Board to seek new superintendent

“We’re sorry to see you go,” board Chairman Darrell “Boxer” Wagner said to Nelson following the board’s decision.

Nelson, whose contract expires June 30, told The Journal he will leave International Falls to pursue his St. Cloud-based consulting business part time. Before he leaves, however, he said he will help his successor transition into the role.

“Anybody coming in really needs to have someone to sit with them,” he said. “It is helpful to have the person leaving go through the mechanics of the school’s infrastructure on what is taking place...That is really important.”

Nelson has more than 30 years of education experience under his belt, and has been with the school district since June of 2012.

In February, after just about seven months on the job, Nelson announced his resignation effective last June 30, but later in April, reversed course and accepted a one-year contract.

In February, Wagner said Nelson is one of the better superintendents the district has had. In Wagner’s 16 years on the board, he said the district had seven or eight different superintendents.

To-do list

A new superintendent will be faced with the district’s declining enrollment. An issue Nelson says will be an ongoing challenge.

Following the May 2 announcement by Boise Inc. that it would permanently terminate 265 workers at the local paper mill, Nelson said he predicted the district would see a 5-percent decrease in enrollment at the beginning of the school year.

“We were right on 5 percent,” he said of September’s student enrollment figures. “I don’t think we’ve felt the real effects of (the layoffs) yet. It’ll be eight to 10 months down the road until we’ll see much more of a change in our student enrollment... The person stepping into this position will not have to address it so much when they first start, we’ll have to deal with that this school year.”

Monday night, Falls High School Principal Tim Everson reported the high school is down five students from last month and Falls and West End Elementary, combined, are down four students. The district has lost 67 students since the end of the 2012-2013 school year.

However, despite a loss of students, Don Zierke of Miller McDonald Inc., told board members during an audit report Monday the district is in good financial shape.

“Just because you’re losing kids doesn’t mean you can’t be in good financial shape,” he said.

Still, Nelson said the district will need to monitor its spending.

“It’ll be an ongoing process,” he said.

A special work session to consider where cost adjustments need to be made is scheduled for 5 p.m. Dec. 3.

Another issue a new superintendent could potentially face is settling a contract with the teacher’s union Local 331.

The district’s about 70 teachers are working under a 2011-2013 agreement that expired June 30.

Nelson is hopeful, however, to establish a contract prior to his departure.

“I look to see that an agreement will be in place before I leave,” he said. “The future is going to continue to show change and it’s best to have contracts and agreements settled...Once we put things in place, have it all settled and have agreements taken care of, then we’re in a position to get ahead of and get ourselves ready for the next change.”

A negotiation meeting between the board and union leaders is scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday at Falls High School.

Other business

In other business Monday, Nelson said there are more than 60 district students who are not up-to-date on their immunizations.

“The district needs to follow the statutes that if immunizations are not in place, students cannot attend school,” he said, adding the deadline was in September.

He said administration has been sending information home to parents and working with the school nurse and Rainy Lake Medical Center to make the deadline date for immunizations Dec. 1. The 2013-2014 school calendar includes a chart with what immunizations are required for certain grade levels.

“We’re having a very difficult time getting everybody scheduled,” Nelson added.

The superintendent said in the past, the district hasn’t been strict on following immunization laws.

“It hasn’t been addressed at all,” he said.

On the same note, Nelson said legal exemptions are allowed — both for medical reasons and conscientiously held beliefs – however, parents are required to report that to the district.

Also Monday, Kelly Gordon of the Blue Ribbon Panel Committee, told board members a new sign will be placed on the north exterior wall of Falls High School.

“We’re working on getting school pride back in the school,” she said. “I think it’ll be exciting for some team to come in and know they’re at Falls High School and they’re playing the Broncos.”

The design, which will read FHS Broncos and include an illustration of the Bronco on the school’s logo, came from the input of several community members, Gordon said.

“I have all the funding secured and the cutting will start this week,” she said.

Gordon said several community members and businesses are involved with the project which is funded by TruStar Federal Credit Union. Labor to cut and hang the steel letters is expected to be donated by GreenTech Manufacturing Inc. and Up North Builders Inc., respectively.

Gordon added that a way to light up the sign is also being worked out.