BLUE EARTH– With a full agenda the Blue Earth Area School Board took care of a multitude of items at their meeting on Monday night.

The board members heard two special updates from staff members at the beginning of the meeting.

Ag teacher Nick Milbrandt gave an update on the FFA Crop Plot for this year. The plot is on property just south of Wilson Football Field in Blue Earth and it is owned by the school.

Milbrandt said the students make all the decisions and do a lot of the work on the plot.

“We have an agronomist assist with helping them with decisions on what to do, and there are farmers who lend us equipment to plant and harvest,” Milbrandt told the board members. “They have decided to once again do half corn and half beans.”

Milbrandt said five students were doing the planting that day, and he had, in fact, just come from the plot in time to give his report to the board.

BEA art teacher Sara Albright was also at the meeting to give an update on the art classes and the BEA Art Club.

“The students took 17 pieces of art to a competition and received 11 Excellent rating awards and four Superior rating awards,” Albright said. “Plus we had three Spotlight Award winners who were able to take their work to the State Art Show.”

There were eight schools at the competition and only 11 Spotlight Award winners, so BEA had three of the 11.

In other business at the meeting the BEA School Board:

— Passed a resolution, with no discussion, to leave the Big South Conference and join the new South Central Conference.

The reasons to make the change had been discussed at a previous meeting, and included being able to compete against schools the same size as BEA and cut down on travel distances.

— Approved a resolution adopting a Long-Term Facilities Maintenance 10-Year Plan.

— Approved the SRO (School Resource Officer) contract with Faribault County.

— Approved the Master Agreement with the three school principals for the fiscal years 2025-2028.

— Approved a resolution for membership in the Minnesota State High School League for the 2025-2026 year.

— Approved the annual bids for things such as softener salt and snow removal, and also approved the acceptance of donations from the Blue Earth Eagles Club and the American Legion Post for the BPA and Robotics Clubs.

— Approved personnel changes including the hiring of Rhea Hecker as a paraprofessional and the resignations of bus drivers Bob Evans and Bob Larson.

— Had the first readings of 39 school policies. Some had minor changes and some had language changes due to state or federal mandates. They will be voted on at the next meeting.