FAIRMONT– The Fairmont School Board held their final meeting of the 2021-2022 academic year on Tuesday. In it they reviewed the district’s operations over the course of the past academic year and mapped out how some operations will change when students return in the fall.

Shortly after the meeting began Superintendent Andy Traetow provided an update concerning progress on the vocational expansion project. The project continues to proceed on schedule with contractors installing exterior features and finalizing the installation of the project’s HVAC system and ceiling tiles. Traetow also announced the district will continue to be mindful of what the Minnesota Department of Education and Minnesota Department of Health does throughout the summer months, and does not at this time plan to continue with health and safety updates unless otherwise directed by either department moving forward.

“We will allow them to provide us guidance as a school district and then we will respond accordingly,” he said.

The board went on to review reports on the district’s finances from the 2021-2022 fiscal period. While the district ran a slight deficit, it was insubstantial compared to the district’s budget as a whole. As Traetow put it, “when you look at (a deficit of roughly $32,000) on an almost 25 million dollar budget that’s a one tenth of a percent differential from being a net-zero balanced budget. After three consecutive years of deficit spending that’s extremely important for our district going forward.” This year’s balanced budget was also contingent on federal relief funds, but the board plans to reduce spending with the goal of having a sustainable and balanced budget in two years, after those funds are dispersed. In order to work towards this goal next year the board expects an increase in student enrollment, further tweaks to the district’s finances and a plan to not replace some academic support staff who have retired or otherwise chose to not return to the district.

Additionally, due to the expiration of a United States Department of Agriculture waiver which allowed all students to receive free school meals, only qualifying students will be eligible for free and reduced meals when classes resume in the fall. While this program provided extra funding for the district as a whole, its expiration is not expected to have an impact on the quality of meals served to students.

In other matters end of year reports show that while Fairmont students have been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, they continue to make satisfactory academic progress. Between the fall and spring semesters the district saw an increasing disparity between white and BIPOC students, although this could in part be attributed to additional English as a Second Language students enrolling in the spring.

In other action:

— The board accepted the resignations of Agriculture Instructor Katie Elder and EL Instructional Aide Mirna Salazer.

— With no other applications received, incumbent Solveig Senf was named student school board member for the 2022-2023 year, although additional applicants may still submit applications.