Members of the ASBSD Board of Directors convened in Watertown last month for the second board meeting of 2014. The meeting – spanning over Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12 – was bookended by tours of Lake Area Technical Institute and the Redlin Art Center. In between, board members took action on and discussed a variety of agenda items.

 

Guided by LATI Director of Institutional Relations LuAnn Strait, board members toured many of the facilities on campus including, the new agriculture building, the energy operations lab – where they had a chance to speak with Rep. Roger Solum, who is an instructor at LATI – and the diesel tech, robotics, precision machine and heavy equipment operator departments, among others.

 

 

In addition, Strait proudly showed off the student center, which she called the campus’s “front door.”

 

ASBSD board member LeRoy Hellwig, from the Sisseton School District, shared his admiration of the programs and facilities at LATI.

 

 

“You could sense the pride here,” Hellwig said. “I am impressed.”

 

Board members were also treated to a visit to the Redlin Art Center. Home to the stunning works of art of Watertown native Terry Redlin, the group saw many different original pieces spanning from the start of Redlin’s career to his most recent nature themed works that are embedded with many of the highlights of South Dakota living.

 

ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany shared his adoration of the arts with the board.

 

“Sometimes as board members we have difficult decisions to make and I hope when you’re making them you remember the arts,” Pogany said. “My hope is that when you’re here today and looking at the paintings, you just smile and enjoy the art.”

 

 

In addition, the board:

• Approved an approximately $2.3 million budget for the Association for fiscal year 2015. ASBSD CFO Bill Lynch said the budget “follows what (ASBSD) have and we support in fiscal responsibility.”
• Discussed strategic planning and sustainability of ASBSD. “As an organization you always have to be planning where you’re going to be five and 10 years from now,” Pogany said.
• Reviewed the applications for the Outstanding School Board Member of the Year and School Board Award of Excellence awards. Applications can be downloaded from the Publications and Forms page.
• Heard a legislative wrap up report from Pogany. He discussed the added dollars received from the legislature and the certification form that the legislature is requesting district’s sign to acknowledge the extra dollars were distributed to teachers. Pogany also said “this was the best feedback year” he has had from legislators about being contacted by board members in his time with the Association.
• Received a report on NSBA from Western Region Director, and Mitchell School District board member, Neil Putnam. He noted that Anne M. Byrne of New York assumed the NSBA President’s role as David Pickler’s term concluded. Putnam also shared that he will be the Chairman of the NSBA Internal Policy Review committee and was appointed a member of the Finance Agenda for Action and Policy and Resolutions committees.
• Noted ASBSD’s Policy and Resolutions committee will meet at the end of May to review the resolutions and standing positions of the Association. Changes will be presented to the board at the August meeting.
• Appointed Duane Alm, former ASBSD President and Aberdeen School District board member, as the chair of Second Vice President selection committee. The deadline for application submissions is July. The Second Vice President will be selected at the August board meeting.
• The next meeting of the ASBSD Board of Directors is scheduled for Aug. 6 in Sioux Falls, one day prior to the ASBSD-SASD Convention.