Posted: 3/28/06
Board cuts two-plus teaching positions
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
The Caledonia School Board made three staff reductions at its March 19 meeting.
Board members voted to discontinue one fifth grade position, a portion of one secondary family and consumer science (FACS)position, and a .6 physical education and Developmentally Adaptive Physical Education position.
They then passed motions proposing to place FACS teacher Sally Mensink and physical education teacher Cori Ronnenberg on unrequested leave (URL).
A final decision on the URLs will be made at the April meeting, superintendent Michael Moriarty said. He said the administration wouldnít know the number of students in FACS until registration is done, but the position would not be more than half time.
The board also accepted the resignation of Gail McCormick as the seventh and eighth grade girls soccer coach effective immediately.
New board member sought
In other business, the board accepted the resignation of fellow member Mike Novak, who did not attend last weekís meeting. Moriarty explained that the board could fill the position by appointment for the rest of the year, or could leave it vacant.
Board members said they wanted to fill it. Moriarty said he would put an ad in the Caledonia Argus and on the school website seeking letters of interest from people.
An election will be held this fall to fill the position for its duration, which is for two years.
New signs coming
The board took another step toward having new signs placed at the high school. Several members said they would like to see outside signs have top priority. What kinds of signs to put inside the school is still not clear. Some board members questioned whether it was good to put signs above the high school and middle school portions, because it might encourage people to bypass the office, where they are supposed to register.
Moriarty said another option would be to have a movable kiosk that could be displayed at special events to help direct people where to go. He will provide the board with information on that at the next meeting. Board members will also email their ideas about inside signage to administrative assistant Karen Schiltz.
The district has estimated $15,000 for the project, although it is not budgeted, Moriarty said. The challenge isnít so much how to pay for it as what exactly to put in, he said.
Sign recommendations were brought to the board in February by a committee. It wants to see a sign at the entrance to the school parking lot, which would cost $5,000-$6,000; a sign over the front of the building that says ìHome of the Warriors,î and several signs inside the building that identify the restrooms, gymnasium, media center, main office, concessions, community education, career center.
Schulte, who is on the committee, said the new school in its fourth year, yet has no signs. ìFrankly, Iím embarrassed,î he said.
Math and language arts focus
The board approved having the elementary school implement a math and language arts focus for grades K-2. The language arts will include reading, writing, spelling, and grammar, principal Connie Hesse said. The change was recommended by the curriculum committee.
Board member Chuck Schulte said he supported it because reading and comprehension are the key to a person learning on his own throughout life.
Naomi Fruechte asked how long the focus would be in place. Hesse replied that it will take more than a year to determine how the focus is working.
Moriarty gave an example of how it will work. He said when the students study social studies or science, they will focus their reading on those subjects. The kids will still do things like science experiments, he said. ìWeíre not totally wiping it out.î
Students will work on different themes using reading, writing, spelling, and grammar, Hesse said.
ìItís something weíll definitely have to monitor,î Schulte said.
Field trips approved
The board approved two overnight field trips, one for FFA and one for LifeSmarts.
FFA advisor Brad Harguth said there will be at least five FFA teams competing at the Minnesota State FFA Convention on April 23-25 at U of M campuses in St. Paul and Minneapolis. He said he would keep the studentsí time from school to a minimum.
Barb Hurley asked the administration and Harguth to follow school policy and make sure that the group itself and not the school district covers the expenses. Moriarty said he would make sure the the trip fits under the districtís policy.
ìYouíre to be commended for you efforts on this action,î Hurley told Harguth, a first-year teacher at CHS. That was a point other board members made also. There are 44 FFA members this year.
The LifeSmarts trip will be for five students to travel to Philadelphia, PA, April 22-25 to compete in the national LifeSmarts competition. The Caledonia team won the Minnesota LifeSmarts state competition on March 14. Their advisor is Sally Mensink.
The trip will cost about $4,000, high school principal Ron Helmers said. The Better Business Bureau, which sponsors the event, will help with fundraising, he said. ìWeíre really looking at no expense to the district,î he said.
Other business
ï Bus contract: The board approved a school bus transportation contract for 2006-2007 and 2007-2008. The cost will be $474,500 per year. It includes a fuel cost escalator that will kick in at $1.55 per gallon, not to exceed $15,000.
ï Musical praised: Several people praised the musical Oklahoma that the music department presented on March 10-12. About 700 people attended.
ï Softball fence: The board gave the go-ahead to have a fence installed in the outfield of the softball field. The cost for materials will be $3,472, Moriarty said, but the district could provide the labor, with the help from the county Sentence To Serve workers.
The goal will be to have half the home games played here, Moriarty said. Caledonia shares the sport with Spring Grove. The home games have been played in Spring Grove in the past. About 65 percent of the team is comprised of Caledonia High School players, Moriarty said.
ï Wind energy: Fruechte gave a report on a wind energy field trip that she and Houston County Economic Development Authority Community and Business Development Coordinator Joyce Iverson took to Des Moines, Iowa, March 7-8.
It would be a long-term project requiring wind and money, Fruechte said. The next step will be to finalize a wind energy committee, then set up meetings with Tri County Electric, Dairyland Cooperative, and the City of Caledonia, she said.
ìJust about anything after thatís going to cost money,î she said. Board members asked Fruechte to set up the committee and meetings.
ï Creationism: Bruce Bulman addressed the board for about five minutes during the public comment part of the meeting. He told the board about a meeting on March 26-27 in the high school auditorium called ìMaking Sense of Creation & Evolution.î
ìEvolution is taught pretty much that thatís the way it came about,î Bulman said. But there is a lot of scientific evidence for intelligent design or creation, he said. ìMore and more archeological evidence too,î he said.
The Grand Canyon, for example, was formed during Noahís Flood, Bulman said. ìMy opinion,î he added
Board members thanked him for his comments.
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