Central Minnesota Educational Research & Development Council

“Members consist of representatives from public school districts and private school systems located in a 15 county area in central minnesota. In 2024 there were 110 members. Starting in 2024, charter schools have been added to our membership.”

“The board of directors consists of members elected at large, and each board member shall be the representative of an active member. The board of directors are elected by the members by ballots at the annual meeting. Changes in bylaws must also be approved by the members.”

“There are no committees with the authority to act on behalf of the governing body.”

“The form 990 will be sent to the director of finance and the executive director facilitate all the signatures needed. After all signatures are complete the form is sent to the appropriate offices on the state level along with directions on paying the filing fee.”

“The conflict of interest policy applies to directors, officers, and all employees who can influence the actions of cmerdc. This includes those making purchasing decisions, management personnel, and anyone with proprietary information about the organization. Potential conflicts must be disclosed to the chief executive officer (ceo) or, if the ceo is involved, to the board chair. For directors, disclosure is made to the board chair or, if the chair is involved, to the vice-chair. The matter is then brought to the attention of the cmerdc board of directors for review. The cmerdc board of directors is responsible for determining whether a conflict exists. They also decide if a transaction involving a conflict may be authorized as just, fair, and reasonable to cmerdc. If a conflict is determined to exist, the individual with the conflict is excluded from discussion and approval of the transaction. Transactions may only proceed if the conflict is fully disclosed, a comparable valuation exists, and the board determines the transaction is in the best interest of the organization. All disclosures and proceedings are brought before the board of directors. The board's decisions regarding conflicts of interest are made at their sole discretion and are documented as part of the board's proceedings.”

“The wages for the executive director's contract is set and approved by the board of directors after review of other regional directors salaries and the financial health of the organization. The process described here was last completed in 2024.”

“The governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements are available to the public upon request.”

“Cmerdc sunsetted the volume purchasing division effective 12/31/2024 and sold viewpoint (student data warehouse) effective 10/14/2024.”