The GFW School Board held a regular meeting on Tuesday, February 20, 2024. A summary of the meeting is below.
Watch the meeting on YouTube:
School and Community Recognition
In honor of School Board Recognition Month, Dr. Horton and GFW Public Schools recognized and celebrated the members of our board. School Board members are an important part of public school districts and they represent the voice of the community in the governance of districts.
“Their dedication, selflessness and unwavering commitment to the betterment of our community and the success of our school district deserves to be celebrated,” said Dr. Horton. “When we think about the role of a school board, we often think of them as a governing body responsible for making critical decisions for our schools. However, their impact reaches far beyond the board room meetings and policy discussions. They are the backbone of our educational system, the guardians of our children’s future, and the driving force behind the positive transformation that we see in our community.”
The board was recognized for their work in supporting all children and their collaboration with local organizations to provide resources that benefit the vision, mission and legacy of GFW Public Schools.
Thank you to board members Dan Merkel, Emilee Stehr, George Grosam, Kenneth Briese, and Mark Turtle for their service to the GFW community!
Public Comment
Director of Health Services Dani Bruns shared an update on the CTE College and Career Fair that takes place on February 23 with more than 55 representatives from colleges, universities, and businesses in industries represented by the CTE program and academies at GFW High School. This is the first year for this combined event that will provide amazing opportunities for our students.
Superintendent’s Report
Dr. Horton started by sharing that Kindergarten Kick Off is coming up on March 5, 2024 for families to join and learn about starting in kindergarten. He also shared that the Dual Language Immersion Program is incredibly popular among families for current kindergarten students. The bid opening for the new facility has been pushed back one week due to an addendum added with bid approvals now taking place at the regular March meeting.
The district has applied for grants to help with transportation and other features for accessing the new school site safely and will be meeting with MnDOT to discuss next steps. The legislative session kicked off for 2024 and will wrap up in May. The focus is on the capital investment bill and there is a chance that there may be a supplemental budget bill introduced. The state is showing a budget surplus and will release other projections and data soon. The district will continue to work with legislators on the priorities of the legislative platform.
The district was also represented at recent conferences where the topic of artificial intelligence was widely discussed. Dr. Horton shared that the district is exploring learning more about these programs and what it could mean for different programs and departments in the district.
School Board Reports
Board members shared reports from committees and ongoing work.
Logo and Mascot Updates
Work continues to update the GFW logo and mascot name.
Consent Agenda and Action Items
The Board approved the consent agenda.
The board approved the school calendar for the 2024-25 school year.
The board approved the 2024 Legislative Platform.
The board approved to 2024-25 Registration Guide.
The board approved a change order process for the building project.
The board approved donations to the district