---

   The Northland School Board began their regular meeting Wednesday, Sept. 20 by approving the consent adgenda, congratulating Mark Gravelle and Brittany McClellan for completing  their Master’s and accepting gifts/donations from Remer Chamber of Commerce in the amount of $50 for the “Most Themed” float in the Harvest Festival Parage and $1,000 from the Peter Marsh Foundation for the music program.

   Reports were then given by Lori Backlund with Arrowhead Regional Computing Consortium, Elementary Principal/Athletic Director Janessa Green and High School Principal/Superintendent Mary Yakibchuk. Backlund shared reports for both fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2024 due to the school still receiving revenue for 2023. It was noted revenue may be down from anticipated amounts due to student enrollment, therefore the general fund may show a slight decrease. 

   Green shared her elementary principal report first stating the beginning of school has been a welcomed whirlwind. Teachers are embracing their new assignments and students are really excited to be back to school. With a total of 173 elementary students, a total of eight referrals have been issued with only one student receiving two to five referrals. The top behavioral issue is defiance/disrespect/non-compliance.

   Green then gave the athletic director report by informing the board with statistics for the football team, 0-3 and volleyball, 1-7. Currently the cross country team has only three participants from Northland and are in the first year of co-oping with both Deer River and Hill City. Green then shared information regarding homecoming week with the various events planned and mentioned that a High School Student Leadership Task Force was created in order to plan homecoming. This task force is a group of staff members and last years student leadership students which have been divided up into four committees. Green shared after homecoming there will be an application process for all students interested in joining. 

   Yakibchuk shared with the board she is already beginning to come up with a plan for winter and possible late starts or school closures. Last year Yakibchuk had numerous contacts around the district for road conditions and the current plan is if busses can get out and pass along the road then there will be school. An update on the Early Childhood Learning outdoor classroom was given stating it is complete and they have been utilizing it a couple times a day, one is for morning meetings. 

   In other Board action:

   • Dissolved the current agreement with Hill City for .5 FTE services for Brandon Otway, Early Childhood Coordinator and approved a new service agreement with Hill City at .4 FTE.

   • Approved setting the proposed levy at the maximum and set the time for the Truth in Taxation meeting for Dec. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Northland High School Room C113.

   • Approved a request to sell one piece of equipment from the fitness center.

   • Approved the hire of Kevin Miley as Dean of Students and Quintarian Borders as Junior High Football Coach.

   • Accepted the resignation of Flo Cichy as bus driver, effective Sept. 29.

   • Approved parental leave for Kelly Riewer, Preschool teacher, beginning Feb. 12, 2024 and ending June 7, 2024.

   The board has scheduled the following meetings: a regular meeting, Wed., Oct. 25 at 5:30 p.m. all meetings are held at Northland High School.

---