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BLUE EARTH-- Getting updates on preparations for back to school coming up was one of the main topics at Monday night’s Blue Earth Area School Board meeting.
Activities Director Travis Armstrong gave a full report on how the sports teams are getting prepped and ready,
"Football practice started last week and the other fall sports started this week," Armstrong told the board. "We have over 70 kids out for football, which is down a little, but that is probably due to lower enrollment."
He continued that Cross Country has 32 participants and tennis has 25 which is down from last year.
"We had a lot of seniors on last year's tennis team, so that is why is it down," he said. "But we have some new seniors on the team now."
Volleyball has very good numbers, Armstrong added. There are 24 girls out in the top four grades and only two are seniors. There are 38 girls out in grades seven and eight.
Armstrong also pointed out that two teams they usually played in football combined together, so BEA will now have their first game of the season on Friday, Aug. 28, against the United South Central Rebels.
The BEA Buccaneers and the USC Rebels have not played each other in football for quite some time.
Armstrong also reminded everyone that while BEA is going to join the new South Central Conference, that won't happen until next year. This year they are still part of the Big South Conference.
"Right now, I am going to meetings of both the Big South Conference and the South Central Conference," Armstrong told the board. "Because we have to already be planning next year's schedules."
In other business at the short 38-minute meeting, the BEA Board:
-- Approved a resolution official canvasing the returns of votes of the School District Special Election that was held at the Primary Election on Aug. 11. Two bond questions on the ballot were approved that included building a new elementary school. The vote was 7-0 and all seven School Board members had to sign the resolution.
-- Approved the elementary, middle school and high school student handbooks.
-- Approved a donation of $3,466.41 from Tvedten Electric Inc. for football headsets.
-- Approved the Cardiac Emergency Response Plan.
-- Approved the Bus Driver Contract for 2026-2028.
-- Approved the Master Agreement with AFSCME 65.
-- Approved a multitude of employee changes. Those included: resignations from high school Spanish teacher Loener May, K7 custodian Chris Mewirter, ECFE/School Readiness coordinator Kayla Hassing, high school paraprofessionals Emily Heenan, Tucker Kuhn and Maria Rodriquez; new hires of media paraprofessional Meghan Lundgren, elementary teacher Tiegan Huntley, high school paraprofessional AdalineBurtt, elementary teachers Kayla Saindon and Kayla Hassing, long term guest teacher Heidi Nojes and high school Spanish teacher Maria Rodriguez; lane changes for Amy Bartlett, Kelly Bleess, Michele Ehlers, Trinity Finn, Christine Hodges, Keisha Howard, Hayley, Samantha Jahnke, Nicole Lombardi, Betsy Monson, Rebecca Morrow and Lauren Sturtz.
The board also approved the resignation of Fiscal Services coordinator Allen Wilhelmi effective Dec. 31, 2026, and also approved a new contract for 2026-2028 for Buildings and Grounds supervisor Jim Wirkus.