LEADERWednesday, August 21, 2019

Inside ■ Options for when a teacher resigns after statutory deadline

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■ Board members likely eligible for PERA’s Defined Contribution Plan

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■ August 30 is deadline for Delegate nominations; RSVP for Advocacy Tour

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■ Registration open for Phase III-IV workshops

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■ Learn 2 Lead webinar series for new board members set to resume on September 3

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CalendarSeptember 10: Advocacy Tour (St. Peter and Marshall)September 11: Advocacy Tour (Fergus Falls and Staples)

Prepping for 2019 Payable 2020 levyFinance

While school districts are just beginning the 2019-2020 school year, district staff are already preparing for the 2020-2021 school year.

In July 2019, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) opened the online Levy Information System. Public school districts enter a variety of information into the system; MDE asks that all information is entered by August 27, 2019. This information is compiled and processed, along with information from other sources, laying the groundwork for school boards to consider and approve their 2019 Payable 2020 levy.

In September, each school board must approve their school district’s proposed levy. This proposed levy can be approved at a specific dollar amount, based on levy calculations completed by MDE. The school board can choose to levy an amount lower than the school district’s calculated levy amount, but it cannot levy an amount over that calculation.

While school boards can approve a proposed levy of a specific dollar amount, MSBA recommends that school districts approve their proposed levy at “maximum.” The data sources that drive the levy calculation will be updated, as needed, until the final levy is approved in December.

Approving a proposed levy of “maximum” reserves the school board’s ability to levy the “maximum” amount that is allowed by the levy calculation process.

Once the proposed levy has been approved by the school board, the information (including the levy amount calculated as of the date the proposed levy is approved) is reported to the county auditor and MDE. County auditors use the school district’s proposed levy amount, along with proposed levies from other taxing jurisdictions, to calculate proposed property taxes. Proposed property tax notices are then sent to all property owners. These notices also report the date, time, and location of public hearings for each taxing jurisdiction, if required.

School districts are required to hold a public hearing where community members can provide public comment on the current year’s budget and the proposed levy.

Between September and December, MDE

Tiffany GustinAssociate Director of Management Servicestgustin@mnmsba.org

See LEVY, Page 2

Page 2 Wednesday, August 21, 2019

recalculates the levies. These updates can change the levy amount (either up or down) before its final approval. If the school board approves a set dollar amount for the proposed levy in September, that number establishes the limit of what the final levy can be.

However, if changes in data result in a higher levy, and the school board reserved the right to levy the maximum amount, the school board can levy the higher, revised amount. For school districts who have successful

referendum questions on the November ballot, those changes will also be incorporated for the final levy approval.

School boards can decide to approve an amount that is less than what they are authorized to levy. For example, a school board can decide to under levy its Local Optional Revenue (LOR). School districts considering an under levy of LOR need to work with MDE before it will be reflected in the levy calculation.

MSBA recommends that school districts consult with MDE for any

under levy, as under levies in certain categories can also result in a loss in aid.

In December, the school board will consider and approve the final levy amount, after holding the budget hearing. The budget hearing can be part of the school board’s regular meeting agenda, but the start time of the meeting must be after 6 p.m. The final levy amount will be certified to the county auditor and MDE and levied from the school district’s taxpayers. These funds will be part of the revenues for the 2020-2021 school year.

(Continued from Page 1)

LEVY: Board will approve final levy in December

July–August 2019

Enter Data into Levy Information System

July 2020–June 2021

Revenues Recognized

December 2019

Approval of FinalLevy

September 2019

Approval of Proposed Levy

2020

Property Taxes are Collected

2019 Payable 2020 Levy Timeline

A teacher’s right to resign without obtaining school board approval ends on April 1, according to M.S. 122A.40, Sub. 7. An exception is made if, by March 1, the district and the exclusive representative have not settled the teachers’ master agreement. In such a case, the teacher’s resignation deadline extends to 30 calendar days after the adoption of the teachers’ master agreement or to July 15, whichever date comes first. Thus, even if a district has not ratified its 2019-2021 teachers’ master agreement, a teacher’s right to resign ends on July 15, 2019.

