News

Board of Directors Meeting Synopsis: July 29, 2025

Posted: Tuesday, July 29, 2025 - 2:01 PM

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League News

Board of Directors Meeting Synopsis, Feb. 4, 2021

Venue: Ruttger’s Bay Lake Conference Center, Deerwood, Minnesota     

Board Member Jed Helwig shared the reflection.     

Board President Brent Schimek called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m.       

The Board of Directors approved the meeting agenda and consent agenda.   

The Board of Directors Meeting Minutes from June 3, 2025, were approved.     

Board of Directors Members shared reflections from spring state tournament events and thanks for leadership opportunities.  

Lobbyist’s Report       

League Lobbyist Roger Aronson shared updates from the State Legislature, including a drive to reauthorize the League’s Sales Tax Exemption prior to the completion of the 2026 – 2027 school year. The current Sales Tax Exemption expires on July 1, 2027. Through the MSHSL Foundation, Member Schools receive grants to offset student activity fees and hold leadership and sportsmanship events as well as receive capital items like AEDs.

Legal Counsel Report      

League Counsel Kevin Beck reported one pending lawsuit.  

Executive Director’s Report      

Executive Director Erich Martens:   

  • Thanked the Board Members and League Staff for their investment in time and work preparing for and engaging in the two-day workshop.  

  • Also thanked Board Members and League Staff who attended the NFHS Summer Meeting in Chicago in the week of June 28-July 1.  

  • Announced that former Minnewaska Area activities director Bill Mills will serve as the Region 3A Executive Secretary. 

  • Yielded the floor to League Staff who shared a report on four Student Advisory and Leadership Team (SALT) student-members who attended the National Student Leadership Conference in Indianapolis.  

  • Shared that he will attend the Section 4 and 5 meetings in Chicago from Sept. 2-5. This meeting includes executive directors and NFHS executive staff. 

  • Talked about preparation for Area Meetings that will take place in the second, third and fourth full weeks of September. Locations are: Ottertail, Thief River Falls, Chisholm, Rochester, Mankato, Marshall, St. Cloud, Eagan and Brooklyn Park. 

  • The League will host the Midwest Officials Summit in mid-September. This event brings together officials representatives from approximately 20 state associations. 

  • Recognized League Staff member John Millea, who is retiring on Aug. 15 after 15 years of service to the League. 

Executive Committee Report       

Board of Directors President Brent Schimek provided the Executive Committee report. The Executive Committee:    

  • Approved the bi-annual contracts of the League’s Legal Counsel and Lobbyist. 

  • Approved the hiring of Christie Lundberg as an Administrative Assistant. 

  • Approved the Track and Field State Meet to be held at St. Michael-Albertville High School on June 4-6. The Executive Committee thanks St. Michael-Albertville School District for adjusting their end-of-school year schedule to allow this change. 

  • Approved the Member School applications of Minnesota Connections Academy, Minnesota Virtual Secondary School, Community School of Excellence and Choice Technical Academy. 

  • Approved the Boys and Girls Swimming and Diving NFHS rule adoption to allow the use of backstroke starting ledges in both regular and postseason competition. 

  • Approved the development of a waiver that will allow the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf and Minnesota State Academy for the Blind to build schedules against common opponents that extend beyond the 600-mile travel restriction. League Staff will finalize the waiver language. 

  • Recommended that the Board of Directors approve a Letter of Commendation for Bob Grey, who passed away in June. Among many roles of service to the League, he was currently in the position of Region 3A Executive Secretary.  

  • The Board of Directors approved the Executive Committee report. 

Action Items      

9A: Resolution in Appreciation and Recognition for Service and Dedication    

The Board of Directors approved a motion to recognize Casey Indra, Jeanna Lilleberg, Don Peschel and Dave Rocheleau for their service to the Board of Directors. They completed their service terms in June.    

