Bemidji Area Schools Board discusses mask mandate, online learning program The Bemidji Area Schools Board of Education convened for its final meeting of the unparalleled 2020-21 school year Monday night. 2:33 pm, May 18, 2021 × BEMIDJI -- The Bemidji Area Schools Board of Education convened for its final meeting of the unparalleled 2020-21 school year Monday night. Topics of school funding, COVID-19, the school referendum survey and online learning took center stage. At the head of the meeting, board chair Ann Long Voelkner acknowledged the year endured by all. “I was reflecting on this past year and looking at our agenda. This has been a year, obviously, of knowns and unknowns,” she said. “It's been a challenging year and we will continue to be challenged as we adapt to changing conditions even as we look toward hopefully becoming what the new normal is.”