A teacher submits a letter of resignation in August, what are the district’s options?

If a teacher submits a resignation after the statutory deadline, the board

has two options: accept the resignation or deny it.

Denying the teacher’s resignation may be very tempting, especially if the position will be difficult to fill. The district should consider potential consequences, such as that the resulting work environment may negatively impact staff and students. Even worse, the teacher may elect to ignore the board’s denial and not report for duty at the end of the summer. This places the district in the precarious situation of needing to fill the position

immediately. Should a teacher submit a resignation

after the statutory deadline, the district may file a complaint against the teacher with the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB). PELSB has the authority to refuse to renew, suspend, or revoke a teacher’s license to teach if, without justifiable cause, a teacher fails to fulfill the full term of the teacher’s contract. However, none of the consequences will help the district in filling the position.

In the end, when it comes to accepting or rejecting a teacher’s resignation after the statutory deadline, the board should weigh the benefits and pitfalls and make the decision that best meets the needs of the district and its students.

Personnel

Options for when a teacher resigns after statutory deadlineMaria LonisAssociate Director of Management Servicesmlonis@mnmsba.org

Wednesday, August 21, 2019 Page 3

PSEO by Contract template available for school districts on MSBA websiteA reminder for school districts regarding PSEO (postsecondary enrollment options). A collaboration of Minnesota

education organizations created a template for PSEO by Contract that provides financial benefits and clear expectations when secondary students enroll in a PSEO course offered by a Minnesota State college/university.

See the PSEO By Contract webpage at http://www.mnmsba.org/Resources/PSEO-By-Contract for more information.

As an elected school board member, you are likely eligible to participate in the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) Defined Contribution Plan (DCP).

The DCP was established in 1987 by the Minnesota Legislature and is a tax qualified plan under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a). The plan is governed by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 353D. All contributions by or on behalf of employees are tax deferred until time of withdrawal. Plan benefits depend solely on amounts contributed to the plan plus investment earnings, less administrative expenses.

The DCP covers about 4,000 active elected officials and 600 volunteer ambulance services personnel. A small number of physicians (40) and volunteer fire (70) also participate. An additional 3,000 inactive members brings total membership to nearly 8,000 members. The plan has about $70 million in assets.

Membership is voluntary and can be discontinued at any time. Employee contributions are 5% for elected officials. Employer contributions

match the employee contribution rate. Employer and employee contributions are combined and used to purchase shares in one or more of the seven accounts of the Minnesota Supplemental Investment Fund (SIF), which is managed by the Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI).

Investments are participant directed. Investment options include the Broad International Stock Fund, U.S. Stock Actively Managed Fund, U.S. Stock Index Fund, Balanced Fund, Bond Fund, Money Market Fund, and Stable Value Fund.

PERA has administered the DCP internally since its inception. PERA coordinates with SBI to manage member account changes and assesses a fee equal to 2% (two cents on the dollar) of incoming employer contributions. In addition, 0.25% of the value of a member’s shares is

retained by PERA each year to cover administration costs.

At the time of retirement or termination, PERA distributes the market value of a member’s account to the member or transfers it to another qualified plan or individual retirement account. Benefits at retirement are available in lump sum form only, except for disability payments which may be made in $100 increments until the account is depleted. A 2018 legislative change allows members at least age 65 who stay employed by a public employer to take a partial or total distribution once per calendar year. The minimum DCP distribution for a full or partial withdrawal is $5,000.

Additional information is available at PERA’s website. The Defined Contribution Handbook (https://www.mnpera.org/wp-content/uploads/Defined-Contribution-Plan-Handbook.pdf) is available in the Member Plan Information section and provides detailed information on eligibility and enrollment, how the plan works, investment options, account distribution, and administrative fees.

