Posted: 7/17/02

Class size issue surfaces in ISD 831

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Equity questions and an appeal for new staff to address class size issues were carried to the ISD 831 School Board on July 8 by parents of Forest Lake Elementary students.

As the school district begins winding up for the start of class on Sept. 3, class size issues could become a major topic. The board has already heard that message.

At last weekís regular meeting, parents Coco Jones and Dave Nowicki appealed to the school board for additional staff at Forest Lake Elementary. Their concern was the Grade 5 level where the school expects high numbers.

As the school awaits the fall term, 69 fifth grade students are expected to fill two classrooms.

By comparison, the parents said, Scandia Elementary School has 67 students in the fourth grade and three teachers.

Why the discrepancy, the parents wondered? Jones and Nowicki said the Forest Lake Elementary situation went against the districtís policy of maintaining a classroom count of no more than 31 students.

Ben Clark, principal at Forest Lake Elementary, confirmed the 69-student count. In addition, Clark said the school is expecting two fourth grade classes with 33 students each this fall.

Nowicki and Jones asked the board to hire staff at Forest Lake Elementary to address the fifth grade situation and treat the school equally to other buildings in the district. They urged the board to support the parents who worked to pass the excess levy referendum last November.

Jones said Forest Lake Elementary faced unusual circumstances in dealing with many disadvantaged students. The school is also host to the districtís English as a Second Language program and provides services to EBD and autistic students.

When class sizes reach 34 to 35 students, it becomes difficult to improve standards, she said. ìWe donít even like it at 30,î Jones said.

The board took no action at the July 8 meeting.

President Bill Bresin said the issue is under review by the administrative council. Super-intendent Lynn Steenblock is expected to make a recommendation to the board at its Aug. 5 meeting.

Steenblock thanked the parents for their work in helping pass the referendum. ìThe referendum did make a big difference,î he said.

Had the referendum failed, Steenblock said the district would be looking at an average of 34 students per class as the norm and not the high.

Steenblock update

The work of the superintendent is outstanding, the board reported last week in completing a review of Steenblockís performance during the past year.

The board has voted to offer Steenblock a contract extension and is proceeding with steps for the new offer. His current three-year contract expires June 30, 2003.

The July 8 review will mean a bonus for the superintendent. Bresin said based on his performance, Steenblock will receive a pay for performance bonus totalling $2700 or 90 percent of the $3000 possible in the second year of his three-year deal.

ìWe think heís doing just an outstanding job and weíre glad to have him,î Bresin said.

Steenblock was given high grades for his efforts in helping pass the levy, starting a five-year curriculum review process and implementing a program-based budget review model.

The boardís staff welfare committee will identify a set of goals for the superintendent for this school year.

Other business

In other business on July 8, the board:

ïReviewed request for proposals for general banking business and voted to switch the districtís banking from Wells Fargo to US Bank. Larry Martini, director of business affairs, said the change will save the district about $5000 a year.

The district anticipated banking fees of just over $18,000 from Wells Fargo this year and will see that amount reduced to just over $13,000. The change does not impact district investments which remain at a number of banks in the school district.

ïReviewed a plan to begin the process of taking part in aid anticipation borrowing as part of a Springsted, Inc. pool plan. Because of changes in when the district receives its state aid, the district has determined it will need to borrow $8 million for cash flow purposes.

Martini reported the district has $12.1 million outstanding in aid anticipation certificates of which $3.8 million will mature on Aug. 27. The remaining $8.3 million will mature on Oct. 1. The $8 million will include payment of outstanding cash flow certificates, Martini said.

ïApproved the revised Community Services Youth Development plan as recommended by Dan Poepard, director of community services.

ïLearned that portable classrooms from the Central Learning Center have been removed and work is continuing on units at Forest View Elementary and Southwest Junior High School.

ïLearned that summer school was in full swing with the following enrollment numbers: 472 students in grades K-5; 48 in grade 6; 175 in grades 7-8; and 240 in grades 9-12. Total enrollment: 935 students.

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