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Monday, October 14, 2024
HomeNewsEducationCook County Voters Will Decide on Improvements for K-12 Campus in Grand...

Cook County Voters Will Decide on Improvements for K-12 Campus in Grand Marais

Cook County voters will play a crucial role in shaping the future of their school district, with three school district refer­endum questions awaiting their decision on the November gen­eral election ballot. This school bond referendum is a testament to the power of democracy in action, giving each voter a voice in the direction of their community’s education.

The ISD 166 school board has spent extensive time and re­sources reviewing its facilities’ current state and developing a strategic plan to improve edu­cation outcomes and the capi­tal facilities needed to achieve those outcomes. The board, in essence, is announcing in this series of referenda that it has identified the district’s needs and is asking voters to give a thumbs up to borrow the mon­ey (issue bonds) needed to make it all happen. Whether the school district will borrow sufficient funds and whether property taxes will be raised is a direct decision voters make.

When ISD 166 Superinten­dant of Schools Chris Lind­holm was interviewed by the district for his current position in 2021, the issue of capital im­provements to the school cam­pus was not raised.

After coping with the effects of COVID during his first year, Lindholm started hearing from different interests about the need for improved facilities. Everything from lights for the baseball diamond and a real track outside to better (LED) lighting and improved ventila­tion on the inside.

Lindholm knew that select­ing individual requests for im­provements wasn’t feasible. “Some were must-have needs, and some were wants that would be nice to have,” he said.

In 2022, Lindholm and the elected board members em­barked on a strategic planning process. This comprehensive process included a thorough identification of the school’s needs and wants, as well as a detailed assessment of its infra­structure.

They retained a consulting firm, ICS (ics-builds.com), a Minneapolis-based consulting firm that started in 2006 and has a long track record of help­ing school districts understand their needs and develop plans to meet them.

According to the website established by the district to communicate the referendum specifics and purpose with the public (vikingsvision.org), ICS had industry professionals “analyze the existing facility and grounds to determine defi­ciencies of the physical facility structure, infrastructure within the building, outbuilding, and supporting site (parking lots, sidewalks, fields, etc.). A full report was completed outlining deferred maintenance needs.”

The original building for K-12 students, which forms the nucleus of the campus today, was built in 1958. Since then, additions have been made in 1962, 1972, 1998, 2015, and 2018. The most significant im­provements were added in 1998 with the Arrowhead Center for the Arts and a new gymnasium. In 2012, the district lost its ele­mentary auditorium and the old gym to the YMCA addition.

The needs and expectations for the facility’s future were not determined in isolation. In­stead, they were shaped through multiple channels of gathering input from school employees, faculty, parents, students, and the general public. This in­clusive approach included ten “listening sessions,” intended to ensure all of the communi­ty’s voices were heard and val­ued in the planning process.

In Minnesota, funding ap­proval for school building proj­ects must come directly from the voters in the district.

“The board was kind of sur­prised by all of the needs iden­tified by ICS,” Lindholm said. After much debate, the board split the needed projects into three groups. They concluded that the voters should be able to vote separately on what is seen to be the must-haves and then vote on the so-called nice-to-haves in the second and third questions. (See sidebar for the referendum language.)

Cook County Schools en­rolled 426 students this year, about the same as in 2020. Enrollment is projected to rise 8.2% in the next ten years.

By law, the school district cannot advocate for “YES” votes. Its role is to provide in­formation to the public about the levy request, which it has diligently done. Information is readily available through its public meetings, website, and social media efforts. Lind­holm’s willingness to meet with the local media, like the Northshore Journal, speaks to his willingness to communi­cate with the public.

Education Minnesota, an or­ganization of 477 local unions, advocates for education in Min­nesota. It is helping local citi­zens raise a Get Out The Vote (GOTV) effort to “Vote Yes” before the November election.

Lindholm, an experienced educator and administrator, is a warm and outgoing advocate for the teachers and students he works with. “I always say, ‘It’s a Great Day to Be A Vi­king,’” he said. Having nearly eliminated his staffing short­ages over the past few years, he credits stable enrollment, a balanced budget, and a good working environment for at­tracting staff. “I do need to fill two bus driving positions, though,” he added.

Steve Fernlund
Steve Fernlund
Typically these “about me” pages include a list of academic achievements (I have none) and positions held (I have had many, but who really cares about those?) So, in the words of the late Admiral James Stockwell, “Who am I? Why am I here?” I’m well into my seventh decade on this blue planet we call home. I’m a pretty successful husband, father, and grandfather, at least in my humble opinion. My progeny may disagree. We have four children and five grandchildren. I spent most of my professional life in the freight business. At the tender age of 40, early retirement beckoned and we moved to Grand Marais. A year after we got here, we bought and operated the Cook County News Herald, a weekly newspaper in Grand Marais. A sharp learning curve for a dumb freight broker to become a newspaper editor and publisher. By 1999 the News Herald was an acquisition target for a rapidly consolidating media market. We sold our businesses and “retired” again, buying a winter retreat in Nevada. In the fall of 2016, we returned to Grand Marais and bought a house from old friends of ours on the ridge overlooking Lake Superior. They were able to move closer to family and their Mexico winter home. And we came home to what we say is our last house. I’m a strong believer in the value of local newspapers--both online and those you can wrap a fish in. I write a weekly column and a couple of feature stories for the Northshore Journal. I’m most interested in writing about the everyday lives of local people and reporting on issues of importance to them.
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