9B: 2025-2026 Board of Directors Committee Assignments   

Approved the Committee Assignments for the Board of Directors for the 2025-2026 School Year. Kristi Peterson (Marketing and Communication), LeRoy Fairbanks (Finance), Jake Timm (Eligibility) and Brad O’Donnell (Education and Leadership) will serve as Committee Chairs and also serve with President Brent Schimek and Vice President Keith Cornell on the Executive Committee. 

9C: 2025-2026 Complimentary Ticket List  

The Board of Directors approved the annual Complimentary Ticket List identified within contracts as well as provided to other school associations.  

9D: 2025-2026 Speech Season: Books and Topic 

The Board of Directors approved the Books and Topic for the 2025-2026 Speech Season.  

  • Discussion Task: The Future of Belonging: Finding Community In A Fragmented World  

  • Prose: The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart, Henry Holt and Company, New York, 2019 ISBN 9781250196705 (hardcover) ISBN 9781250233615(paperback)  

  • Poetry: The Name She Gave Me by Betty Culley, HarperTeen, 2022. ISBN: 9780063157842 (Paperback) ISBN: 9780063157835 (Hardback)  

  • Storytelling: Selected stories from Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org), a free e-book website. 

9E: 2025-2026 Dance Team Rules Book 

The Board of Directors approved two primary recommended changes from the Dance Rules Committee to the League-authored rules book which include uniform and music/routines rules revisions.    

9F: Football Replay Policy  

The Board of Directors approved an updated policy for football replay that mirrors the same rules in the final two minutes of the first half to those that are used in the final two minutes of regulation time.  

9G: Publications 

The Board of Directors approved the following publications and guidance documents for the 2025-2026 School Year: Official Handbook, Board Policy Manual and Guidelines, Region Secretaries Manual, Officials Policy Manual and Media Policy Manual. 

9H: 2025-2026 Strategic Directions 

The Board of Directors approved the first draft of the Strategic Directions for the coming school year:  

  • The League will promote and support its mission and beliefs and the value of education-based activities and athletics through its communication, actions and leadership.  

  • The League will support the health, safety, wellness, inclusion and belonging of all students, coaches, administrators and officials through leadership, instruction, support and resources.  

  • The League will employ effective policy governance to review, revise and create bylaws and policies that lead our schools and grow, enhance and clarify League student participation.  

  • The League will grow and implement effective communication systems and methods that reach constituents in schools and communities to support League strategic directions and work. 

Input from League Staff and the Board of Directors will continue and final approval will be in October. 

9I: 2025-2026 Budget 

The Board of Directors approved an annual budget of just more than $12 million for the new school year. The approved budget includes an additional $104,000 insurance expenditure in this first year of 9th Grade Governance. The cost increase is because of both the increase in 9th grade participants and the increase in catastrophic insurance coverage from $3 million to $5 million.   

9J: 2025-2026 Membership Dues 

The Board of Directors approved the implementation of a Member Schools’ membership credit of approximately $1.35 million. These credits will result in Membership Dues of $100 per school and $85 per activity. The credit once again eliminates the per-student fee that is typically part of membership dues. It is the third consecutive school year that Member Schools will receive a membership credit.   

Discussion Items      

10A: Spring Activity Advisory Proposals 

  • Note: All Spring Activity Advisory Proposals will be Action Items at the Board of Directors Meeting on Thursday, Oct. 2. 

Baseball and Softball 

This proposal would allow Member Schools to count non-MSHSL postseason tournaments as a single game toward the 20-contest regular season limit. Schools are permitted to play in two such tournaments per season. Tournaments held on consecutive weekend days (Friday and Saturday) would count as one event with a maximum of three games played.  

Golf 

  • Two-day 36-hole event lineup - This proposal would allow coaches to make lineup changes between Days 1 and 2 of a two-day/36-hole event without counting the event as two separate events.  

  • Alternates -This proposal would allow each team advancing from section championships to list two alternates on their state tournament entry form, in addition to the six players from the section roster. Alternates may only compete in the state tournament if a rostered player cannot participate because of a justifiable non-injury/illness and non-violation reason. 

