Posted: 7/27/05
5th grade class gets part-time teacher
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
The large class size of the fifth grade at Caledonia Elementary School will be relieved somewhat by the addition of a part-time social studies teacher.
The school board voted 5-2 on July 18 to add the position.
The class, which has 62 students, will now have three sections of social studies, math, reading, and science, and two sections of music and physical education.
Mike Novak, who opposed the motion along with Charlie Wray, argued that the district could afford a full-time teacher and three complete sections for the class.
Novak said that the argument earlier this year to reduce it from three sections had been based on a lack of money. ìNow we know we have it,î he said.
Barb Hurley countered that two percent of the four percent state legislatureís increase to schools has to go to staff development.
That still gives a two percent increase, Novak responded.
Inflationary issues need to be considered too, added board member Chuck Schulte.
Superintendent Mike Moriarty first said that he was comfortable with the way it was, but by the end of the debate, he suggested a part-time social studies teacher, which would cost about $12,000.
He also noted that more enrollment in the fifth grade class could change things. ìThree more students will pay for it [a full time teacher],î he said.
Novak gave several other advantages to hiring another full-time teacher, such as one third of the class consisting of special needs students, and attracting students through open enrollment.
Wray said he trusted the administratorsí advice. ìI would not be for adding three sections at this time,î he said.
The board earlier this year had voted to have just two sections of fifth grade, which would have put class size at about 30 students each. Teachers and parents objected to that. One of those parents, Michelle Werner, was at last weekís meeting to ask that the board consider adding a third full-time teacher.
Other personnel items
The board approved several other personnel items.
ï Lynette Solie was hired as a full-time elementary special educational assistant at $9.76 per hour.
ï Pat Lemke was hired as part-time educational assistant at $9.57 per hour.
ï Lois Klein was hired as a part-time middle/high school cook at $9.03 per hour. Marilyn DeWitt resigned as school cook.
ï Fallcoaching assignments were approved. Everything is the same as last year, except the junior high volleyball coach and assistant boys soccer positions are open.
ï In the co-curricular contracts, Angie Zaiger and Becky Breeser will be the new junior class advisors at $931.50 each. Zaiger will do the entire school newspaper contract at $1,443.
ï The board granted a one month maternity leave for Becky Newgaard. It also approved a long-term substitute contract with Jana Dittmer for $163.33 per day during the maternity leave of Kellie Rhinerson through October 15 or upon Rhinersonís return.
ï The school crossing guards contract was approved 6-0, with Fruechte abstaining. It grants a two percent wage increase. Crossing guards are Naomi Fruechte, Mike Meyer, Mark Schiltz, and Glenda Solberg. They earn $8.16 per hour.
Handbooks reviewed, accepted
Much of the four-hour-long meeting dealt with the student handbooks. Board members had a lot of questions and comments. Here are some of the changes:
ï Students must have all credit requirements met in order to take part in commencement. Before, students could be three credits short and still take part. There could be some extenuating circumstances where a student is in the hospital and canít make the required credits, Naomi Fruechte said. Use common sense, she said.
ï When school is closed due to inclement weather, there will be no after-school practices. Previously, varsity athletes in winter sports who lived in the city had to attend practice even if school was closed. ìIf school is called, to me that shuts things down,î Mike Novak said.
ï No spiked or barbed jewelry will be allowed at the high school, there will be a 10 minute break in the afternoon, and a five minute break between lunch periods so that the tables can be cleaned.
ï A new student needs to have his/her records from the previous school. This is a state law, and is a safety issue for students and staff in school, high school principal Ron Helmers said. ìWe can bring in some pretty nasty people,î he said. Getting discipline records will tell if student has been expelled and why, he said.
ï Graduation requirements were increased from 28 to 29 for the class of 2009.
Good budget news
Moriarty reported that the state education bill is giving Caledonia just under a four percent increase in basic state aid for each of the next two years, which amounts to $182 per student this year and $191 per student next year. It is the first increase in basic aid in three years.
The district will have a basic revenue increase of $46,286 for 2005-06 based on 1,044 pupil units, and $34,060 in 2006-07 based on 997 pupil units, Moriarty told The Argus on July 21. The district made about $375,000 in budget cuts earlier this year because of declining enrollment. Moriarty said that actual enrollment this year will be about 860, which is 30 students less than last year. He said enrollment will continue to fall for the next three to four years, then will level off.
Two percent of the increase this year is restricted to staff development. ìThatís a pretty significant amount of money,î Moriarty said at the meeting.
Another good aspect is that the state is increasing equalization aid for levies, Moriarty said. The state had offered equalization for the first $500 per pupil, but will boost that amount to $600 for 2005-06 and to $700 the following school year.
The equalization formula is based on the property wealth of a district and is designed to ensure that levy increases raise the same dollars per capita in property-poor districts as they do in property-rich districts.
Legislators also reduced the Maximum Effort Rate from 32 to 28 percent in their final education bill. Caledonia and 20 other districts have a Maximum Effort Capital Loan.Ý The annual required levy for that loan is the Maximum Effort Rate multiplied by the Adjusted Net Tax Capacity (ANTC).Ý A financial advisor will attend the August 15 school board meeting to update the board on the implications of this.
Community education
Moriarty gave an update on community education for Nancy Runningen, who was absent.
He said there are three strong applicants for the school-aged child care supervisor position.
Southeast Technical College has seven class offerings for this fall, and may offer evening courses for the general public.
Procurement cards
The board voted 6-1 to approve the use of a procurement card. Procurement cards are a specialized credit card used for buying materials and services. There is no annual fee, and the district will receive a rebate for all dollars spent. Novak opposed it, saying it gives away too much control.
Amy Schmidt, the school district accountant/business manager, recommended the idea.
School highway signs
Jean Meyer said she had been told by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) that signs could be put up on Highway 44/76 for about $340 each. MnDOT would make the signs. Meyer, who works MnDOT, said that the superintendent needs to send a letter saying the district is interested in the signs. Moriarty said he would do so.
Some board members feel the signs are needed because the school is about two blocks off the highway and isnít very visible. Schulte said he sometimes has people stop in at his business, Green Power, asking where the school is.
Erosion update
The marathon meeting ended with a review of an erosion problem on the Hillary Allen property. Allen is concerned that school drainage that was inadvertently rerouted onto his property caused some erosion. Wray and Hurley said they will set up a meeting with Allen to try to come to a resolution.
The problems seem to have occurred because a silt fence that was left up on the schoolís westerly property line rerouted water on Allenís land, and eroded a gully. The silt fence was removed this spring and the spot has been reseeded.
Two engineers and an architect who worked on the school building toured the site on June 15 with several school officials. They concluded that the drainage area to the west was enlarged after the new school was constructed, but that the amount of runoff was the same.
Caledonia Argus
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