Meeting room filled to capacity; sixth-grade staff cut may lead to class sizes of 30 students
By DEB BENTLY
Staff Writer
NRHEG School board members voted in reluctant favor of proposals to reduce teaching staff for the 2024-25 school year during their regular meeting the evening of March 18. The Ellendale media center had no open seats as the board voted not to renew the contracts of non-tenured kindergarten teacher Nicole Seberson and high school math teacher Randy Muske; to reduce the third-grade teaching staff by one individual; and to place only two teachers in charge of next year’s sixth-graders, leading to potential class sizes of about 30 students–at least 10 more per classroom than are currently together.
The vote to reduce the sixth-grade staff was especially reluctant, with three of the seven board members responding “nay.”
Five individuals’ statements were shared during the public comment portion of the evening’s meeting. Teacher Mark Domeier urged board members to “walk a mile” in the middle school teachers’ “shoes” before finalizing a decision to reduce sixth-grade teaching staff.
Current sixth-grader Emily Delacruz told board members that students her age “get noisy” and “have a hard time sitting still.”
She went on to say that, as difficult as it might sometimes be to concentrate this year, she has trouble picturing what it would be like with “another 10 to 14 students in our rooms.” She asked, “Why do [next year’s sixth-graders] deserve less support than we have gotten?”
Fifth-grade teacher Marcus Fischer could not be present at the meeting, but sent written notes to be shared by fellow elementary instructor Jennie Bunn. He expressed concern about whether, with the big move from the elementary to the secondary building, and with a significant number of students who are not “at grade level” in reading and/or math, “I hope you think of other ways to make reductions that are not directly impacting the success of our students.”
Recognizing that the administration’s recommendation to retain two teachers at the sixth-grade level is based on the fact there are currently only 58 students in the group, Fischer’s statement concluded, “I see more than a number. I see 58 students who need all of our support to have the best chance to succeed.”
Angela Gehrke told board members she was speaking in a two-fold capacity, both as the mother of two boys about to advance into sixth grade, and as a substitute teacher who sometimes supervises sixth-grade classrooms.
She shared that one of her sons has already asked to be home-schooled if he would otherwise be assigned to a class of 29 students. “My 11-year-old recognizes that is too many kids,” Gehrke said. “Shouldn’t the adults making decisions think about this very seriously?”
Board chair Rick Schultz told everyone in attendance he was thankful for the emails he and other board members had been receiving “for the past 10 days,” stating “that’s the way this process is supposed to work. I’m glad that we can have these discussions.” He also expressed gratitude that most of the communications included acknowledgments that managing the financial affairs of the district is a demanding task.
Schultz then responded to some of the points apparently made in the emails. “We are within our policies” he said of having a class of up to 29 students. While the guideline for class size is 28, the maximum provided for in policy is 32, according to information shared by the district.
He then went on to address questions about four administrative level positions the district has added in the past few years. These are in the areas of buildings and grounds, food service, transportation and “teaching and learning.” He stated that adding the positions streamlined the operations of the district and, at least in the case of the food service director, had no impact on the cost of school operations.
Schultz stated that extra money from state and federal sources during the pandemic had allowed the district to be somewhat liberal for the past few years, but, “We’ve always tried to be very transparent about this. We’ve said more than once that the day was coming when things were going to be very tight.”
Apparently in response to comments regarding the district’s $3 million “fund balance”--that is, money set aside for contingencies based on a recommendation from the Minnesota State School Board Association–Schultz observed that, if spending were not curbed, “Three to seven years down the road, that fund balance would be depleted down to zero.”
School district superintendent Michael Meihak told those in attendance the district’s annual budget is “slightly above $10 million.” Most of the district’s income is from state allotments which are based on “annual daily membership,” the number of students present in school each day. Because, as is the case in most rural districts, the number of enrolled students is dropping gradually, there will be a corresponding decrease in income, even though the state has announced it will be increasing the per-student amount by four percent in 2024-25 and by two percent in 2025-26. Coupled with inflation, administration has estimated these changes will lead to a $500,000 difference between next year’s income and next year’s anticipated expenditures.
Even with the staff cuts approved on Monday, Meihak said, he expects to present the board with a 2024-25 budget in June which will include about $150,000 in “deficit” spending, that is, which cuts into the $3 million fund balance.
Board chair Schultz said, “If numbers change and we get additional funds, we will adjust.
“In the meantime, I am not willing to kick this down the road for some future board to deal with.
“Yes, these cuts are painful. The better question is, ‘Are they do-able?’”
When it came to making a motion for each of the staff reductions, Schultz himself was the only board member willing to do so in two of the three cases.
In other business, board members voted on a question raised during the February meeting by community education director Macy Whiteside. Whiteside had requested that preschool teachers Elizbeth and Grace Nelson be granted increases which made their level of pay comparable to other licensed teachers. She had pointed out that, based on averages, the hourly wage the two women have been earning is about $8.25 less an hour than teachers in K-12 classrooms. She stated a concern the two highly-regarded workers would seek employment elsewhere, given they could easily earn more money at other area districts.
Board members complied with that request, consenting to short-term deficit spending which would bring the two teachers’ “wage and benefits package” up to being equal with other staff members working under the teachers’ contract.
During his report, elementary principal Craig Kopetzki mentioned that 600 people attended the “Green Eggs and Ham” breakfast served during the district’s “Read Across America” observations the first week in March. He also told board members 30 students have elected to sign up for the “invention” and “science” fairs being offered as an optional event for students in fourth and fifth grades.
Secondary principal Grant Berg highlighted recent competitions attended by the high school band, and the DECA and ProStart programs. In response to student interest in the topic, Berg said he has invited all staff and any students who wish to create “brackets” covering basketball’s “March Madness.” He suggested creating, sharing, and later evaluating the brackets might lead to richer communication among people who don’t usually interact.
Teaching and Learning director Jason Toupence reported that Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) testing is underway throughout the district and will continue through May 9.