  • Classification --This proposal seeks to provide better balance in the three classifications for state tournament advancement opportunities. The adapted version of the 64-team Class AAA model would be 80 teams; Class AA the next 123 schools by enrollment and Class A the remaining 122. Currently, it is: Class AAA (96); Class AA (next 128) and Class A (remaining). 

Speech 

  • Duo Interpretation Body Contact - This proposal would remove the statement that Duo Interpretation is an Oral Interpretation event and adjusts the language to read: There shall be no INTENTIONAL body contact between speakers, except during the introduction. 

  • Selections and Cuttings - This proposal clarifies the material selection rule by specifying that selections used in Humorous Interpretation must be cuttings from a single work unless poetry is used.  
    The second part of the proposal is that a student may not use a cutting from the same literary work in more than one school year.    

  • Semifinalist Round - This proposal introduces a semifinal round to the Speech State Tournament structure, expanding the advancement process and refining the tie-breaking process.  

Track and Field 

Discus Weight for Wheelchair Events 

This proposal recommends the adjustment to the regulation discus weight for Category 1 male wheelchair students from 1.6KG (3.5 pounds) to 1KG (2.2 pounds) to align with national adaptive standards. 

10B: Basketball Replay Policy 

League Staff shared information on an adjustment to the protocol for Basketball Replay Policy to include basket interference as a reviewable play. 

10C: Eligibility and Enrollment Ad Hoc Committee 

League Staff shared information about how the Ad Hoc Committee and Member Schools, along with the Board of Directors, continue to study and formulate recommendations to address the eligibility of students who enroll in unique educational models, especially within online programs. 

Committee Reports      

11A: Eligibility Committee     

The Board of Directors approved the Eligibility Report as presented.      

11B: Audit/Finance Committee      

  • The Board of Directors approved the Financial Statements from May 2025 and June 2025.  

  • Approved the 2025-2026 Membership Dues for advancement to the Board of Directors. 

  • Approved the 2025-2026 Annual Budget for advancement to the Board of Directors.  

  • The Board of Directors approved the State Auditor’s Engagement Letter. 

  • The Board of Directors approved the 2025-2026 insurance plan as presented. 

  • The Board of Directors approved the Audit/Finance Committee report as presented. 

11C: Marketing and Communications Committee     

League Staff:  

  • Reported growing traffic to the League’s website and increases in social media engagement.  

  • Shared information about new technology tools including a Member School directory and email reminders from ADs to coaches to complete learning requirements.   

  • Shared the League is entering Year 4 of its marketing sponsorship with PlayFly. The partnership has created productive relationships with sponsors and created new engagement opportunities entering the 2025-2026 school year. It is also Year 4 of a partnership with Signature Concepts, the League’s apparel vendor. Sales during the 2024-2025 school year increased by 5 percent.  

  • Shared a summary of modifications to the League’s Media Policy Manual, which is part of an Action Item for the annual approval of publications.    

11D: Education and Leadership      

  • Approved a proposal to adjust the Return to Play Concussion Protocol and advanced it to the Board of Directors as an Action Item. The Board of Directors subsequently approved the recommendation.  

  • League Staff shared updates on the Officials Program with emphasis on implementation of rules meetings and promotion for the 2025-2026 school year. Registration numbers for fall officials are strong.  

  • Registration for Fine Arts Judges and Adjudicators opens in mid-September. 

  • League Staff shared that more than 800 coaches took the Head Coaches Course during the 2024-2025 school year. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, participants will be required to take a course examination to fully complete the course.  

  • Together 4.0 Conferences will be held in Mankato, Bemidji, Minneapolis and Willmar this fall. Learning will focus on Creating Connections, Elevating Student Voice and Lobbying Effective Change, Social Media --- Personal Responsibility and Pressures that Students Encounter. 

Informational      

  • Board of Directors Workshop, virtual: Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2 p.m. 

  • Next in-person meeting: Thursday, Oct. 2 at the League Office. 

  • The Board of Directors Meeting adjourned at 12:16 p.m.