Board members are likely eligible to take part in PERA’s Defined Contribution Plan

Benefits

Doug AndersonPERA Executive Directordoug.anderson@mnpera.org

Minnesota Department of Health toolkit addresses e-cigarette use, vapingThe Minnesota Department of Health’s “School E-cigarette Toolkit” provides resources for Minnesota school districts

working to address the use of e-cigarettes and other vaping products in schools. Visit https://www.health.state.mn.us/ecigarettes#schoolkit to access the toolkit and other resources.

Page 4 Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The MSBA Delegate Assembly election process for school board members — for two-year terms covering 2019 and 2020 — is now underway! School board members and superintendents should have received an email in their inbox Tuesday, August 6, explaining how school board members are nominated. The nomination deadline is August 30.

If you did not receive this email and would like to nominate a Delegate, please send a message to MSBA’s Bruce Lombard at blombard@mnmsba.org.

The Delegate Assembly is responsible for adopting MSBA’s legislative positions. Elected school board Delegates meet each December to vote on various legislative resolutions submitted by school boards and individual school board members. The resolutions that receive a majority vote at the Delegate Assembly become the basis for MSBA’s legislative platform and staff lobbying efforts on behalf of all Minnesota’s public school boards. See www.mnmsba.org/DelegateAssembly for details.

Advocacy

Delegate Assembly nominations close August 30

Legislative ResolutionsStart thinking about submitting legislative resolutions for the

Delegate Assembly. Resolution forms will be available September 3.

RSVP today for the 2019 MSBA Advocacy TourThe MSBA Advocacy Tour returns in September. The

Advocacy Tour brings together school board members and superintendents to discuss policy and funding issues that are impacting their school districts.

During these meetings, ideas are generated for MSBA’s legislative agenda. There is no fee to attend any of these meetings, but we request potential attendees RSVP in advance via www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019AdvocacyTour. For more information, please visit www.mnmsba.org/AdvocacyTour.

2019 MSBA Advocacy Tour■ 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 10: Marshall and St. Peter■ 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 11: Fergus Falls and Staples■ 5:30 p.m. Thursday, September 12: Thief River Falls■ 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 17: Cloquet and Sartell■ 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 18: Grand Rapids and Willmar■ 5:30 p.m. Thursday, September 19: Rochester■ 8:30 a.m. Saturday, September 21: St. Paul

By Maria Lonis, MSBA Associate Director of Management Services

Federal and state statutes require that school districts disseminate notifications on a range of subjects to parents, guardians, students, and the public each school year.

Keeping track of the continually

evolving list of requirements may be difficult. To help ease this burden, MSBA compiled a chart of mandated annual notifications.

This chart provides a brief description of the mandate as well as when, to whom, and the method by which each notification is to be sent. In addition to the statutorily-required

notifications, individual school districts may have policies, procedures, and/or programs with additional notification requirements.

The chart can be accessed at www.mnmsba.org/SchoolDistrictResources (under Human Resource Management, log-in required).

Chart of mandated annual notifications available on MSBA website

Wednesday, August 21, 2019 Page 5

Participate in the 2020 MSBA Leadership Conference by submitting a workshop proposal or by nominating a school board member for one of MSBA’s awards. The Leadership Conference is scheduled for January 16-17, 2020, at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

■ The Call for Presentations form allows you to submit workshop and/or roundtable proposals you’d like to present during the Leadership Conference.

■ The School Excellence Showcase application is for school districts to showcase exemplary student, adult, or early childhood programs to the 2,000-plus conference attendees. The program displayed can be unusual or traditional and should be a program that reflects an innovative activity or program in which staff and students from your district are actively involved.

■ Nominate one of your fellow school board members for the 2020 All-State School Board or Rising Star award:

• All-State School Board nominees must have attended the Phase I, Phase II, Phase III and Phase IV workshops and have attended at least two Leadership Conferences.

• The Rising Star award is for outstanding board members who are in their first term of service.

