2022 MASBO Winter Conference

The Winter Conference is virtual and includes two days of live sessions plus a collection of recorded webinars. In addition to sessions on COVID-related topics, MDE updates, and other timely information for this time of year, there will be information on ESEA, navigating the ULA, equity, lease financing, managing your district’s retirement plans, arbitrage, IAQ and much more.  Our keynote presentation we help us to “Renew, Reconnect and Recharge, and there will be time for some Zoom networking and even a little relaxation.  Please note: schedule is tentative and subject to change.

Conference Agenda

See detailed session descriptions below.

Keynote

Thursday Keynote Presentation – Renew-Reconnect-Recharge: Mastering the Energy of Change
Kristen Brown

Let’s restore your energy and get charged up! You are awesome! Ah YOU! You are a superstar, a hero, a total rock star who has navigated so much as the new realities of work and life have created massive stress, change, and challenge. Now let’s use what we’be learned and take extra care of YOU so you can charge ahead with power and positivity!

Key Takeaways

1. RENEW – You will elevate your confidence and resilience by uncovering what energizes and drains you so you can feel less stressed and feel more focused.
2. RECONNECT – You will give yourself some positive high fives AND identify the positive people in your work and life to guide and drive your goals while releasing the energy drainers.
3. RECHARGE – You will engage in actionable energizers you can use on-the-fly to help you relax, charge you up, and manage stress when you need it most.

Sponsors

Thank you, Keynote Sponsor!

Education Credits

MASBO Credits
The “MASBO Credit” is now our standard credit, and will be offered for each one-hour live or recorded session. MASBO Credits can apply toward your MASBO certification designation. For live and recorded online sessions, your viewing is tracked by the Learning Center. If you have viewed at least 90% of the session, one MASBO Credit will automatically be granted to you—there is nothing else that you need to do to receive those credits.

Minnesota Board of School Administrators (BOSA) Credits
For the Winter Conference, there will BOSA Credits available. Attendees must view all the approved sessions and participate in each evaluation to receive those credits.

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations received by the MASBO office at least 48 hours prior to the event are eligible for a refund of the registration fee. No refunds will be provided for cancellations received fewer than 48 hours prior to the event.

Audio/Video Policy: Registration and attendance at, or participation at association events constitutes an agreement by the registrant to association’s use and distribution of the registrant or attendee’s image or voice in photographs, videotapes, electronic reproductions and audiotapes of such events and activities.

Code of Conduct: MASBO is dedicated to providing a welcoming environment for all participants, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, or religion. MASBO will not tolerate harassment of event attendees in any form. Those violating these rules may be sanctioned, expelled from the event without a refund, and/or excluded from attending future events, at the discretion of the organization.

Session Details

Recorded Sessions

Our District Just Issued Debt - What Responsibilities Do We Have for Continuing Disclosure and Arbitrage? — Alyssa Glaser, Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors; Shelli Nessi, Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors; Ryan Fetters, Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors; Kelly Smith, Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors;
Receiving the proceeds of a bond sale and beginning the construction projects that the funds are supporting is not the end of this process. With debt issues, districts have reporting requirements for Continuing Disclosure and for Arbitrage. This session will detail the specific requirements that districts have in these areas and the timelines for required reporting.

New at a district? Learn how to use data to tell your district’s story. — Kara Lund in, ISD 318 (Grand Rapids); Joel Finstad, Forecast5 Analytics, a Frontline Education Company
Having a solid understanding of historical trends and comparisons to other districts and schools is critical for anyone new to a district. Learn how a Business Manager uses data to make sound decisions based on trends and comparisons around financial, salary/staffing, enrollment, student performance data, etc. and shares that information with key stakeholders.

Not All 10 Year Plans Are Equal — Kevin Holm, LHB Inc.
Information for defining what you need and want in a 10 yr plan. Best practices on how to use the plan as a road map, how to adjust with outside forces. When to bring in your consultants and application for funding.

