Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Close and possibly sell an elementary school building.

Sell a former rural school four-acre land parcel in Scandia.

Replace the existing school-owned transportation bus fleet with a privately owned bus contractor.

These are just three of the topics the ISD 831 School Board is exploring as it continues a study that will help chart district plans for a November levy referendum renewal vote. The district has one year remaining on the existing $6 million excess levy and must find a plan to maintain the general fund revenue before November and election day.

But it was the transportation item that drew the most fire at a special meeting Monday night.

Board member Keith Dunham, a proponent of looking for new ways to do business, suggested it would be proper to seek a formal bid or request for proposal to determine how much the district would pay if it contracted for student transportation services.

At the least, Dunham said Monday, he would like to explore ways to find more efficiencies in the transportation system.

But Dunhamís suggestions did not sit well with member Rob Raphael who strongly urged the district retain ownership of the transportation fleet and not look to any outsourcing plan.

The debate came as the board reviewed a June 2005 consultantís report that explored the pros and cons of outsourcing. That study concluded that it would cost more to contract for bus service based on a comparison of four districts of similar size where a bus contract is in place.

Dunham issued a call for more study on the transportation issue. He said he would like to know why other districts have gone to contract systems and the true costs that a bid or RFP would generate.

ìTell me why?î Dunham asked.

Regarding transportation, Dunham said the district was ìgenerousî with the number of bus routes offered and said other efficiencies could be found.

After the administrative report on several levy-related topics, Dunham said he believed at least three members ó Raphael, President Bill Bresin and Joe Grafft ó are willing to continue to do business as usual.

If some change isnít made, Dunham predicted the election day results on the referendum this fall wonít be positive.

Dunhamís opinion did not sit will with Bresin.

ìI have no problem looking,î Bresin said, adding that it wasnít fair of Dunham to assume how other board members are thinking. He said the board review of the many levy-related items was proper.

The transportation topic moved Raphael to speak.

ìIím not in support of going out for a bid on a bad idea,î Raphael said.

He said a bid or RFP would not reflect the true, long-range costs. While the district would benefit short-term by selling off its fleet, it would have no way to control future costs once the fleet was gone.

Raphael also appealed to the board to carefully consider student safety issues that may be compromised by pushing for route efficiencies that could require kids to walk to bus stops on busy highways. The loss of one life would not be worth the change, he said.

Raphaelís defense of the existing bus system led Dunham to conclude that Raphael would not be willing to look at any proposal that was not in the best interests of a future political campaign. Raphael is expected to run for the Minnesota House of Representatives this fall.

Member Grafft came to Raphaelís defense. ìWhy the cheap shot, Keith?î Grafft asked before Bresin brought a halt to the discussion.

Other needs

The school closing report was another topic requested by Dunham in late January.

For discussion purposes, the administration updated a 2005 study that looked at the financial and human impacts of closing an elementary school.

With nine elementary classrooms identified as open, the consensus now is that closing a school is not practical.

But that could change, said Director of Business Affairs Larry Martini, if future budget cuts target more classroom teachers. If that happens, Martini said the number of open classrooms would change the possibilities for a school closing.

Dunham said he would favor the district looking hard at how the grade levels are constructed. With some space available at Century Junior High School, Dunham questioned if a program could be developed that would move Grade 6 students to the junior high, thus freeing more rooms at the elementary level.

He also suggested looking at a Grade 9-12 high school structure.

ìWe need some creativity,î Dunham said in general reference to how the board does business.

Goose Lake site

The board on Monday authorized the administration to continue its review of the four-acre Goose Lake school site in Scandia. The site is on Olinda Trail, north of TH-97.

The review will include an appraisal of value and a legal review of the saleability of the wooded acreage that is now leased for $200 a year by the Scandia Riders Club.

Martini said district files show records of four quitclaim deeds dating to 1867 when the land was first acquired for school purposes. Two of the deeds carry covenants that restrict the future use of the land to school purposes or the land would be offered back to the heirs of the original sellers.

Dunham said he would prefer to see what the districtís position would be on a possible sale. It was not certain if any sale proceeds could go to the general fund or be dedicated to debt retirement, Martini said.

Grafft said he favored continued use of the land for an environmental area such as the Linwood School Forest near Linwood Elementary. That is a partnership with the township that may work in Scandia, too, he said.

Raphael said he would support a review to gather guidelines on what the district can or canít do with the land, but added that he believed the public schools had made a promise many years ago to use the land for school purposes only. Any decision to the contrary now might discourage others in the community to make future donations to the district, he said.

Other levy topics

The board also received administrative reports on a number of other topics Monday. In brief, the board learned:

ïThat the district cost of the 2005 levy vote was $42,600. That total includes $25,000 for direct costs including postage, printing, legal and survey costs. A little over $8000 or half of the opinion survey expense was charged to the levy election. Indirect labor costs for district staff was set at $17,640.

ïLearned that the cost of midday kindergarten bus routes needed for the half-day, every-day kindergarten program would amount to $294,982 if the half-day program was put back into use. Board member Julie Corcoran requested the cost update. The cost estimate for the 2006-2007 school year is an increase of about $50,000 over the last district estimate.

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