Links to all these forms are available at www.mnmsba.org and www.mnmsba.org/LeadershipConference.

Submit conference workshop topics, nominate school board members for MSBA awards

2020 Leadership Conference

The 2019 MSBA All-State School Board

Learn to lead through the next two phases in the MSBA School Board Workshop Series. MSBA is offering its Building a High-Performance School Board Team: Phase III and Representing Your Community Through Policy and Engagement: Phase IV workshops in September.

■ Building a High-Performance School Board Team: Phase III will be held Friday, September 20, at the Best Western Plus Kelly Inn in St. Cloud.

Phase III focuses on methods of decision-making, stages of board

development, navigating board dynamics, small-group interactions with board video scenarios, and the MSBA School Board Self-Evaluation.

■ Representing Your Community Through Policy and Engagement: Phase IV is scheduled for Saturday, September 21, at the Best Western Plus Kelly Inn in St. Cloud.

Phase IV focuses on in-depth discussions and examples of a board member’s role as a policymaker and interactive small-group sessions that walk through an actual community

engagement activity. Also, this workshop will have a segment on dealing with the media and public forums.

Learning

Learn about strong boards and community engagement through Phase III-IV workshops

MSBA Phase III Workshop■ 9 a.m. Friday, September 20www.mnmsba.org/Phase-III-Workshop

MSBA Phase IV Workshop■ 9 a.m. Saturday, September 21www.mnmsba.org/Phase-IV-Workshop

Both workshops will be held at the Best Western Kelly Inn in St. Cloud.

Page 6 Wednesday, August 21, 2019

MSBA has again teamed up with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office to offer a one-hour training to review election timelines, new laws that affect elections, absentee and early voting, pre-election and post-election duties and more.

The School Officer Election Webinar will be available for members to view now through September 15.School election officials can simply register for the Election Officer Webinar at https://mnmsba.wufoo.com/forms/

m1xi1u9n0djjkmb. The cost is only $50. When your election officer registers, a link to the webinar will be sent to the person and a form to document training will also be sent along. After the training, the form can be given to the district’s county auditor.

Direct questions to MSBA’s Greg Abbott at 800-324-4459 or gabbott@mnmsba.org.

Webinar available for odd-year school election officials

Learning

MSBA’s Learn 2 Lead (L2L2019) program touches base with new school board members via monthly GoToWebinar meetings. MSBA staff discuss timely topics and answer questions from our new Class of 2019 school board members.

The next L2L2019 webinar, “Audits,

Levies, and Taxes,” is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. Tuesday, September 3.

What is happening in your business office this fall, and how does that affect you at the board table? Through this webinar, new board members will learn what they should know, plan, and do

regarding the district audits, levies, and taxes. This webinar will be presented by MSBA staff members Paula O’Loughlin and Tiffany Gustin.

All newly elected and appointed school board members will soon receive a sign-up link in their email inbox.

Learn 2 Lead webinar series for new board members set to resume on September 3

Three school districts asking for voter approval of bond questions all passed referendums Tuesday, August 13.

■ Barnesville passed all three questions. Question 1 was $24.5 million for classrooms, security, gym-auditorium and science renovations (passed 1,082 to 627). Question 2 was $1.5 million for a walking track and increased auditorium seating (passed

950-753). Question 3 was $1.4 million for an elevated walkway to connect the elementary and high school (passed 890-812).

■ Lester Prairie passed a $13.6 million bond for security, new cafeteria, classroom additions, new gym and lockers by eight votes — 589 yes to 581 no.

■ Paynesville Area passed a $16 million bond for activity center improvements, ADA upgrades, expansion of parking lot and boiler replacement by a vote of 973-506.

