318 Staff News
December 7, 2021
School Board Highlights
At the School Board Meeting on December 6, the board received a report from the auditors. Each year, the district is required to hire a team of auditors to ensure compliance in school finance regulations. We are happy to report that we have once again received a positive audit. A copy of the report is available on our website under Departments> Business Office.

Approval of the audit now allows us to begin planning for next year’s budget. As you know, we have made the difficult decision to no longer fund long-term positions with short-term funds. So, while we have received COVID funds to help support learning gaps and academic needs, we know that the money will not last forever. We are going to be forced to make some difficult reductions at the end of this school year.

The 2021-2023 Teacher Contract was also approved at the meeting. Negotiations are currently taking place with our ESP Unit and the members of the Board and Administration will begin meeting with the remaining units this month.

You can view the Board meeting in its entirety on our website.
Welcome New Staff
Also at the Board Meeting on December 6, the following hires were approved:
  • Dylan Annette, Indian Education Student Advocate
  • Jessica Ault, East Rapids Food & Nutrition
  • Learon Berglund, RJEMS Food & Nutrition
  • Debbie Carlson, West Rapids Food & Nutrition
  • Michelle Nelson, Boys Diving Coach
  • Samantha Peterson, Indian Education Student Advocate
  • Angela Sievert, GRHS Food & Nutrition

Let’s all give our newest staff members a warm welcome. We’re so glad to have you as a part of our team!
Health Coverage Savings
We understand that you may be feeling the pain of your Medical Insurance Premium each pay period. By logging into your HealthPartners website at www.healthpartners.com/isd318, there are some great tools that can help you to save time and money on your prescriptions and health care expenses.
The Gift of Gratitude
This is the time of year when we give thanks and gifts. As we think about the past year, we are so grateful for our families, our students, and staff. Together we have worked to keep learning through a pandemic. You have all navigated changing learning models, mitigation strategies, and a changing landscape in our community.

In honor of the work you have done, we have reached out to our families and our community to ask them to share the impact you have had on them. They are sharing the things you've done well and letting us know where to focus our efforts.

We will share the results of the exchange after it closes on December 9, but in the meantime, you can see the thoughts yourselves and even share some responses. Visit our Gift of Gratitude exchange today.
318Pride Stories
Your work is so impactful even when you don't realize it. That's why we want to share our 318Pride stories. If you have a story you'd like to share about your peers, drop it into our new 318Pride form!

As I prepare to leave the district for a new position, I have had the time to reflect on my years here and all the opportunities I have had to observe our staff. Working through the referendum and now the pandemic, things have definitely been challenging, but through it all, I knew it was worthwhile. And the reason it was worth it, is because of people like you working so hard to educate our children and to provide them a warm and welcoming space to spend their days. I am so thankful for our staff. Celebrating your work has been one of the highlights of my position. I am proud to have been a part of this team. I truly am grateful for all you do and the support you show children and each other.
~Jessica Setness