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NEW ULM -- The New Ulm School Board passed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Thursday, painting a path for them to share an art teacher with Sleepy Eye.
The School Board had initially accepted the agreement with Sleepy Eye at their meeting May 25. They will spend the first half of the school day at New Ulm and the second half of the day in Sleepy Eye.
The art teacher will have a 50/50 contract with New Ulm and Sleepy Eye. Their costs for traveling between schools will be reimbursed. Each school would be responsible for providing the teachers equipment, supplies, and technology while they are at that school.
The memorandum of understanding further elaborated on the proposal from May, laying out the details of the teachers work schedule. Provisions for overtime days, in-service schedule conflicts, and the providing of a vehicle by Sleepy Eye for the teacher to go back and forth are specified.
Superintendent Sean Koster drew attention to a key point of the contract designating it as a unique situation.
"This will sunset at the end of this year and this does not set precedents for any future similar situations," he said. "Every shared teacher will be different across the state needing the class. A lot of times MOU's can get adopted into [future] contract language."
Before approving the memorandum, the school board had clarification questions. Board Member Matt Ringhofer asked how benefits will work being split down the middle between the school districts.
"The time is clearly spelled out in the contract you approved," Koster said. "And [benefit] details within are dependent on what the district needed. It's a back and forth."
Board Chair Steve Gag asked about what would happen during schedule disruptions, where one school is open and the other is not.
"There are nuances where one school is closed for snow day and one isn't; there's options that work," Koster said. "I think what will probably happen is we would probably cancel the class. There's a option maybe for us to cancel our classes, in my mind is yes we would."
Board Vice-Chair Jonathan Schiro made the motion to approve the memorandum of understanding and Board Member Denny Waloch seconded.