Three school districts pass bond referendumsReferendums

Greg AbbottDirector of Communicationsgabbott@mnmsba.org

Department of Labor: Parents can use Family Medical Leave Act for IEP meetingsAccording to an August 8, 2019, U.S. Department of Labor opinion letter (FMLA 2019-2-A), parents may now use Family

and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave time to attend special education (IEP) meetings. Visit https://www.dol.gov/whd/opinion/search/index.htm?FMLA to access the full opinion letter. For additional information regarding the FMLA, visit https://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019 Page 7

Presented by the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs in partnership with the League of Minnesota Cities, the Association of Minnesota Counties, Minnesota Association of Townships and the Minnesota School Boards Association. The Awards have been made possible thanks to support by the Bush Foundation.

The Local Government Innovation Awards will once again recognize the

creative ways schools are innovating and redesigning service delivery to

make their communities better. This year up to five schools will be

recognized for their innovative work and the Leading Innovator in the

category will receive a $5,000 grant from the Bush Foundation and a

professional video highlighting their work!

Innovation and service redesign strategies being used could include:

¥ Creating greater accountability

¥ Using incentives, targeting and funding to meet those in need

¥ Orchestrating competitive contracting

¥ Managing collaboration or consolidation

¥ Deploying prevention strategies that eliminate the need for a service

¥ Divesting current services to the community

The awards will also feature the Local Government and Native Nation

Collaboration Award. This category will ask local governments and Native

nations to co-submit an application detailing a project they have

collaborated on to create positive change in their communities. The Native

nation and school will each receive a $5,000 grant from the Bush

Foundation and a professional video highlighting their project.

How Schools Can Get Involved

ENTER the Awards

Submit your local

government innovation

for the opportunity to be

recognized for your

creative work.

SHARE the Awards

Forward information

about the awards to an

organization that should

apply and follow the

awards on Twitter:

@HHHSchool

Learn more at

LGIA.umn.edu or email

lgiawards@gmail.com

ENTER THE AWARDS

September 9 – September 27

AWARDS CEREMONY

December 12th

Apply at LGIA.umn.edu The application is easy to complete! If you have any questions regarding the applications or awards, contact Jennifer Gilhoi at LGIAwards@gmail.com

Page 8 Wednesday, August 21, 2019

MSBAIT Matters

There’s no substitute for back-to-school safety trainingBy EMC Insurance

The summer slide can affect students and staff alike. Before the new school year kicks off, your staff should receive a refresher on policies and procedures as well as opportunities to sharpen their skills. Back-to-school training can foster an ongoing culture of safety, productivity and confidence. Here are some of the benefits of providing district-wide safety training.

■ Empower employees: Studies indicate many teachers want professional development opportunities that empower them to safely and confidently focus on their job. Investing in your employees’ success can lead to them feeling valued, which, in turn, can boost staff morale.

View the complete article at EMC’s website at https://www.emcins.com/losscontrol/insights-d/newsletters/school/2019/08-1.

Do you have the right cyber coverage to protect your school district?By Marsh & McLennan Agency

National Cyber Security Awareness Month is observed in October, but now is a good time to ask yourself if your cyber coverage is up to par. The private information you store isn’t the only thing at risk. The public’s trust in you is on the line as well.

Recent cyber-security breaches at educational, governmental, municipal and nonprofit institutions have forced the business managers at these institutions to rethink risk. Cyber-security breaches come in many different forms:

■ A Minnesota school district was affected when a cyberhacker posed as the district’s superintendent and requested a $20,000 transfer of funds. A great loss for the district that would have been covered by a cyber insurance policy and not by an endorsement added to its primary package.

■ Hennepin County suffered an email

cyberattack which compromised the accounts of 20 employees when hackers used the accounts to send malicious emails. This type of phishing attack — when hackers send emails to employees or private citizens pretending to be a legitimate organization — is very common. The fake emails often ask for sensitive information, such as login credentials or credit card numbers.

Cyber security breaches not only compromise your network, they can also compromise your financial outlook and the public’s trust in your district.

