NYM School to host community listening session on facilities in September

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

The New York Mills School District is still motoring ahead with a long-term facilities plan for the school district.

During its regularly scheduled meeting last Monday night, the school board heard from Lori Christensen of ICS about its facilities needs assessment. The school district was hoping to update its facilities plan, which was last completed in 2017, as a way to provide it with a road map of potential projects that may be needed down the road. 

As part of the plan, ICS and school district representatives will host listening sessions from the community to see what residents feel are needed at the school and potential areas of improvements within the school district and facility as a whole. There will also be listening sessions with staff members and students as well. 

The study will also look at enrollment projects, updating the educational adequate assessment to make sure the spaces used by the school district are meeting MDE guidelines and are being used in the correct way. 

Christensen said the school district hosted listening sessions with each of its target groups in the spring and early summer, and received a large turnout of staff and student members. However, the community listening session was not well attended, something Christensen said could be due to the fact it was held the first part of June. The plan is to now host a community listening session on September 9 to coincide with the start of the school year and see if they can get input from a larger group of community members to help guide the new facilities needs assessment. 

“We just think that would be our best way to get more parents to be a part of it,” she said.

While the community listening session was put on hold, Christensen said the planning process continues to go on behind the scenes with the hope of having the plan completed after the community listening sessions. 

In addition to the long-term plan, Christensen walked the school board through its long-term facility maintenance 10-year plan. The plan provides the school district an opportunity to pencil in projects that will need to be completed at the school district moving forward with state funding focused on making repairs on the school grounds. 

Christensen said the money can be used for anything connected to the building or grounds that’s existing, but cannot be used to remodel or expand. 

Currently the school district receives about $100,000 per year in LTFM funding as it borrowed against future LTFM funding to complete an HVAC project at the school. Once that bond has been paid off in 2035, the school district will receive closer to $300,000 per year in LTFM funding. 

In addition to borrowing against future LTFM funding, the account currently has a negative balance of $127,695 at the end of 2025. In order to get that account back into a positive balance once again the school district doesn’t have many building plans outside of minor building hardware improvements and inspections during both the FY26 and FY27 years. If that plan holds true the school district will have a positive LTFM fund balance beginning in FY28.

“Pretty minimal, which is going to help you get out of that deficit,” said Christensen.

In other news

• Acknowledged the following donations: $4,000 from the Ottertail Lions Club for school supplies, $8,000 from Footprints Foundation for chairs, 150 supply kits and school supplies from Midco, as well as $1,000 from KLN for the football scoreboard, $500 from Perham Pizza Ranch for the football scoreboard, $5,000 from Arvig for the football scoreboard, $100 from Mills Locker Plant for the football scoreboard, $1,000 from Chris/Kristin Roberts for the football scoreboard, $500 from Designs by Tes for the football scoreboard, $5,000 from Warner Garage Door for the football scoreboard and $1,000 from Hawes Septic Tank Pumping LLC for the football scoreboard.

• Approved the gas/diesel quote from Lakes Community Cooperative for the 2025-26 school year. The school district received just one quote for the gas/diesel contract.

• Approved the milk bid from Ten Finns Creamery, LLC for the 2025-26 school year. 

• Approved the following appointments: Lacey Schik as part-time paraprofessional, Shelli Garrison as cook, Tina Dale as .67 FTE English teacher, Charles Klippenes as paraprofessional, Rhiana Haverland as part-time paraprofessional, Pauline Hoffman as paraprofessional, Bailey McManigle as paraprofessional, Katie Geiser as assistant volleyball, Carol Tornquist as .5 FTE elementary teacher, Ali Bauck as c-squad volleyball coach and Angie Paavola as junior high volleyball coach.

• Approved the resignation of Cindy Seaton as food server.

• Heard that families will be able to pay sports fees, lunch bills and a variety of other school fees online beginning this fall. Cash options will continue to be available for those who prefer as well. 

• Heard about a need for additional storage at the school for things like football equipment. NY Mills School Superintendent Adam Johnson said the school district can look at a more long-term plan like purchasing 50 lockers at a cost of $550 apiece, or a more temporary solution like purchasing a storage container for $2,625 or a 16×20’ shed at a cost of $18,895 to provide additional storage space. Another solution that was discussed was to move the poles in the wrestling room to run parallel with the trusses to allow the wrestling room to be used for storage and the wrestling space to be a full mat size. The activity center can also be used for more sports storage. After discussing the potential solutions to a lack of sports storage the school board referred the facilities committee to find both a permanent solution, as well as one for the upcoming school year.

• Approved by a 4-3 margin with Derek Geiser, Jodi Seelhammer and Derek Braukmann voting in dissent, the e-learning plan for the 2025-26 school year. The plan will be similar to what has been used in years past, but students in grades 7-12 will now need to check in with their third hour teacher by 3 p.m. to be counted as present for attendance purposes. All work assigned during the e-learning day for students in grades 7-12 will need to be turned in by 9 a.m. the following day.