Panel highlights areas in need of improvement

“The 22 (people) who were able to meet were quite diversified,” Rasmussen said of panel participants. “We broke into small groups to discuss some different topics...It was a chance to get some positive suggestions, I felt, that will hopefully give the board some direction and advice.”

In April, Falls Superintendent Nordy Nelson reported to the school board the driving force behind establishing the panel was to retain and grow student numbers and tackle other ideas.

Windels said in order for the school to improve, short- and long-term goals need to be set. And, she said, those goals need to be linked with better communication between the school and the entire community.

“I know the board already has a process of setting goals for the district,” she said. “But, as community members, we might not always be aware of what is going on.”

Windels suggested that a professional consultant be hired to best discuss what kinds of goals need to be set and how to communicate those goals with community members.

“We’d like to get moving forward with a clear plan where all the players of the district know where we’re heading, so overtime, it can be seen we’re heading in the direction we set,” she said.

Board member Gordy Dault commended the suggestion of seeking outside help.

“If we’re going to keep this thing going, we need to get a professional to see how we can get these things into action,” he said. “We need to follow through.”

Windels nodded in agreement saying, “We really tried to streamline an idea of a plan everybody in the community would be aware of.”

In line with setting goals, Rasmussen said, is the need for more communication and positive communication.

LaVigne said a reoccurring theme among panel members is a need to increase communication between the schools and parents and others in the community. LaVigne is married to Kristie LaVigne, a teacher at Falls Elementary.

“We need to bring in some positive activity,” he said.

And Gordon said a lot of the communication needs to start internally with getting kids excited about school. She noted that in the past, school board members and administration haven’t always gotten along, which hasn’t helped the situation. Gordon is married to Kevin Gordon, a Falls Elementary physical education teacher.

“A lot of it is going to start in the classroom,” Gordon said. “We need to work with the teachers to get that classroom exciting and make kids want to be there.”

Gordon explained that there are a handful of kids who leave the high school their junior and senior year to attend classes at Rainy River Community College through the Post Secondary Enrollment Option program.

“The (students) who go to Rainy River because of the lack of class options is something we can get together and work on,” she said. “If we can get the excitement back in the kids, they will turn around and bring that to the community...They can help (the district) with its advertising.”

Board member Mike Holden said he has been meeting with varsity coaches “who are working really hard” to restore school spirit through athletics.

“We need to get pride and tradition back,” he said. “Somewhere this all fell off to the wayside.”

The board appeared to be very receptive of the ideas and suggestions set for by the representatives of the panel, but, said they felt it necessary the group meets more than once per year.

“Maybe (the panel) can get together on a more regular basis,” board member Michelle Hebner suggested. “I think we’d move forward faster.”

Board member Will Kostiuk agreed and mentioned meeting on a quarterly basis.

Rasmussen said the panel would consider meeting more often, but in the end, whatever is done needs to be in the best interest of the Falls’ students.

“We should be starting with what’s best for students, not the district,” he said. “I think this is just the beginning...We want to move on from here with positive suggestions.”