Action of the School Board Action of the School Board 11/23/15 | Page 2

social studies electives for high school students. Class titles include Modern Global Issues,
Globetrekker and American Through Multimedia. The proposal will be presented for formal approval at the Dec. 14 meeting.

Early Intervention Program

Dr. Jinger Gustafson, associate superintendent for middle schools, and Cherie Peterson,
director of special education, led a detailed presentation on early childhood special education services available in Anoka-Hennepin schools. Also presenting were
Jill Kenyon, special education program supervisor for birth to age two programs and
Emily Rustman, special education special education program supervisor for ages three to
five.
Comments on program specifics were provided by Michele Gansen-Hedegaard, early
childhood special education teacher, Mindy Pazen, early intervention speech-language pathologist, and Shelly Pullis, early childhood special education teacher. Over 1,000 students
and their families are currently involved with early intervention services and programs.

Operations

University Avenue Elementary School (ACES) new addition for 2016-17

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• Blaine Life
• Coon Rapids Herald
• Champlin Dayton
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• Brooklyn Center
Sun-Post

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2

ACTION

Chuck Holden, chief operations officer, and Dr. Mary Wolverton, associate superintendent
for elementary schools, detailed a proposal to add additional classroom space at University
Avenue Elementary in Blaine. A nine-classroom addition is under consideration to manage student enrollment growth at the school. The project would proceed for next school
year and could be completed with existing resources, no debt is necessary to finance the
construction. The School Board will consider formal approval of the project at an upcoming
meetin g.

Finance

Budget reductions

Michelle Vargas, chief financial officer, explained that enrollment growth in the district is
a driving factor in shaping the level of budget reductions necessary for the 2016-17 school
year. As a result, the reduction target was set at $1.8 million, an amount updated from the
previous $4-$6 million of the original reduction target. With the lower reduction target, the
School Board agreed to manage cuts in central administrative areas and avoid impacts to
services and staffing levels in schools. Public hearings that were previously set to accept
testimony on the cuts were canceled. The School Board is set to approve the reduction plan
at their Dec. 14 meeting.

Consent agenda

The School Board approved:

a. Minutes from Nov. 9, 2015 work session.
b. Retirements, resignations, terminations, layoffs and recalls, leaves and modified
leaves of absence, extra service agreements and curriculum writing.
c. Cash dispersements report.
d. Cash balance report.
e. Donations and scholarship report.
f. December 2015 bills.
g. Property and liability insurance renewal.
h. World’s Best Workforce report
i. Immunizations exclusions.

Next meeting: School Board regular meeting, Monday, Dec. 14 at 6:30 p.m., Sandburg Education Center, 1902 Second Ave., Anoka.