K-M board names DCI as legal newspaper

With minimal discussion, the Kasson-Mantorville school board at their February meeting unanimously named the Dodge County Independent (DCI) as the district’s legal newspaper.
The decision, generally made in early January, was delayed this year because two newspapers, the DCI and the Dodge Center Messenger, both sought the designation.
The Messenger had been a monthly publication until January, when it began publishing weekly.
The only comment before the vote came from Superintendent Beth Giese, who said that she had done everything the district asked her to do regarding the newspaper decision and “they are both there.” She added that a government body generally wants “the office in your political jurisdiction, in this case Kasson or Mantorville fits it better.”
The DCI office is in Kasson, and the Messenger lists its office in Dodge Center.
Health care
Also during the meeting, Health Care Action Leader Aaron Wilke spoke to the board about the increasing health care costs in all school districts and how some employees were making decisions to go without insurance.
A bill called the Educator Group Insurance Program has been introduced in both the Minnesota State House and Senate this session, he said. The program is a proposed mandatory, statewide health insurance pool for school employees. It is designed to stabilize premiums and improve coverage to reduce costs for educators by combining districts into a larger pool offering comprehensive uniform benefits.
The bill, Wilke said, which is supported by Education Minnesota, is scheduled for hearings Thursday.
With the exception of Giese, K-M board members were unaware of the bill. They had some initial questions about how the proposed bill would affect smaller school districts, especially those in rural areas, and how it would be paid for.
Wilke said that it is unlikely any action will be taken this session, because it is a bonding year rather than a funding year. He said the goal for this session is to raise awareness. He said that realistically, it could be six to 10 years before any bill is approved and takes effect.