BLUE EARTH– In high school, there are field trips and then there are some extra special field trips. At its meeting on Monday, the Blue Earth Area School Board learned all about one of those extra special ones.

BEA science teacher Julie Ackerman gave the board members a report about a recent science trip which she and 15 BEA juniors took to San Salvador Island in the Bahamas.

“We left on June 23,” Ackerman reported. “It was to attend an ecology field course there. It went really well, and was the first time we have done this.”

She said the course included an excursion in the morning, then lunch, another excursion and then dinner. After dinner was lab time.

Each student also kept a journal of what they were learning.

“We snorkeled on six or more sites, mainly on reefs,” she said. “We also explored caves which were partially underwater, depending on the tides.”

The group also joined with high school students from Buffalo, New York, and cleaned up a beach one day.

“I was super proud of the kids, they acted very mature,” Ackerman told the board. “I could see that many of them ‘grew up’ a little more in the one week’s time.”

In other business at the relatively short meeting, the BEA Board:

— Learned the results of a superintendent’s evaluation that was done last month. Overall, superintendent Mandy Fletcher received a score of 3.23 out of a possible 4 points.

— Heard a report from Fletcher about a Crisis Response 2-day training session held in Rochester, which she and the principals attended.

— Learned that a Community Task Force is being formed and will meet next week. It concerns studying the condition of all the Blue Earth Area School District buildings.

— Approved miscellaneous pay rates for many jobs at the school, from substitute teachers, to ticket sellers at events.

— Approved activity/meal rates for 2023-24. There will be no charge for all student breakfasts and lunches this year, as per state requirements.

— Approved board member reimbursement rates.

— Approved two new hires, Nicole Uecker and Katie Mullaly, as elementary teachers and approved a leave of absence for Andrea Nienaber, elementary paraprofessional.