Out with the old, in with the new.
That was clearly evident at the Frazee-Vergas School Board meeting Monday, at which the new board overturned several decisions made by the lame duck board last month.
The board voted 5-2 to stop recording and broadcasting the school board meetings on channel 14, even though there was no fee for it, and decided that the full minutes of the meetings will be published in The Frazee Forum newspaper, instead of the abbreviated version.
Board member Rich Zeigler, who voted against both issues in the past, brought them up Monday night, asking the new board to reconsider.
He said he didn't see the point of the channel 14 airing since it isn't offered to many residents in the district.
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"I just don't think it's necessary," he said.
Board member Dana Laine, who was replaced as board chair by Steve Jepson, said she has gotten positive feedback from people and wanted to keep on airing the meetings.
"It's just another avenue to offer (residents) to see what goes on at the board table," she said. "I don't see the harm in doing it. I see no harm in it."
Jepson said he was in favor of no longer airing the meetings because many times the meetings are a place for board members "airing of laundry," and that instead the TV spots should be for interviewing students about their achievements.
The board voted 5-2 -- with Zeigler, Jepson, and newcomers Matt Bauer, Ken Fett and Jim Nelson voting in favor of no longer televising the meetings, and Laine and Keith Janu voting opposed to the motion.
Zeigler also made the request to take another look at publishing minutes in the official newspaper. They had been published for years, and last month, the board voted to publish an abbreviated version in the newspaper and publish the full version on the school's website.
That too came to a vote, and the new board opted to resume publishing the full minutes, as had been done in the past.
Earlier at the start of the board meeting, new members took the oath of office, and new officers were elected. Jepson was chosen as chairman, Zeigler as vice chair, Fett as clerk and Bauer as treasurer.
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Jepson set a meeting for Jan. 31 as an "expectations meeting," giving the new board a chance to bring their concerns to the table.
New and old members, he said, "still come with individual agendas and how we'd like to see the district operate.
"It's a good way to share ideas," he added of having a meeting.
