Ogilvie board approves amended Rum River special-education joint powers agreement

The Ogilvie Public School District board on a unanimous vote adopted a resolution approving an amended and restated Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) for the Rum River Special Education Cooperative that creates a framework for associate membership.

Board discussion emphasized that the six original member districts retain priority access to seats in the cooperative’s programs and that the amended JPA simply expands a membership pathway for additional districts. A board member said the change "opens up the idea" of associate memberships and gives districts like St. Francis an opportunity to use lease-levy authority rather than drawing from their general funds.

The resolution, presented as an amended and restated JPA dated November 1, 2024, lists multiple district names and numbers that must also approve the amended agreement before it becomes effective. Board members noted that the agreement will not take effect until each participating district’s school board has approved it.

The motion to adopt the resolution passed unanimously on a roll-call vote. The board recorded that approval by the governing board of the cooperative occurred on April 8, 2026, and that this district’s action is one step in a multi-district approval process. The board said it will review any follow-up materials and will consider a separate vote to formally admit an associate member if and when a district applies.