New football scoreboard could soon be on the horizon

Photo by Tucker Henderson
The New York Mills School Board heard of a preliminary plan to replace the aging scoreboard at the football field. The plan would be to fund the new scoreboard through a variety of sponsorships on the scoreboard itself.

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

New York Mills School students and staff will once again utilize e-learning days in the place of making up days at the end of the school year.

During its regularly scheduled meeting last Monday night, which lasted just under 30 minutes, the school board approved its e-learning plan for the 2024-25 school year. The school district utilized e-learning days for the first time last year, but only after utilizing any snow days already built into the calendar. 

Last year the school district utilized just one e-learning day due to one of the mildest winters on record across the state. The e-learning plan will be similar to last year when the school district can use up to five e-learning days per school year in the event of inclement weather. 

As part of e-learning days, the school district will offer full access to online instruction to allow the students to work from home. Students are expected to participate in learning activities for all scheduled classes on the day the plan is used. Students who do not participate in planned activities are considered absent for the classes, unless prior arrangements have been established.

Families will be notified through the district notification system of an e-learning day. Teachers, principals and other licensed professionals will be available from 9-11:30 a.m. and from 12-3 p.m. to answer questions or help with the assigned work to students. 

Students who do not have Internet or wifi may be asked to download materials before leaving school via Google Classroom if it appears inclement weather is possible for the next school day. When that is not possible, students without Internet access will receive their assignments upon returning to school. That school work will then need to be turned back into the proper teachers at a later time.

All extra-curricular activities on e-learning days will be canceled, just as they would when school is let out early or canceled altogether.

Once all five e-learning days have been utilized, NY Mills School will need to utilize conventional makeup days at the end of the school year in the event of inclement weather.

In other news

• Approved the milk bid for the 2024-25 school year to Tenn Finns Creamery and the gas/diesel contract to Lakes Area Cooperative.

• Approved the following appointments: Kari Chouanard as paraprofessional, Lacey Schik as paraprofessional, Tyann Robertson as SPED DCD teacher, Kenna Salo as varsity volleyball assistant coach and Renae Gunkel as paraprofessional. 

• Approved the resignation of Harley Wurst as paraprofessional.

• Heard from activities director Matt Radniecki about a plan to put a new scoreboard up at the football field. Radniecki said the plan would be to sell sponsorships on the bottom of the scoreboard to cover the cost of constructing the new scoreboard. He said a new scoreboard would not only be a nice addition to the football field, but could also be done without costing the school district a large amount of money. 

• Acknowledged the following donations: $4,000 from the Ottertail Lions Club for classroom supplies, $1,200 from the NY Mills Lions Club for summer rec and $1,500 from the NY Mills VFW Post 3289 for the trap team.

• Approved a 10-year long-term facilities maintenance plan. This is an annual report that needs to be submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education.