WILLMAR - The first Willmar School Board meeting of the year included a welcome from the district's teachers' union.
The board and Education Minnesota-Willmar are still negotiating the 2015-17 contract, though representatives of both sides are working together to find a resolution.
At Monday's meeting, union president Tammy Knapper thanked the board members on behalf of the union membership for their efforts on behalf of the students and community.
The union looks forward to working with the board and the students toward a stronger community, Knapper said.
"I believe you have the privilege of working with the best teachers in the state," she said. "My colleagues are an outstanding teaching staff who continually strive to build strong public schools in Willmar."
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Knapper referred to the district's new vision statement - "We are eager to move forward to help implement the vision of District 347, where we will be the district of choice to learn and to work, where students are inspired and valued, where students can learn in a culture of respect and where students are engaged through strong partnerships between their families and the community and their schools."
In other matters Monday, the board provided a report on its performance review of Superintendent Jeff Holm.
Board member Mike Reynolds presented the report. Holm's list of goals includes completing the district's strategic planning process, enhancing the faculty's Professional Learning Community efforts, steering the transition to a third elementary school, and advancing the culture of the district.
Reynolds said the board members felt the goals were appropriate and that satisfactory progress has been made on the goals.
The board closed its meeting in December for Holm's evaluation. The law allows boards to close meetings for such a performance review, and boards are then required to provide a report at the next open meeting.
Business and Finance Director Pam Harrington also reported on the district's enrollment. Before the holiday break, the district had 4,235 students. After the break, which can be a time of movement in the population, enrollment increased to 4,254 students. The district has 4,018 students in traditional educational programs and 236 students in alternative programs.
