Front L-R: Mia Olson, Janie Andersen, Mya Marube and Beth Beebe
Back L-R: Matt Dymoke, Nelly Korman, Heather Starks, Tom Bennett and Dawn Steigauf
The School Board is the policy-making body for Bloomington Public Schools. While the board is responsible for school programs and operations by law, it delegates some portion of that authority to the Superintendent. The School Board is governed by a chair and vice chair who are elected by the School Board membership.
School Board Meetings
School board meetings are held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7 p.m. Meetings are held in the Arlene Bush Board Room at the Educational Services Center, 1350 W. 106th St.
If a holiday falls on a Monday, the board session will be on Tuesday.
The third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. is reserved for a study session, a board meeting or a combination of the two unless determined otherwise.
School Board Listening Sessions
The School Board will host a listening session prior to the first regular meeting of the month from 6 - 6:45 p.m. Bloomington Public Schools parents/caregivers, students and staff, and Bloomington residents are invited to comment to the School Board. Listening sessions are not cablecast.
Individuals wishing to attend a listening session are required to register in advance with the Office of the Superintendent by completing the form below. If no one has registered by noon on the day of the meeting, there will be no listening session that day. Listening sessions are in person in the Arlene Bush Board Room.
Register for a listening session
BEC-TV Broadcasts
School Board meetings are broadcast live by BEC-TV, channel 15, and later replayed at 1 a.m., 7 a.m., and 1 p.m. the day following the meeting, as well as several times later in the week.
Ways to Watch
- BEC-TV Live Stream - Watch live meetings here as they are happening
- BEC-TV Video on Demand - Stream past school board meetings
- Cable, Apple TV, Roku and more
Celebration of Service
Bloomington Public Schools honored 67 employees with a combined 1,306 years of service to the district at the Celebration of Service May 25. The annual reception recognized employees with 10 or more years of employment at the time of their retirement or departure.
The board has established the following goals for the 2021-2022 school year:
Governance
- Prepare for the development and establishment of a new Strategic Plan with an emphasis on our Safe and Supportive Schools Plan in 2022-2023.
- Ensure that our Safe and Supportive Schools Plan, including cultural proficiency, is reflected in School Board policies and our curriculum and instruction, guides our budgeting processes, and helps shape our organizational culture.
- Support review of curriculum process and procedures; make changes to policies as needed.
Operational Oversight
- Provide support and feedback for innovative district projects/plans.
- Negotiate new collective bargaining contracts.
- Continue COVID-19 safety and mitigation strategies to ensure the district creates a safe environment for students, staff and visitors while considering CDC, MDH, BPH and MDE health and education recommendations and guidance throughout the school year.
Policy
- Review and update policies on a five-year cycle basis or sooner if needed.
- Continue to review curriculum-related policies.
Community Engagement
- Update the 2018 Community Engagement Plan.
- Strengthen School Board relationships with Administration, Cabinet and Staff.
Superintendent Relations
- Collaborate with the Superintendent on achieving the above goals.
- Support the Superintendent in achieving his goals.
The terms of four School Board members expire Dec. 31, 2021: Beth Beebe, Tom Bennett, Jim Sorum and Dawn Steigauf.
The term for a School Board member is four years.
Filings for School Board will be accepted by a scheduled appointment with Jennifer Hazel; please call 952-681-6421. Filings will be conducted at the Educational Services Center, 1350 West 106th Street, Room 505, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Filings open on Tuesday, July 27, 2021, and close on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, at 5 p.m. The filing fee is $2.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021; there is no primary election for School Board members.
Qualifications for Voting and Assuming Office
Pursuant to the Federal and Minnesota constitutions, persons must be 18 years of age or older to vote; 21 years of age or older to assume public office. To qualify to vote or assume office a person must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Minnesota for 20 days preceding the election and a resident of the school district. In addition, to assume public office, a person must be a resident of the district for 30 days. Preregistration is not required.
Campaign Finance Reports
- 2017 School Board Campaign Finance Reports
- 2019 School Board Campaign Finance Reports
- 2021 School Board Campaign Finance Reports
Contact
Jennifer Hazel
Deputy Clerk for School Board Elections
952-681-6421
jhazel@isd271.org
The Board Student Advisory Council consists of student volunteers from all of our middle and high schools. Students meet with the Board Student Advisory Council Committee throughout the school year. Students respond to requests for advice and answer questions posed by the School Board. As part of its focus on engaging with students, School Board members attend student-led meetings such as student government meetings at the middle and high school levels.
The Board Student Advisory Council also works to improve and strengthen our community through events like the District-wide Food Drive.
Meeting Format
Sessions for 2021-2022
- Monthly for high school - determined by student leaders
- 3 middle school
Topics are generated by Student School Board Representatives (High School), student members, student council advisors, administration, and School Board members.
Meeting Dates and Times
All meetings are held from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
- Sept. 27, 2021 - High School Representatives
- Oct. 25, 2021 – High School Representatives
- Nov. 15, 2021 – Middle School Representatives
- Nov. 22, 2021 - High School Representatives
- Dec. 13, 2021 - High School Representatives
- Jan. 24, 2022 – High School Representatives
- Jan. 31, 2022 – Middle School Representatives
- Feb. 28, 2022 - High School Representatives
- March 21, 2022 -High School Representatives
- April 11, 2022 - Middle School Representatives
- April 25, 2022 - High School Representatives
- May 23, 2022 - High School Representatives
Meeting Location
Oak Grove Middle School
1300 West 106th Street
Media Center
This year's student school board representatives are Janie Andersen (Jefferson) and Kelly Olson (Kennedy).
Student representatives attend meetings that are held on the fourth Monday of each month September through May. They give reports about school activities and participate in discussion of board agenda items. They are non-voting members of the School Board. Student representatives have been a part of the School Board since 2016.
As student representatives to the School Board, one of their responsibilities is to co-lead meetings of the high school representatives of the Board Student Advisory Council.
The Board Student Advisory Council Committee members are Mia Olson, Chair; Beth Beebe and Matt Dymoke.
Dec. 13, 2021, 7 p.m.
The Truth In Taxation hearing for Bloomington Public Schools (BPS) will be held as part of the School Board Meeting on Monday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. If you wish to make a public comment or pose a question regarding your school district taxes during that portion of the meeting, you may do so by signing in upon your arrival at the Board Meeting. The School Board Chair will call upon persons wishing to address the School Board and ask speakers to state their name and address before they begin with comments and/or questions.
The School Board Meeting and Truth in Taxation hearing location -- Educational Services Center, 1350 West 106th Street, in the Arlene Bush Board Room.
The Bloomington Public Schools school board approved its 2022 Legislative Priorities on Feb. 14.
The priorities will be presented at a virtual legislative forum, hosted by the BPS school board. Local Bloomington legislators will be participating in the forum on Thursday, Feb. 24 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. The forum can be viewed/live-streamed via BEC-TV.
The school board supports the following resolutions and platforms:
Contact
Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and School Board
952-681-6402
dbunkholt@isd271.org