PEQUOT LAKES — After receiving proposals from six firms, R. A. Morton & Associates of St. Cloud will help the Pequot Lakes School District navigate its upcoming construction projects.
The Pequot Lakes School Board decided on the selection of construction management services at its regular meeting Monday, May 19.
An interview committee consisting of board members Curt Johnson and Ross Nelson, an ATSR representative, Finance Director Heidi Hagen, Building and Grounds Director Mike Renford, Superintendent Kurt Stumpf and three other district partners interviewed four firms Wednesday, May 14.
“I think the committee was pretty much in agreement that we would have been comfortable with any of those four. We had really good responses to our request for proposal. We ended up bringing forward R. A. Morton & Associates, LLC, based on their references, experience, financials, cost, transparency and felt like they would be the best,” Stumpf said.
“They were all very competent, capable firms for various reasons. But I think R. A. Morton is lean and mean, and will be the right entity for us,” Johnson added.
The board authorized the issuance and sale of $55 million in school building bonds resulting from the successful April 8 referendum.
Personnel
As a part of the consent agenda, the board approved the resignations of Katelyn Goerges, head dance coach; Lisa Christensen, language arts teacher; and William Silgen, social studies teacher.
The board approved the hiring of Jenna Anderson, head volleyball coach replacing Christine Ganley; and Angus Laing, head girls hockey coach replacing Bryan Boreen.
The board adopted resolutions for the notice of nonrenewal for probationary teachers Deborah Ray, Jeremy Weiland and Elizabeth Regenold, and Tier 1 teacher Garrett Pfeiffer.
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In other business Monday, the board:
- Heard comments from four residents at public forum regarding concerns of head basketball coach candidates, staffing changes and online student safety.
- Heard an update on ongoing district projects, including the Eagle View Elementary School playground construction, design teams and site visits, the Lakes Gas property purchase, a road study of County Road 11 by Eagle View Elementary School and nonreferendum indoor air quality projects.
- Adopted an annual resolution for membership in the Minnesota State High School League for the 2025-2026 school year.
- Heard a second reading of state-recommended amendments to: a policy regarding school-sponsored student publications, a policy regarding the adoption of school district budgets, and a policy regarding an inventory of fixed assets.
- Adopted a resolution accepting 15 grants and donations to district accounts totaling $12,718.87 and 12 donations to student activity fund accounts totaling $10,075.
Board member Ross Nelson was absent from the meeting and will resume attending meetings as a permanent board member at the next meeting after filling the vacancy from Tracy Wallin’s resignation April 15.
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