The Crookston School Board met on Monday, September 23, at the Crookston High School Choir/Orchestra room.
ENROLLMENT DOWN
The Crookston School District has 472 Kindergarten through fifth grade and 595 sixth through 12th graders. It also has 73 students enrolled in post-secondary education options (kids can take college classes at UMC, NCTC, and other colleges for free).
At the end of last school year, there were 477 students in K-5 and 604 students in 6-12 grade, a total decrease of 14 students overall. PSEO students were 45 last school year, and this year, there are 73. “We are maintaining anyway,” said Crookston School Superintendent Randy Bergquist. “Last year, we had 45 students take PSEO classes, and this year, we have 73, so we will need to work on that as a district.”
SUBSTITUTE TEACHER PAY INCREASED
The school board unanimously approved an increase in substitute teacher pay, with board member Dave Davidson obtaining since he is a substitute teacher in the district.
Currently, subs earn $145 per day, and that is towards the lower end of area schools. The board approved increasing substitute teacher pay to $160, which is $20 per hour, effective October 1, 2024. “The school board graciously went to $160, which puts us above some of the school districts that neighbor our district,” said Superintendent Bergquist. “Hopefully, with the increase, we are going to be able to attract more subs. The bottom line is that we need subs for teachers and for every entity we have, like bus drivers, paraprofessionals, instructional aides, and everything.”
If you’re interested in being a substitute teacher, you currently have to have a four-year degree, and you can contact Marilyn Wahouske at the Crookston School District Office.
TRI-VALLEY EASEMENT PROPERTY LINE REQUEST
A late addition to the agenda was Jason Carlson (pictured right), CEO of Tri-Valley Opportunity Council in Crookston, who requested moving the easement property line at the Carmen School property so they could build a bus garage and possibly use another property to host a special ed consortium. “We were asking the school board to vacate the right-away between Tri-Valley’s property near the former Carmen School and the Carmen Park,” said Carlson. “The one project that is funded is a bus garage through MnDOT (Minnesota Department of Transportation). What we are trying to do is tuck that shed as far towards the Polk County DAC as possible, and by vacating the right-away between us and our two adjacent land-owners, we are able to gain a little more space, allowing for flexibility for the other unused space on the property.”
The unused land may soon be used, as Carlson said there is an offer to explore placing a Special Ed facility on it. “That, so far, hasn’t been funded. If it isn’t something with that, we are looking at possible future opportunities.”
WASHINGTON D.C. TRIP APPROVED
Crookston Middle School teacher Sue Wagner asked the school board to approve a field trip to Washington, D.C., for sixth and seventh graders from July 20 to 23, 2026.
They went on a D.C. field trip this summer, and it was a big success. The board approved the field trip and more information will be handed out to students on Monday, September 30 with a Digital Parent meeting on Thursday, October 10.
CONSENT AGENDA
The board approved the employment of Emma Mekkes as a paraprofessional at Highland School, Mary Ramirez as a School Age Care Instructional Aide at Highland School, Trista O’Meara and Kayla LouCoursiere as Instructional Assistants at Highland School, and Annika Cuevas as Success Coach at the High School.
The board accepted the resignations of Katie Chaput Strom as a paraprofessional, Brandon Neibauer-Adams as Junior High One-Act Play Director, and Head Speech Coach.
The board approved the master agreement with the Instructional Assistants for the 2024-25, 2025-26, and 2026-27 school years and lane advancement requests.
The main agenda includes the approval of a preliminary levy certification. They will discuss and approve the substitute teacher’s rate of pay. They will discuss and approve the READ Act training for new staff and discuss a memorandum of understanding for the READ Act.
After the meeting, there was supposed to be a closed meeting to discuss a grievance filed against a district employee, but the two people who filed the grievance didn’t show up to the meeting.
The old (yellow lines) and new property line Tri-Valley was proposing if the alley is vacated is pictured below.