Updates on the Solar for Schools Programs — Braden Solum, iDEAL Energies
Receiving the proceeds of a bond sale and beginning the construction projects that the funds are supporting is not the end of this process. With debt issues, districts have reporting requirements for Continuing Disclosure and for Arbitrage. This session will detail the specific requirements that districts have in these areas and the timelines for required reporting.

Disaster Restoration, Helpful Tips and How To Be Prepared — Joe Holman, Insight Restoration
We will be going over the different forms of disasters, different types of disaster restoration partners, how to find the right partner for YOUR needs, and how you can prepare BEFORE a disaster strikes to minimize classroom interruption and downtime.

Document Management — Val Mertesdorf, Northfield Public Schools
Learn how one school district conquered Document Management.

Cooperative Purchasing Venture (CPV) — Doug Heeschen, Office of State Procurement, Department of Administration
Learn the benefits of CPV, how to become a member and why your school district should use CPV.

Basic Rules for ESEA Allowable Costs and Supplement-not-supplant — Wayne Kuklinski, MDE; Alicia Waeffler, MDE
To properly manage Title funds, you will learn through illustrations and scenarios what federal costs are generally allowable, what costs are not, and what is different for specific funds including supplement-not-supplant requirements.

Managing remote employees in a post-COVID-19 world — David Flotten, USI
Managing employees you rarely interact with in person brings unique challenges. At the same time, many of the skills necessary to be an effective in-person manager directly translate to effectively managing remote employees. Join us for a discussion of leadership skills and best practices for managing remote employees.

Indoor Air Quality Confidence: HVAC Operation in Challenging Times — Garett Karalus, IEA, Inc.; Amy Satterfield, IEA, Inc.
IAQ conditions for educational facilities remains in focus with regards to pandemic risk management and occupant concerns. This presentation will review the layered approach to facility ventilation operation to best maintain airflow, IAQ and system operation to monitor and communicate to building occupants. We will discuss lessons learned as districts continue to manage occupied building COVID-19 risks.

Thursday, February 10 — Live Sessions

9:45-10:35 am

Special Education Updates — Paul Ferring, MDE
The presentation will review general Special Ed updates, including Maintenance of Effort (MOE), State Special Education aid along federal special education allocations.

10:45-11:35am

UFARS Hot Topics — Deb Meier, MDE; Molly Koppes, MDE
Deb Meier & Molly Koppes will update MASBO members on current UFARS hot topics.

Historically High Inflation…What it Means for Benefits Spend — Brooks Diebele, Minnesota Healthcare Consortium
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced broader adoption of technology and virtual care. Now is the time to consider how you build off this movement by leveraging emerging technology and innovations in healthcare to improve access and lower costs. Learn about how an effective benefits program can make this happen.

12:30-1:20pm

Long-Term Facilities Maintenance (LTFM) - Review of FY 24 LTFM Ten-Year Planning & Preparation — Sarah Miller, MDE
A review of available guidance, website tools, and a more in-depth discussion of allowable projects and accurate UFARS coding.

Critical discussions in the Equity and Inclusion topic and their impact on districts — Mohammad El-Sawaf, USI Insurance Services
Before discussing measures to consider what an effective Diversity and Inclusion strategy is, this seminar will, at the core, attempt to help you better understand D&I’s importance and the impact for all stakeholders at various layers. From there, we will discuss open-endedly what the true impacts are, both short and long-term, of engaging in an effective D&I philosophy for your school. We will tackle the “Where do we begin” question that may be a looming and somewhat paralyzing question to try and answer, given the nature of a seemingly endless array of sub-categories in D&I that can be perceived as unattainable and too complex. Join us for an open discussion to offer insights on the above topics and more.

1:30-2:20pm

Navigating the Unrequested Leave of Absence (ULA) Process — TIffany Gustin, MSBA
This presentation will walk through the unrequested leave of absence (ULA) process and review resources and sample language.

