Board Minutes—Organizational Meeting 02/13/26

2025-2026
Organizational Meeting

Organizational Meeting of the School Board

January 13, 2026

The organizational meeting of the Board of Education of Independent School District 270 was conducted in-person and streamed virtually, on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. The meeting was called to order at 7:03 p.m.

School Board members present: Chair Shannon Andreson, Treasurer Rachel Hartland, Director Brooke Roper, Clerk Kaj Thompson, Director Zhiming Zhao, Director Sara Wilhelm Garbers, and Director Johanna Hyman.

School Board members absent: None.

Staff members present: Superintendent Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed.

Staff members absent: None.

Administering Oath of Office

The School Board election was held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, to fill the expiring terms of Directors Rachel Hartland, Jen Westmoreland, and Jason Ross; Westmoreland and Ross did not file for re-election.

Chair Andreson administered the oath of office to newly elected/re-elected Board members, incumbent Rachel Hartland, Sara Wilhelm Garbers, and Johanna Hyman.

Approval of Agenda

Roper moved; Zhao seconded, to approve the agenda as presented. Carried.

Board Officers & Committee Assignments, 2026

Officers to be named include the Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Clerk.

Hartland nominated Shannon Andreson for Chair.
Hyman nominated Kaj Thompson for Chair.
Thompson nominated Brooke Roper for Vice Chair.
Roper nominated Rachel Hartland for Treasurer.
Andreson nominated Sara Wilhelm Garbers for Board Clerk.

Hartland nominated Andreson for Chair; Roper seconded. Those voting in favor thereof: Roper, Hartland, Wilhelm Garbers, and Zhao. Those opposed: Thompson and Hyman. Carried.

The Board voted unanimously to name Brooke Roper as Vice Chair; Rachel Hartland as Treasurer; and Sara Wilhelm Garbers as Board Clerk. Carried.

2026 Board Committee Assignments:

Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD)	Rachel Hartland Brooke Roper - alternate
Intermediate District 287 — 2 year term	Shannon Andreson Brooke Roper - alternate
Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL)	Kaj Thompson
Cities/Board Steering Committee	Brooke Roper Johanna Hyman
Schools and Communities in Partnership (SCIP)	Brooke Roper Zhiming Zhao Sara Wilhelm Garbers
Citizen’s Financial Advisory Committee (CFAC)	Rachel Hartland Zhiming Zhao Kaj Thompson
Educational Services Advisory Committee (ESAC)	Kaj Thompson Johanna Hyman
Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)	Shannon Andreson Zhiming Zhao
Monitoring Committee	Brooke Roper Shannon Andreson Sara Wilhelm Garbers
Board Audit Committee (BAC)	Rachel Hartland Zhiming Zhao Johanna Hyman
Legislative Action Coalition (LAC)	Shannon Andreson Rachel Hartland Brooke Roper Johanna Hyman - alternate
Visioning and Strategic Planning	Johanna Hyman Kaj Thompson Brooke Roper
Student Board Representatives	Zhiming Zhao Brooke Roper - alternate
Human Resources Board Committee	Shannon Andreson Sara Wilhelm Garbers
Safety & Security	Zhiming Zhao Kaj Thompson - alternate