Cliff Buchan
News Editor

How should ISD 831 spend an additional $1.4 million a year in school levy funds?

That question has now been answered following a special meeting of the school board on Tuesday, July 11. By way of a 4-2 vote, the board set in motion a plan for how the dollars from a second Nov. 7 ballot proposal would be used if approved by voters.

At its June 29th meeting, the board OKíd ballot questions to raise $6.5 million and an additional $1.4 million a year for five years. The $6.5 million question is essentially a renewal of the existing $6 million levy that expires next June 30.

The board put the two levy questions in place with a 5-1 vote, but left open the final terms of how the additional $1.4 million would be used.

Much of the discussion centered on funding for a half-day, every day kindergarten program.

The estimated $300,000 for the half-day program was not included in the second ballot question recommended by Superintendent Lynn Steenblock last week.

The superintendent, in opening the discussion, offered a plan that would put $700,000 towards classroom teachers, $500,000 to textbooks and curriculum materials and $200,000 for gifted program.

Kindergarten OK

But for three board members last week ó Joe Grafft, Julie Corcoran and Rob Rapheal ó it was clear the half-day kindergarten program was needed and wanted by many parents.

ìI feel this is an important thing for the community,î Rapheal said. Not only would such a program entice parents to want to live in the district, it would also be a move to gain voter support for the levy, he added.

ìThese are parents who will get out there and support,î Grafft said. Grafft said he is often asked in public by parents of young children if the half-day kindergarten program will be restored.

Corcoran, too, lobbied for the restoration of the program. She said her child was in the first district attempt at the all-day, every-other-day program and found the experience bad. Others did, too, she said.

ìIt was awful,î she said.

The district has eliminated the half-day program twice as a means to reduce transportation costs during times of budget cuts. The full-day program today includes a fee based system that allows kindergarten students to attend school every day.

President Bill Bresin said he would agree to a compromise on the kindergarten change but cautioned that it is such programs that are impacted the most when state aid turns flat or does not increase at all. He described it as a ìbouncing ballî that is tied to state aid.

Member David Gay, who has a kindergarten child starting school in the fall, did not support the change to include $300,000 of funding for the half-day program. He said he was not convinced that it would make a difference in the minds of voters. He also questioned the step to single out dollars for gifted programs.

Member Eric Langness, the lone dissenter in the two levy votes on June 20, joined Gay in voting against the appropriate plan last week.

While opposing the plan, Langness said he was pleased Steenblock had not recommended levy dollars for funding strategic planning functions. Such funding should be part of the ongoing budget, Langness said. He said he believed the levy would result in a ìpolitical warî in the district and he did not want the planning process pulled down by any such conflict.

The plan

There was some sentiment July 11 to another delay in the decision. Member Gay said he would like more time to think about the decision.

But the board felt the time was at hand to act in order to allow proper planning to begin and help the district get out information on the Nov. 7 ballot questions.

The plan will include $300,000 for the half-day kindergarten program.

The total for textbooks and curriculum materials would drop to $300,000 while gifted programs would receive $150,000 and classroom teachers would receive new funding of $650,000.

The funding proposals would be billed as student achievement areas.

After some discussing of ways to lump the second question under a ìbig umbrellaî category without full details, the board backed away upon Steenblockís advise.

ìI donít think that (method) is appropriate,î he said. ìI think you have to state it.î

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