2:30-3:20pm

More Rules to Follow? Important Updates for your District's Retirement Plans — Darcy Hitesman, Hitesman Law; Jonathan Fredman, Marsh McLennan Agency
More requirements for us to satisfy? Come learn about “new” requirements regarding disclosures to employees that affect the account based Retirement Plans for your district, and your responsibilities to meet them. Additionally, come learn about some exciting trends when it comes to vendor consolidation and how this will help save your district your employees money and result in better employee engagement of your Retirement Plan benefits.

Friday, February 11 — Live Sessions

8:15-8:40am

Reset, Refocus, Renew — Jennifer Phillips, Mindfulness Mentor and Educator
Join us to learn and experience simple techniques to help relieve stress, clear your mind, become more present and feel better.

8:45-9:35am

The COVID Storm: A Tsunami of Pandemic Related Litigation — Joe Langel, Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney
Since March 2020, there have been thousands of lawsuits filed against employers alleging labor and employment violations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawsuits range from claims of employer negligence for failure to protect workers to claims of constitutional violations related to employer requirements for masking and vaccination. This presentation will discuss some of these lawsuits and the liability considerations for Minnesota schools.

ESEA Grant Assurances: What have you promised to do!? — Wayne Kuklinski, MDE; Alicia Waeffler, MDE
Have you looked at the assurances required when submitting ESEA grant applications? They include federal and state requirements in general and for specific funds. They were revised and reformatted to be more easily read and referenced, and compliance will be monitored. This training will provide an overview and highlight the requirements that are less familiar and/or especially important.

9:45-10:35am

COVID Relief Funds Update — Andre Prahl, MDE; Terri Yetter, MDE; Craig Wethinton, MDE; and Mary Barrie, MDE
This session will start with an overview of COVID Relief Funds, and then cover pandemic enrollment loss, COVID testing funds and an expanded summer programming initiative.

10:45-11:35am

Transportation of Children and Youth in Foster Care — Kelly Wosika, MDE; Kelly Garvey, MDE
Transportation is a central component of educational stability and may be needed in order to fulfill the requirements that ensure educational stability for children in foster care. This session will focus on issues of transportation of children and youth in foster care. Presenters will provide guidance on how to report children and youth in foster care in MARSS. Guidance on accessing resources and best practices will be discussed. Presented by MDE specialists in Student Accounting, Foster Care, and Student Transportation.

Sales Tax As It Relates to School Districts — Kara Dombrock, MDR
This session will cover Sales by schools - nontaxable items, taxable items, sales of personal computers and related items, sales of school tickets or admissions and admissions to athletic facilities. This session will cover Fundraising Sales - fundraising events, fund raising sales by schools and school disttricts, youth organizations, parent organizations, nonprofit groups and sales of candy and gum. Recent law changes will also be reviewed.

12:15-12:25pm

Legislative Advocacy Software Intro — Valerie Dosland, Ewald Consulting
For the upcoming legislative session, MASBO will be utilizing a new advocacy software. Attend this brief demo to see how easy it will be to utilize this tool to provide feedback to your legislators.

12:30-1:20pm

Installment Contracts, Lease-Purchase Agreements and Certificates of Participation: A Lot Like Bonds, But Not Bonds — Nathan Canova, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
This session will provide an introduction to lease financing and highlight the pitfalls and complexities you might encounter in lease transactions. Whether you expect to use lease financing in the future, or just need a refresher on your existing lease documents, this session will help you better understand this common, but nuanced, alternative to bond financing.

Ask MDE — Deb Meier, MDE; Molly Koppes, MDE; Sarah Miller, MDE
During this session, representatives from MDE will be available in Zoom breakout rooms to answer your questions.

1:30-2:20pm

Ballot Boxing: School District Election Administration — Nathan Shepherd, Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A.
Now more than ever, school district elections have the potential to be the focal point for community scrutiny. This presentation will help you ensure that your district’s elections are by the book. We will cover the limits on district authority when providing information about referendums, pandemic-related election administration issues, special issues for board vacancy elections, and campaign issues for candidates and Vote Yes / No groups.