreement (MOU) to allow a departing staff member to purchase back Teachers Retirement Association (TRA) time, multiple donations to district programs, and a staff development contract to expand Professional Learning Communities across the district.
Administration described the MOU as an unpaid‑leave arrangement that enables Ramona Torgberg to purchase back TRA service time; the negotiations committee and the union signed off and the board approved the measure by voice vote. Board materials and discussion noted Teachers Retirement Association (TRA) handled technical details of the arrangement.
The board accepted multiple donations by resolution: River Youth Advantage donated $5,000 to activities/weight room; a family (recorded as Zupki/Zupka in meeting remarks) donated $50 in books to the JCE library; Purpose Nutrition/Ashley Lohr donated $499 for track/dance and the coaches association; and the Rockville, Cold Spring and Richmond Lions Clubs each donated $1,500 to the D.A.R.E. program. The donations were accepted in a roll‑call vote with board members recorded answering “Aye.”
The board approved a field‑trip request for roughly 30 students and six chaperones to attend the Minnesota State FFA convention in the Twin Cities (overnight, April 19–20). Presenter Brandon Turk, who identified himself as “the second tech pay advisor, middle‑school ag instructor,” described participant counts, competitive events and a student cost of about $50–$55 to cover registration and some meals; the motion passed.
On professional development, the board authorized a contract to bring PLC (Professional Learning Community) training district‑wide through a designated consultant. The administration described a package that includes a kickoff at a back‑to‑school workshop, two embedded days of on‑site coaching and three two‑hour virtual sessions, and estimated the cost at roughly $30,000. The superintendent’s office confirmed the expenditure is an allowable use of staff development funds; the board approved the agreement by voice vote.
The board also approved a recommended student expulsion (administration said required steps had been followed and the family was notified). The board took care to discuss re‑entry options, including conference and placement considerations, but did not identify the student in the public record.
Other personnel actions included a resolution to issue notice of non‑renewal for a head varsity coach employed through a multi‑district cooperative; that resolution passed by roll call. The board voted to renew annual membership dues for the Richmond Civic and Commerce group and heard updates on negotiations and committee business.
What’s next: Several items approved at the meeting will be implemented administratively (donation acceptance, staff development contract scheduling, and FFA travel logistics). The board expects routine follow‑up on the PLC rollout and any re‑entry process for the expelled student, consistent with district policy.
Quotes and attributions used in this article come from meeting remarks by district staff and presenters recorded in the public transcript; where tallies or roll‑call details were not specified, the article reports outcomes as board actions rather than quantified vote counts.
