New program could create a more inclusive environment
News | Published on March 4, 2025 at 4:05pm GMT+0000 | Author: Tucker Henderson
0NYM School hears about Best Buddies, no action taken on new program
By Chad Koenen
Publisher
A new Best Buddies program is geared at creating a more inclusive environment within a school district by partnering students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.
During its regularly scheduled meeting last week, the New York Mills School Board heard about the Best Buddies program from elementary teacher Alyssa Blaha. The NY Mills teacher gave an overview of the program to members of the school board with the hope that a similar program can begin at NY Mills School in the near future.
Blaha said she was planning to start the program at the elementary level and see if someone else would take the reigns at the high school level. She said there are not any opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the school district and the program could help to create a more inclusive environment for students with and without disabilities. Her goal was to partner students with and without disabilities who could have an activity together approximately once a month during the school day.
Currently there are over 50 other schools in the state of Minnesota, including Perham, who have a Best Buddies program. There is no cost to have the program at the school with the exception of the monthly activities the students. Blaha was hoping to get donations to cover the costs of those activities.
The school board did not act on whether to have the Best Buddies program at the school during last week’s meeting, but thanked Blaha for the information concerning the program.
In other news
• Acknowledged the following donations: $250 from Mackenzie Keskitalo for Trina Saewert’s room, $1,500 from Perham Sportsman’s Club for the trap team, $250 from Brunswick for the Close Up Purse Bingo, $1,000 from Kit Masters for BPA, $250 from Kit Masters for Close Up, $1,000 from Lamson Family Trust for Close Up, $500 from KLN Family Brands for Close Up, $500 from KLN Family Brands for BOA, $2,500 from the NY Mills Lions Club for the football scoreboard and $2,500 from the NY Mills Lions Club for the trap team.
• Approved an overnight stay for the NY Mills BPA program from March 5-8 for the state BPA competition.
• Discussed the 2025-26 school calendar that shows school will start the day after Labor Day and end on Wednesday, May 27.
• Approved an updated contract with Lakeland Mental Health which could add two days of mental health service for students at NY Mills School. The hope was to have someone in place through the end of the school year if a person is hired for the position.
• Accepted the following appointments: Jeff Rimpilla as bus driver, Christi Stoll as a long-term paraprofessional sub and Bryan Dunrud as activities director.
• Accepted the following resignations: Nancy Schik as elementary paraprofessional, McKayla Small as paraprofessional, Tammy Olson as head volleyball coach and Cindy Loch as paraprofessional.