The Fairmont Area School Board approved allocation of Partners in Education and Hunt Fund grants for the 2018-19 school year at last night’s meeting and set a tax abatement public hearing on Dec. 11. That hearing will be held about 6:20 pm, immediately following the districts tax levy hearing.

The Fairmont School Board on Tuesday heard from Kari Duehlmeyer, a teacher on special assignment this year who is working on STEM and science improvements at the elementary school.

The new science curriculum is called “Mystery Science” and is all online. Each lesson comes with hands-on activities. All grade levels at the elementary school have implemented the new curriculum, except fifth grade because of new Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment standards for those students.

Board member Julie Laue gave a report on a recent Southern Plains Education Cooperative board meeting. The co-op will be moving from its current home in Winnebago to the former Lincoln School building in Fairmont. After some renovation the school will have a new name, Arise Academy, and the mascot will be a Phoenix.

The board approved the employment of Becky Tow as a medical careers instructor for one class period per day beginning the second semester of this school year and Alyse Roloff as a special education paraprofessional.

The board accepted donations of 24 headphone sets, valued at $237, from the Kiwanis Early Risers and Fairmont Walmart to the Fairmont Elementary School.

$2,150 for junior high robotics from the Fairmont 3M Foundation.

$75 from Larry and Lillian Peterson for the Fairmont Elementary School Elf Shop.