Albert Lea Area Schools - Board Meeting - September 28, 2026

Albert Lea Area Schools board meeting, September 28, 2026: The board approved $21,848 in donations for district and school activities, including community access days, English learner tuition assistance, bike helmets, and esports. It also approved an extended student trip to Japan; the estimated cost was $4,500 per student, and the teacher said Explore Cup was arranging the itinerary. The board received a presentation on the proposed 2026 payable-2027 maximum levy: the overall levy was projected to increase by 1.28%, or $133,683. The presentation noted that the board needed to approve the proposed levy by September 30 and that final approval would follow a truth-in-taxation hearing in December; no levy vote is captured in the transcript. Enrollment and funding projections were also discussed, including a potential district budget decline from $34.2 million to about $31.7 million if enrollment trends continue.

By a 4–2 vote, the board removed agenda item 9.2—the MOU between the board and Superintendent Dr. Steven Hy—from the agenda and deferred it to the October 19 business meeting so members could review the figures and discuss its terms further. The superintendent reported that Transfinder was preparing additional school-reconfiguration scenarios, with community meetings and further board review planned; no related contract award or purchase was identified. The board also approved consent items 6.1–6.6, whose details were not provided, and passed a personnel-discipline resolution in closed session.