Commentary; Posted: 2/9/05
The future of FL schools in jeopardy
Lynn Steenblock
Guest Columnist
Forest Lake Area Schools has a long history of providing students with quality instruction and numerous opportunities for leadership and growth. While evidence shows our students are succeeding, the future of our programs is in jeopardy due to inadequate funding.
A recent audit of our academic effectiveness confirmed our belief that our schools are effective. In December, Dr. Don Thomas from School Management Study Group of Utah studied things such as attendance, grade point averages, test scores, drop out rates, school board policies, curriculum and more to determine how our schools measure up to similar schools across the country.
The results found that, in nearly all areas, our students perform at or above the expected averages. High average daily attendance rates indicate our students enjoy coming to school, while low drop out rates and higher than expected test scores show they are achieving.
ìThe district appears to be providing excellent educational services to the communities it serves,î said Dr. Don Thomas, School Management Study Group. ìBottom line: I believe your residents are getting their moneyís worth.î
Years of budget reductions and frozen funding have taken a toll. Our educational programs are in jeopardy. There is much uncertainty around the financing of public education across Minnesota and the nation.
Inadequate state funding has forced the district to make cuts in five of the last six years and, without appropriate biennium increases in funding, the district expects to make additional cuts for 2005-2006 and 2006-2007.
According to Education Week magazine, the per-student expenditures on education in Minnesota have increased just 1.2 percent from 2001 to 2002, with several years of frozen funding after that. Minnesota now ranks 23rd of 50 states in total dollars spent per pupil.
It is largely because of this inadequate state funding that our district is facing another round of budget cuts for the coming year. The district is beginning the process of identifying $1.5 million in budget reductions, along with a $500,000 draw down of our general fund balance for 2005-2006.
The ISD 831 School Board has identified the following areas to cut:
ïElementary Instruction: $515,000; ïSecondary Instruction: $515,000; ïAthletics/Co-Curricular Activities: $105,000; ïBuildings & Grounds: $250,000; ïDistrict Support: $115,000.
Over the next couple of months, the district will be requesting input from staff, residents and students about areas of the budget to cut, within the parameters set by the school board. The decisions we make will impact our students, the quality of our schools and our community.
Community meetings will be held in February and March at locations throughout the community. A listing of meeting locations, dates and times can be found on the district website at www.forestlake.k12.mn.us.
You may also submit your ideas in writing by e-mail at feedback@forestlake.k12.mn.us or by mail to Superintendent, Forest Lake Area Schools, 6100 N. 210th St., Forest Lake, MN 55025.
As Forest Lake area residents, we have many reasons to be proud of our public schools and we all stand much to lose if we can not maintain our current standards of excellence.
Writer Lynn Steenblock is superintendent of schools in ISD 831.
Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605