Detroit Lakes School Board member Kylie Johnson, who was just a few months away from completing her second four-year term, announced at Monday night's board meeting that it would be her last as a member.
Her resignation became official at the meeting.
"It feels very strange for me not to fulfill the remainder of my term," Johnson said at the conclusion of the meeting. "But I can't think of a happier reason to be walking away."
That reason is another action taken by the board earlier in the meeting, as part of its consent agenda: Johnson was hired as the district's new human resources director, effective March 7.
"We are thrilled to have her," said Superintendent Mark Jenson after the vote was taken.
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Johnson was hired at a contract rate of $90,000 per year, or a pro-rated amount of $29,077 for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year.
Immediately after Johnson's resignation was accepted, the board voted to appoint Dr. Tom Seaworth to fill out the remainder of her term, which ends Dec. 31. Seaworth is no stranger to the board, having been a member for more than 20 years, from 1996 to 2016.
"Welcome back!" exclaimed board member Amy Erickson.
"Thank you," Seaworth responded, adding that his priority is always "what's best for the kids. ... To me it's always a question of what we can do as a board to help everybody in the district."
Also at Monday's meeting, the board approved contract settlements for the Detroit Lakes Principals' Association and the district's custodians and bus drivers, who are part of AFSCME (the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees). The contracts are for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years.
The DLPA contract calls for 2% salary increases for all four building principals and 4% for the assistant and Area Learning Center principals in 2021-22. In 2022-23, the building principals will receive a 2% increase, the assistant principals will get 3% more and the ALC principal will get another 4% boost. The total two-year package increase, including health insurance and other benefits, is 6.34%, or $76,640.
The AFSCME contract calls for all district custodians and bus drivers in both 2021-22 and 2022-23, with the head custodians to get an increase of 3.25% in both years of the contract. The total two-year contract increase, including health insurance and other benefits, is just under 8%, or $90,690.
The results of the board's Jan. 24 mid-term evaluation of Superintendent Mark Jenson's performance were also summarized by Board Chair John Steffl during the meeting.
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"His work has been outstanding in support of our schools, our students and our strategic plan," Steffl said.
The board's next meeting is set for March 28 at 5:30 p.m. in the Detroit Lakes City Council chambers. It is open to the public.
