Hastings School Board members took a major step toward
securing the district's financial stability Wednesday night,
unanimously approving a resolution renewing the district's
expiring operating referendum authorization while also
advancing efforts to address the high school's ongoing
gymnastics facility challenges.
The July 15 meeting also featured updates on the district's
partnership with the City of Hastings through the Joint Powers Committee, approval of a revised sixth-grade social studies curriculum and discussion of this year's community perception survey.
The board's most significant action was adopting a resolution
renewing the district's operating referendum authorization,
allowing Hastings Public Schools to continue receiving the
voter-approved operating revenue that has supported district
operations since 2018. No residents voiced comment at a public hearing at the meeting. The original referendum was approved by district voters in November 2017 for a 10-year term and is scheduled to expire after taxes payable in 2027. Under a relatively new provision of Minnesota law, school districts may renew an expiring referendum without holding another election if certain conditions are met.
The Hastings resolution renews the referendum for another 10
years beginning with taxes payable in 2028. The funding level
will remain the same on a per-pupil basis, continuing to receive annual inflationary adjustments, with the revenue continuing to support school operations. Because the action involved a formal resolution, the board conducted a roll-call vote after waiving the reading of the lengthy document.
Earlier in the meeting, board members also discussed how they plan to educate residents about school funding ahead of the November election, emphasizing that any public information campaign would focus on explaining how school funding works rather than advocating for a particular vote.
Board member Mark Zuzek encouraged the district to
communicate clearly with residents about permanent school
funding.
"Our goal is to inform people of what this means, where the
money would come from, how it would be dispersed and the
facts of the matter," Zuzek said. "Part of that is how it impacts our district individually."
The board plans to continue those discussions during its August work session.
Gymnastics lease signed with Farmington
The board also unanimously approved a one-year lease
agreement allowing the Hastings High School gymnastics team to practice and host competitions at Farmington Gymnastics & Cheer during the 2026-27 season. The agreement runs from Nov. 1, 2026, through Feb. 28, 2027,
at a cost of $10,000, payable in two installments. The facility
will be available for practices and competitions throughout the Minnesota State High School League season.
While board members supported the lease, several stressed it is only a temporary solution. Chair Carrie Tate reminded those attending that everyone involved hopes the district can eventually return the gymnastics program to Hastings.
"I just want to make sure that it's clear that this is a one-year
lease agreement," Tate said. "Our hopes — I think everyone
around this table, everyone involved in gymnastics — are that
this is not a permanent solution. We are continuing to look for
an alternate solution for this team. We fully recognize that this is not ideal, but we feel that this is the best solution that we have right now for this team."
Board member Elaine Mikel-Mulder questioned language in the lease allowing either party to terminate the agreement with 30 days' written notice. Superintendent Dr. Kristine Wehrkamp Herman said district officials had attempted to negotiate stronger language but the facility owner was unwilling to modify the provision.
"It's their building," Wehrkamp Herman explained. "We did
try... she was not amenable to those changes."
During the Joint Powers update later in the meeting, board
member Philip Biermeier said the district also asked city
officials to help identify a long-term solution for the gymnastics program.
"We've asked for a little help with the city," Biermeier said. "If
anybody can give us solutions on the gymnastics program for
long term... if anybody has any ideas for us with the public,
please help us."
The gymnastics team was relocated to Farmington after Hastings determined it could no longer host the program in its existing facilities.

Joint Powers Committee discusses shared projects
The board also received an update on the July 14 Joint Powers Committee meeting between school district and city officials. Among the major topics were capital improvements at the Joint Maintenance Facility, future maintenance needs at the Civic Arena and coordination on several community projects. Biermeier reported that committee members discussed upcoming roof replacement and mechanical improvements at the Joint Maintenance Facility while also reviewing cleaning responsibilities. The committee also revisited longstanding discussions regarding maintenance responsibilities at the Civic Arena, particularly repairs involving the varsity locker room roof, HVAC system and east rink boards.
"We're just at an impasse here," Biermeier said. "We have
decided to revisit this at our next meeting."
Tate added that because the district does not own the Civic
Arena building, it cannot legally pay for building maintenance,
suggesting the hockey booster club could potentially assist with future improvements. The committee also delayed any decision on replacing the electronic sign at Todd Field until more information becomes available regarding the Highway 61 reconstruction schedule. City officials provided updates on several major infrastructure projects, including:

Highway 61 reconstruction planning, with construction still
anticipated in 2028-2029.
Construction of Hastings' first PFAS water treatment
facility, which is progressing well.
Planning for bids on the city's second water treatment plant,
expected to begin construction in 2027.                        Development of the city's next budget.
Planning for a new municipal well serving the Wallin Park
area.
Continued review of proposed future water rate increases.

The district also shared updates on its completed 2026-27
budget, the upcoming election for three school board seats and efforts to expand partnerships with local businesses through the Pathways program.
Survey likely to continue with changes
Board members spent considerable time discussing whether to continue the annual School Perceptions Survey.
While members generally supported continuing the survey,
several said participation has declined among parents and staff and suggested refining the questions to obtain more useful information.
"I think we need to reimagine this," Biermeier said. "I would
like to see some revisions made... I want to be more solutions-
based."
After discussing several options, the board appeared to favor
moving the survey later into the fall rather than administering it in October. Members tentatively settled on late November while asking staff to consult with survey consultant Darren Sievers regarding the timing and possible revisions to survey questions.
Curriculum approved
The board also unanimously approved adoption of chapters one through 15 of the Minnesota Historical Society's updated
Northern Lights curriculum for sixth-grade social studies
beginning in the 2026-27 school year.
Much of the discussion centered on how the curriculum
addresses Minnesota's newer ethnic studies standards.

Chair Tate questioned language discussing "collective action"
and whether it could be interpreted as encouraging political
activism. Director of Teaching and Learning Andrew Hodges
responded that the curriculum is intended to help students analyze historical events rather than advocate for any particular viewpoint.
"The focus is on historical analysis, not modern mobilization,"
Hodges said. "It's how people got together, looked at a problem and sought change, not telling students what they should mobilize for."
Board memberJessica Dressley successfully amended the
motion so that board approval specifically applies to chapters
one through 15, the portion actually taught in sixth grade.
Summer programs thriving
Superintendent Wehrkamp Herman opened the meeting by
highlighting the success of the district's summer Community
Education programs. She reported that Camp Horizons and Big Shots are serving 228 children this summer, while the Spark middle school program has enrolled 135 students. Community Education also offered 16 youth enrichment courses, 29 youth recreation programs and 34
adult classes serving approximately 160 participants.
She also reminded families that school will begin before Labor
Day this year, with staggered opening dates beginning Aug. 31