Crookston Public Schools Superintendent Jeremy Olson released a communication earlier today thanking the community for doing its part in keeping kids safe when it comes to School Bus Safety. He also highlighted a few potential upcoming projects that may take place to help pave the way for the future configuration of Crookston Public Schools. You can read his entire communication down below –
Thank you to the community for doing your part to keep our kids safe! I am proud to report that we have had significantly fewer stop-arm violations this year compared to other years as drivers are using extreme caution around our buses. Drivers are slowing down when buses deploy the amber (yellow) lights and are stopping for buses deploying stop arms and red lights. I am also seeing several instances of extreme courtesy in which drivers are yielding their right of way to allow a bus to get in and out of the schools. As someone who drives a bus route in the morning, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this! During the morning commute, I am also noticing that drivers are carefully watching for kids using the crosswalks on Fisher Ave., stopping for kids who are crossing, and slowing down for student safety. Kids can be extremely unpredictable at times, so the care that drivers are taking to watch out for our kids is appreciated. It takes all of us to keep our kids safe as they travel to school. On behalf of Crookston Public Schools, thank you for looking out for the safety of our kids!
Crookston Public Schools just received word that Crookston Public Schools Moody’s credit rating will improve from A2 to A1. This rating change reflects a more secure financial outlook for Crookston Public Schools and should allow us better rates as we refund existing debt to capitalize on the lower interest rates and attain lower interest rates on future debt issuance. The change in credit rating is a product of the School Board’s strong fiscal management practices which has produced a better long term fiscal picture for the district.
Proposed Middle School and Preschool Projects. The proposed building additions that will pave the way for the future configuration for Crookston Public Schools will not have a tax impact on our local taxpayers. The funding for this project will come from Federal ESSR dollars that must be expended by September 2024 and will not result in any tax impact to our taxpayers. This project has already been approved by the state of MN in order to utilize these funds in this manner. In addition to this, we believe that this proposed project will actually lead to reduced operational cost for the district down the road and give the district flexibility to meet the changing demographics of our community and region. This will also meet our current and future strategic direction for the expansion of Preschool, contribute to space for a community childcare approach, and contribute to the creation of a middle school which will serve the developmental needs of our kids.
I am proud to serve as the Superintendent of Crookston Public Schools! I am proud of our students and our excellent staff. If you would like to reach out about what Crookston Public Schools has to offer or have questions about our schools, please feel free to reach me at 218-770-8717 (cell) or email me at jeremyolson@isd593.org. Go Pirates!
