Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Half finished. Thatís Keith Dunhamís take on a study of the impact of closing an elementary school in the Forest Lake district.
The board member carried his feeling to the table last Thursday and dissented in a 6-1 vote to accept the administrative study that was reviewed by the board at a special meeting on Feb. 23.

It was Dunham who late in 2004 successfully lobbied for the school closing study as a means to justify to voters that the district is exploring every option in dealing with budget shortfalls. The district is now in process of cutting $1.5 million in spending for the 2005-2006 school year and preparing to ask voters for additional operating levy dollars in the fall.

Dunham, however, was reluctant to vote for accepting the report at the regular meeting last week, saying the job was only half finished and more information was needed.

ìI believe itís a very good start,î Dunham said. ìWe really need to investigate it further.î

Dunham said missing from the study was a look at the grade 7-12 impact and how the upcoming staff and program cuts for 2005-2006 would relate to the elementary building closing and additional classroom space.

ìWe do see a cost savings right now,î Dunham said of closing an elementary school.

Others disagree

Dunham was alone in his disappointment with the study.

Board President Bill Bresin said the action was to accept the administrative report but take no formal action on a policy decision. But in effect, he said, the vote would mean, at least for now, there would be no more efforts at exploring a school closing.

ìWe canít have this school closing thing hanging over the district,î Bresin said.

Dunham and board member Joe Grafft engaged in a terse exchange after Grafft disagreed with his fellow board member.

Grafft said he could see no hard cost savings and closing a school would be detrimental to the entire district. Grafft said the potential loss of state aid with students leaving the district or enrolling in a charter school was worrisome and a potential financial negative.

ìDo you want to take that chance?î Grafft asked Dunham regarding the loss of students if a school such as the Montessori School would be closed.

Dunham said the district faced the same situation when it would not create a Spanish immersion school within its elementary program two years ago.

Grafft admitted he voted for that action. ìYes, and I made a mistake,î Grafft said.

Board member Karen Morehead said the administrative school closing study was exactly what the board requested from Superintendent Lynn Steenblock late last year.

The study revealed the closing would result in an annual cost savings of just under $450,000. An additional $57,000 a year would be saved in reduced costs for supplies and materials, electric, water and sewer, trash removal, gas and snow removal.

On the negative side, however, the study said the district would face $134,800 in one-time relocation costs associated with closing a building.

The study also costed the impact of the potential loss of students due to a building closing. A loss of 50 students would mean a reduction of $375,000 in state aid based on per pupil funding of $7500. A loss of 75 students would mean a loss of $562,500 in aid. Another $750,000 would be lost if enrollment dropped by 100 students.

The study determined that only 12 actual classrooms were unused at the eight elementary schools. With 22 rooms needed to close one school, the action was not deemed practical right now

At the March 3 meeting, the board ended the discussion with a 6-1 vote to accept the study. Dunham found no interest from any of his fellow board to a call to table the motion to allow additional study.

School uniforms

Last week was the boardís first crack at reviewing a school uniform concept floated by board member Morehead.

Morehead said she was interested in learning how other board members felt about a policy to require uniforms for students and if the topic was worthy of additional research on her part to learn what parents are feeling.

ìWe donít want this to get in the way,î she said, referring to other district plans for an operating levy vote in November. ìIím not hanging my hat on this right now.î

As a product of the Catholic school system, Morehead said she has long saw benefits in having students wear school uniforms. ìI saw the advantages of them,î she said.

In preparing for her report, Morehead said Internet searches have found three schools in Chicago, New Orleans and Long Beach, CA, that have adopted school uniforms and achieved improvements in student academic performance and lower crime rates.

The board did not endorse or reject the concept last week and agreed it would be fine if Morehead continued her research and began networking with parents in the district to learn their feelings on school uniforms. She said she would be willing to talk to parent-teacher groups.

While there was no flat rejection of the topic, board member Rapheal said he did not feel it was the job of the government or school to suppress free expression by youth unless a good reason could be justified.

Rapheal said kids and adults use clothing to make an expression and reflect their personalities. He said it is parental responsibility to make sure kids dress appropriately.

ìItís an important parental responsibility,î Rapheal said.

He said he also worried that a full blown study now might divide the community at a time when unity is needed if the district is to pass an operating levy proposal this fall.

Dunham said he had no problem with Moreheadís study going forward but said he would like to see the idea being generated by the public. It would also be important to win the backing of teachers for such a program, Dunham said.

Member Dean Barr said he was hearing nothing from parents and students on the topic and agreed the district had a full slate of topics to keep busy.

Grafft said he was receptive to learning more. He wore school uniforms in grades 1-8 and said it was a financial benefit to his family when budgets were tight.

ìEveryone came to school the same,î Grafft said.

Morehead said she could envision public school student uniforms consisting of polo shirts with Navy blue or grey slacks.

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Forest Lake Times
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880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
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