Grand Rapids board elects officers, approves 2026 calendar and routine organizational items

The Grand Rapids Public School District board elected David Cowan chair by acclamation at its organizational meeting and confirmed David Marty as clerk and Ashley Goodman as treasurer, also by acclamation. The board designated Julie Rasmussen, the superintendent’s confidential administrative assistant, as deputy clerk and approved the district’s 2026 meeting calendar and calendar of indicator reports.

The board approved a series of standard organizational motions by voice vote. Members approved the list of official depositories for district funds (including First State Bank of Bigfork, Grand Rapids State Bank, Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund, EFM Asset Management, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo and Zion Trust). The board also certified Carolyn Dean (listed as the CISO representative) and incoming business manager Alex (name in packet) to act with CFO authorities during the transition and approved the district’s legal counsel firms and named authorized contacts.

Board compensation rates were affirmed for 2026, keeping the standard member stipend at $2,500 per year with a chair supplement and per-meeting pay; several members noted those rates have not changed since 2012. Policy housekeeping items acted on included adoption of Policy 7-12 (Digital Surveillance Other Than on Buses) on its second reading after review by the policy committee. The board designated The Herald Review as the official newspaper, Rapids Radio and 91.7 FM as official radio stations, and the bulletin board inside the main doors of the ISD 318 Educational Services Center as the official posting site.

Most motions were moved and seconded on the record and carried by voice vote with no recorded roll-call tallies in the transcript. Where nominations produced a single candidate (chair, clerk, treasurer), the chair closed nominations after the third call and declared the candidates elected by acclamation. Several board members discussed practical matters during the workshop portion before the meeting — including committee assignments, the role of alternates for committees that meet during the workday, and the district’s approach to communications and open-meeting-law obligations.

The meeting packet included handouts on officer election procedures, a code of ethics, the communications interactions protocol, the calendar of indicator reports, and details of board compensation and benefits. The acting clerk was directed to record the outcomes in the minutes. The board adjourned after completing organizational business and routine approvals.