The library at William Kelley School was packed the evening of May 14th. The school board, accompanied by parents and grandparents crowded the room until, at the start of the school board meeting, it was standing room only, with some parents sitting on rolling library stools in the picture book section in order to hear what would be said.
After the call to order, Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and the agenda approved; Kerri Bilben, WKS band director, stepped forward with her proposition. She requested permission from the board to have her band students begin fundraising in the community for a band trip to Los Angeles in two years. Bilben stated she isn’t asking the school for money, merely for permission to have her students fundraise in the community, as it is her desire to have the band play in other locations and with other people. The board stated they would review her request.
ICS came next with an update on the school district building projects. Two Harbors High School is complete, and the Minnehaha, William Kelley, and the bus garages are in progress. The bus garages will be demolished and rebuilt. At Minnehaha, ICS is working on purchasing a land permit and a portion of adjacent property to the school. The new cafeteria and new playground area are progressing. Upcoming for the “Minne,” is renovating the old cafeteria area into a kindergarten suite. Changing two classrooms into flex areas, epoxy flooring, lockers, case work, egress doors, and more will be worked on this summer.
Brenda Wood was the next speaker. Wood is the mother of a former Two Harbors High School graduate, has a daughter in the 3’s room at Little Mariners daycare, and is the grandmother to a grandson in the 3’s room. Wood addressed the budget cuts and her concerns. “I am hearing that the admin for Community Ed in Silver Bay and additional para positions across the district will be cut. These are support positions for our children in daily learning and after school programming, as well as support for our general education teachers, early childhood development teachers, and our SpEd teachers. I know personally that the early childhood education and SpEd teachers are drowning in their current work loads. We are burning out these teachers and the passion that they carry for our children.”
Wood also addressed the community education rumor. “No more community education admin positions in Silver Bay? As a parent, I ask myself, What is going to happen to child care billing, drivers education, after school activities, etc.?” She spoke against cutting paraprofessionals “or anything from the SpEd budget”. “These are support positions for our children and teachers, especifically our SpEd teachers, which in Silver Bay the caseloads are impossible to meet — rumor that 50 to 60 children to two SpEd teachers.” Wood’s 3-year-old daughter and grandson fall into the group of those needing special education teachers. “Paras are there to support on many different levels, and if used for services that aren’t typically provided by general education, or if the specialized service is outlined in an IEP, there is federal and state funding that is provided for these positions, allocated in accordance with IDEA, Minnesota’s Special Education Financial Department.”
Wood has personal experience with the understaffing of paraprofessionals to meet IEP needs. “My grandson was being removed at 3-years-old from his school for manifestations of his disability, but when we asked for a para we were told that the district wanted to create the least restrictive environment, the staff was not available, and then blamed the daycare for lack of training. A para to support him in the least restrictive option compared to being sent home frequently. My daughter and I had to file a complaint with the state so that he could obtain para services and be provided with the free and appropriate public education that he deserves. This is something no parent wants to do. I have to go up against the people I work closest with in my child and grandson’s education, hindering our relationships moving forward. Again, from a parent perspective, the last thing we need is cuts in the SpEd budget. We need more funding to go into our Special Education program.”
Brenda Wood closed her speech by saying, “There was a lot of talk about these 30 plus children that left the district. My thoughts on this are, did all actually leave, or are they being homeschooled? If we were to look at the demographic of the children that are still in the district but being taught from home… my assumptions would be that the children likely needed more services than they could obtain…and much like myself, the guardians or parents were met with ‘No, we cannot do that’, or, ‘I am sorry, we do not have the staff’. I also feel we will continue to see a trend of children leaving our district with after school offerings potentially taking a hit in Silver Bay, growing class sizes throughout the district, and lack of specialized support for our special needs children. It costs the district more to be reactive than proactive.”
After Brenda Wood spoke, the school board approved old business and heard from David Drown on a non-actionable item concerning a grant for families who build a new home in the district. Resignations and retirements were then accepted, discussion was had about hiring a school psychologist, board members were requested to attend graduation, and the custodial contract and strategic plan were approved. Superintendent Jay Belcastro, who held the position for four years, is one of the retirees. “In my 12 years in a variety of roles, I really enjoyed Lake Superior School District.” He adds that he really appreciated the community support for the building projects, especially the support of the school board. “Lake Superior School District has a bright future ahead.”
The meeting then turned to the reason parents had turned out in droves – the budget reductions for fiscal year 2025. Despite fierce discussion, the reductions – for a total of $465,000 – were approved, much to the dismay of the parents in attendance. Reductions will include THHS 6th grade consolidation and reductions, WKHS transition to a five-period schedule to match THHS, Minnehaha partial 4th grade and specialists reduction, district Xerox reduction, district clerical consolidation, paraprofessional reductions, accounts payable reduction, transportation director reduction, and Two Harbors bus route consolidation.
After this news that directly impacted the parents in attendance, the next item of business was discussion of whether to fill a Superintendent Post-Employment Consultant Position. When asked about the approximate cost of such a position, a number anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000 was named. This was met with shock by the parents, who had just heard that due to budget reasons, their children’s education would be impacted. It was decided that this position would not be filled.
Many parents left at this point, without staying to hear reports from Minnehaha Principal and Grant Writer Brett Archer, WKS Principal and Curriculum Director, Dan Johnson, THHS Principal Gina Kleive, Community Education Director Bruce Remme, and Superintendent Mr. Jay Belcastro. The meeting was then adjourned. The next school board meeting will be held on June 11, 2024 at Two Harbors High School.