Marsh & McLennan Agency’s Advance Protection Plan Cyber coverage, endorsed by MSBAIT, is specifically designed to meet the needs of Minnesota schools. This advanced Cyber coverage fills the gap that typical program policies with a cyber endorsement don’t cover. Several districts have mistakenly assumed their standard policy met their needs, when it didn’t.

Are you covered if students’ and faculty’s health information, personal identifiable information and credit information is hacked? MMA’s Cyber policy meets the statutory limits, matches with your MSBAIT package coverage and provides only what you need and nothing you don’t. Complete a Cyber/Data Breach application for a quote at https://mma.marshmma.com/ChubbCyberApp.

For more information, contact Marsh’s Amy Diedrich at 763-548-8594 or Amy.Diedrich@marshmma.com.

The MSBA Insurance Trust (MSBAIT) endorses Marsh & McLennan Agency

LLC as its insurance broker for property, casualty and workers’

compensation insurance and risk management products and services.

Learn more at www.marshmma.com/industries/education.

EMC Insurance is a participating property and casualty insurer in the MSBAIT Risk

Protection Program. Learn more about the Risk Protection Program at www.mnmsba.

org/MSBAIT-RiskProtectionProgram. Visit EMC’s website at www.emcins.com.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019 Page 9

Job Openings

Principals■ Duluth — middle school assistant principal (application deadline: August 23)

Visit www.mnmsba.org/DistrictJobOpenings for application information.

Visit https://www.msdlaf.org to access the current Minnesota School

District Liquid Asset Fund Plus rate.www.facebook.com/mnmsba www.twitter.com/mnmsba

The Leader is published as a member service by the Minnesota School Boards Association, 1900 West Jefferson Avenue, St. Peter, MN 56082. The Leader is edited by Associate Director of Communications Bruce Lombard. Call 800-324-4459 with any questions.

Job openings, marketplace notices and other information can be emailed to blombard@mnmsba.org or faxed to 507-931-1515.

EXECUTIVE SEARCH SERVICE

800-324-4459 | sgundlach@mnmsba.org | bdorn@mnmsba.org | www.mnmsba.org/ExecutiveSearchService

■ A search process from a school board perspective■ School board maintains control of all search-related decisions

The MSBA Executive Search Service supports school boards in fulfilling one of the most important school board responsibilities — hiring a superintendent

Contact MSBA’s Sandy Gundlach or Barb Dorn for more information today!

Find the right superintendent

Learn about paperless board meetings via BoardBook webinar on September 11MSBA is offering an ongoing series of

FREE webinars on how to incorporate BoardBook to streamline preparation, distribution, and publishing of agenda packets for board meetings.

BoardBook is an MSBA-endorsed

product.The next BoardBook webinar is set

for 11 a.m. Wednesday, September 11.

Visit www.mnmsba.org/BoardBook to access the webinar registration link or schedule a private online demo.

Also, read the “Top 5 Reasons to Go Paperless for Board Meetings” at www.boardbook.org/Resources.aspx.

Page 10 Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Minnesota School Boards Association Insurance TrustManaging Member Risk Since 1972

Life and Long-Term Disability

MSBAIT endorses National Insurance Services as the preferred provider for life and long-term disability insurance.

☑ Drones ☑ Cyber/Data Breach

☑ Tenants User Liability Program (TULIP)☑ International Travel

☑ Builder’s RiskThe Advanced Protection Plan features insurance coverage enhancements designed specifically to protect schools.

Advanced Protection Plan

Denise Drillddrill@mnmsba.org

Gary Leeglee@mnmsba.org

Call 800-324-4459 to speak with a MSBAIT representative or visit http://www.mnmsba.org/MSBAIT today!

Risk Protection Program

The MSBAIT Risk Protection Program — developed in collaboration with Marsh & McLennan Agency — offers property, casualty, and workers’ compensation insurance and risk management products and services to eligible MSBA member school districts through select, participating insurers and other providers.

Property/Casualty Insurers

Workers’ Compensation Insurers

Minnesota School Boards Association Insurance Trust