Concerns on 361 program reductions voiced

District librarian Gigie Harder and Falls High School teacher Marie Blumhardt addressed the issues before the Falls School Board Monday. Blumhardt is also president of the local teachers union, and Harder is also a licensed teacher.

Programs and positions in at least a dozen areas of the Falls curriculum were approved for some measure of reduction Monday. Included is the elimination of one whole elementary section. In addition, Title I and secondary special education programs appear to be slated for the deepest cuts. Next in line is secondary physical education with .30 reduction and elementary reading with a .25 reduction.

Hearing that the district’s library service will also be affected, Harder spoke of her frustration in already dividing her librarian hours in half between the elementary school and the high school. She presented “a busy library schedule,” adding that there is “a big chunk of time that West End Elementary does not have access to the library.”

In the face of further reductions, Harder noted that there is a shown correlation between student test scores and library access. “This makes me sad as a parent and a teacher,” she said. “It’s disheartening.”

Union leader Blumhardt began by fortifying what Harder said and does for the district. “Our needs say we need more library time,” Blumhardt said.

But the essence of Blumhardt’s message was centered on the topic of which personnel cuts might be made, and that they should not necessarily be the part-time employees. She asked that consideration be given to that issue.

Discussion by the board on the issue of program reductions revealed that even though cuts were approved, it would be possible to add back. Pressure is added to ambiguous circumstances because of the delayed funding in state aid payments which now appear to be vacillating.

The district’s business manager Stacy Frederickson told the board Monday of increasing concern on whether state funding is delayed or being taken away permanently. “The state is sitting on money that was supposed to be received in February,” Frederickson said. “There is some discussion that we may not see it.”

In other business, the board approved the district’s contract for school photos with Capture the Moment photographer Jackie Halla, in a 4-2 vote. Halla’s photo package bid came in the lowest, but board member Will Kostiuk made the motion that the contract still be split with Cedulie’s Photography. That motion failed 4-2 with Kostiuk and board member Roger Jerome in favor. After lengthy public discussion on the matter resulting in the decision to use a local business, both photographers submitted their bids on identical packages designed by the district.

Disabled Vietnam veteran Patrick Burgess was awarded an honorary FHS diploma by the board Monday.

Interim Superintendent Kevin Grover reviewed proposed changes to the Falls Elementary School grounds (see story in The Journal Saturday) as well as the district’s decision to move forward with a Falls High School/Rainy River Community College joint curriculum program.

Principals Tim Everson and Jerry Hilfer gave the board updates on Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment testing as well as enrollments; and Hilfer advised them of several coming May events such as spring concerts, Arbor Day planting and the track and field meet.

Student school board member Amanda Lassila reported a successful turnout of 120 students for the FHS post-prom event. Board member Darrell Wagner, who said he has worked as a prom parking valet for many years, complimented Lassila and the prom committee for what he said were some of the most beautiful prom decorations, in a masquerade theme, he’d ever seen.

Clarifications on District 361 Reductions

Districts are required to follow what is called “stranding” which is moving teachers around according to their licensure in efforts to keep them whole time. This can result in portions of jobs being changed.

• The district will be decreasing the number of elementary classrooms in grades two and four due to grade-level sizes but increasing from three classrooms to four classrooms in grade five — the net result of eliminating one classroom. This reduction was handled by not replacing one retiree, avoiding a layoff.

• Currently Early Childhood Family Education is staffed with 2.2 full-time (1.0 FTE) teachers plus a home-ec teacher who teaches .2 of her time in the early childhood area. The home-ec teacher is retiring, and her .2 FTE will not be replaced and will be absorbed by the two remaining teachers, with no layoff.

• Two positions in elementary math and reading, .3 FTE and .25 FTE respectively, are hourly teachers hired last fall after the school board debated adding an additional fifth-grade classroom, or hiring additional help to cover extra math and reading. At this time these part-time positions are not scheduled to be continued next year. Those hourly positions will not be renewed but two of those teachers will replace retiring elementary teachers.

• A Title I person is retiring from the position and it is not being filled.

• There is a retirement in secondary music but there will also be a reduction in the number of sections of music, allowing a new instructor to be hired at a .90 FTE. Tied to this is secondary physical education, as these two classes alternated during the week/semester which each other, so both must be reduced. Reductions will total .30 FTE and will result in a staff layoff of .30 FTE of one person's position.

• A family and consumer science staff member is retiring. As the district's enrollment dictates that it become a three-section school, it is reducing the number of sections of family and consumer science by one — as it is no longer needed. This class alternates weekdays during the semester with an industrial technology class, which therefore is also being reduced by a section. The .2 FTE ECFE portion will be absorbed by a new hiree. The .50 FTE family and consumer science will be taught by someone who now teaches special education but is licensed in both areas. The .20 FTE job skills will be taught by the industrial technology person whose sections are being reduced due to student numbers.

Special education numbers don't warrant the same number of sections as currently staffed so an opening created by a person transferring into family and consumer science will not be filled, but no one is being laid off.

• Due to a decreased number of students in secondary business, the district will reduce a business class for the entire year which is .20 FTE. That class’ teacher will bump into another licensure area. In turn, that teacher will bump into an elementary area. The net result is that one of the new hires for the elementary classroom, replacing a retiree, is being hired at a .80 FTE rather than full time.

• Due to the decreased number of students in secondary science, a science class will be reduced for the entire year which amounts to .20 FTE. A science teacher was approved for a five-year leave. To avoid hiring a replacement, Don Rolando will be going back into the classroom for the partial science position while still serving as part-time athletic director. His return to the classroom is a result of Kevin Grover returning to the dean of students position. The net result is no layoff.

• The district has advertised for a .40 FTE reading position which replaces a current .20 FTE reading position at the high school which is an increase in staff. This recommendation will take place in May.

In summary, one person will be laid off for .30 of that position; two replacement positions will be hired at less than full time; and one elementary retiree will not be replaced.