SLEEPY EYE — Sleepy Eye Public School will stay with its Safe Return To School Plan, according to a recommendation by Supt. John Cselovszki at Wednesday’s school board meeting.

Cselovszki reported that since school began Aug. 23, three students and one staff member were in (COVID-19) isolation. Currently, one student is in isolation and four students are in quarantine due to household isolation.

The school district’s current enrollment is 293 K-6 students and 251 in junior and senior high school for a total of 544 students.

The school board unanimously approved dissolving the existing New Ulm Girls Hockey Cooperative and approving a new girls hockey cooperative with New Ulm High School, Cathedral, Redwood Area, Sleepy Eye and Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s Schools. The motion was made by Joleen Dittbenner, seconded by Bryan Sellner.

The board approved Sleepy Eye Education Association (teacher’s union) salary settlement for the 2021-23 school years including a $1,000 salary increase and $1,500 one-time money the first year; and a $1,500 second-year salary increase and $1,000 one-time money.

Paraprofessionals get a 2.25% salary increase each year and $500 one-time money the first year for employees with six or more years with the school district.

The board approved:

* Open enrollment requests of eight students in, five from Springfield, and one each from GFW, New Ulm and Redwood Area; and one out to Springfield.

* Donations including $100 to the Cheerleading fundraising account from the Coulson family.

* Hiring high school social studies teacher Carlie Hedlund @ $49,499; and high school special education paraprofessionals Arlene Dietl and Nicole Domeier, 6.5 hours a day @ $13.68 hr.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@

nujournal.com).