SARTELL (WJON News) -- The contracts of 22 Sartell-Stephen School staff remain unapproved after a special school board session on Tuesday night.  At the start of the meeting Chair Tricia Meling citing policy 203.1, section 3-M stated they lacked a voting majority or quorum because members  Jen Smith, Emily Larson, and Scott Wenshau were not in attendance, and they were taking a 5-minute recess to call to ask them to come to the session.

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After the recess, Meling returned and stated none of the three absent members could be reached.  She then read a statement to the packed room. Meling stated she was saddened and concerned they did not have a quorum, they have serious work to do, and the 22 positions are not just numbers but represent real people. Smith, Larson, and Wenshau issued a joint statement earlier in the week asking for the special meeting to be canceled because the 25th was never a viable date for the entire board to meet. Meling addressed the joint statement saying the open meeting law requires a three-day notice and she provided one week, and board members’ concerns should be addressed in an open school board meeting.

Meling closed by saying given the importance of the contracts she is proposing a new special board meeting for Friday at 5:00 p.m. and hopes all board members will attend in person or remotely. Board members Matt Moehrle and Jason Nies were in attendance and thanked Meling for her leadership, and stated that all 6 board members need to make sacrifices if they have conflicts to attend on Friday to get the contracts done.


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