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All-day everyday kindergarten format returns to Caledonia Area Elementary
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By Craig Moorhead
Special for the Argus
On July 19 the Caledonia School Board voted to return to all-day everyday kindergarten as opposed to last year‘s “progressive“ schedule, as long as class sizes remain below 23 students. With two sections, the district is currently near that limit.
“We currently have 42 students on the roster for the upcoming school year,” Superintendent Bruce Thomas told directors. “What we don’t want to do is to send different messages to the community where this year we’re going to have this kind of program and next year we’re going to have that… money is going to drive the engine as to what kind of programs are going to be available.”
The motion states that if numbers exceed the 23 student class size, “a decision will need to be made as to whether to return to the progressive model or another alternative.”
Kindergarten teacher Jan Klug told the board that while last year’s progressive schedule worked well, “In my opinion all-day everyday was best.”
Director Charlie Wray said, “Let’s do what’s best for the kids with the money we have.”
Director Michelle Werner cast the only dissenting vote on the measure. Citing the effect of changing the schedule back and forth, she noted, “Some parents are going to be upset.”
In other business:
Forms and agreements
Routine forms and agreements were approved at the meeting, including the yearly health and safety report/revenue application for the Minnesota Department of Education.
• Revised middle/high school and elementary school parent-student handbooks also won approval.
• A crossing guard agreement with the city of Caledonia was signed, which is identical to last year’s understanding.
• An agreement to rent space at the elementary building to Semcac was also approved. Semcac will once again base their Head Start program in that building. Board Chair Naomi Fruechte said that the Semcac agreement is the same as last year. Semcac currently pays $5,400 per year in rent to the district.
Bids are approved
Bids for bread and dairy products, and gasoline/fuel oil bids were reviewed. Interstate Brands Corporation won the low bid for bread supplier, while Ziebell’s Foods, the only milk bidder, was approved by default. Only one bid was also received for gasoline and fuel oil, which went to Kwik Trip. Kwik Trip will give the district a six cent per gallon discount off of the posted price for gasoline and diesel. The fuel oil part of the bid was returned as “not available”.
Certificates of indebtedness
The board passed a resolution providing for the sale of general obligation aid anticipation certificates of indebtedness, also an annual event. Ehlers & Associates is authorized to solicit proposals for the certificates, which will be presented to directors at a future meeting. Due to the way payments are provided by the State of Minnesota to school districts, borrowing against monies yet to be received has become a common practice. The resolution passed without discussion.
Students to be honored
Middle/high school principal Paul DeMorett filed a written report for the school board. Caledonia high school students who have advanced to and competed at state level competitions will be honored along with other county competitors at the Houston County Fair once again this year, he reported.
“We have 106 different students who participated at the state level in eight different areas who will be honored at the program (choir, FFA, FCCLA, football, gymnastics, wrestling, track, and golf). I think this speaks very well for our students, advisors/coaches, and community, and we have a great deal to be proud of when it comes to our students,” he wrote.
Shared programs with SG
Thomas reported that he met earlier in the day with the interim superintendent Rachel Udstuen from Spring Grove. “We talked about a collaborative agreement between our district and the Spring Grove district,” Thomas said. He noted that future agreements with the neighboring district “so that costs are equitable,” for shared programs would ensure that sharing will be “a win/win situation both for our district and their district.”
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