The Crookston School Board met Monday evening in the Crookston High School Choir and Orchestra room.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Monday’s meeting opened with a Marcia Meine expressing both praise and concern with the high school’s handling of an alleged bullying incident. The grandmother of a Crookston High School student appreciated the concern displayed by several faculty members but urged the school board to address mental health awareness and bullying during the month of October.
MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL
The first item on the agenda was Crookston High School Principal Eric Bubna’s presentation on the middle school model, talking about changes they have made at the school to make it a better experience for seventh and eighth-graders. Bubna gave the board a comprehensive look at the changes they have made for the junior high students. “Instead of trying to find the one big thing that would make a big splash, we figured we would do a bunch of little things that would make a big difference,” said Bubna. “We have implemented a daily homeroom for our seventh graders, and it gives them a homeroom teacher and doing some team building, some reading days, homework, and grade check days. Besides being an emotional and social benefit for the kids, it has also allowed us to change the passing time so it isn’t the same as the other students, and they don’t have the same lunch.” The changes have helped with the students feeling like they are in more of a middle school setting, instead of being in a high school setting. Bubna said they had given all the seventh and eighth graders a binder to help them. “All the teachers are using this uniform system to keep kids organized and also to take note-taking,” said Bubna. “It is a bunch of little things that have added up, and the teachers have said wow, this is a big difference.”
Bubna said the first three weeks had gone very well at the high school. “A big piece is having the dean of students position back has been big, and it was something that I lobbied for last year, and Dr. (Jeremy) Olson and the school board made happen. Having the additional resource has allowed us to hammer on the little stuff. It isn’t anything magical, but we came out with the teachers and said they are going to hit it hard with hats and hoods and cell phones. Everyone is going to be consistent, and here is the rule, and there isn’t a variation from one class to the next, and the teachers are saying it feels a lot different so far. So far, so good. I am proud of the effort the teachers have put in, and it will be a good school year.”
CONSENT AGENDA/HIRING, RESIGNATIONS, AND RETIREMENTS
The board passed the consent agenda with the acceptance of resignations from Frank Ybarra in Dietary, Rochelle Chaput as an aide at Washington School, and Travis Ross as a junior high boys basketball coach. The board approved the Salary Lane Advancement request, and they also approved the employment of Adrianna Isum and Karlie Brekken as after school aides at Washington School. They accepted the hiring of Penny Halstad as a paraprofessional at the High School and Nicholle Fredrick and Emily Meyer as paraprofessionals at Highland School. The board also approved the retirement of Gayle Moen as a business instructor at the high school. “We are very fortunate with the new people we have coming on board, and we want to thank those that are leaving,” said Superintendent Jeremy Olson. “I want to do a special shout out to Mrs. Moen for 34 years with the district, and we wish her the best as she retires.”
The board also approved the fundraising requests and grants and donations.
TRUTH IN TAXATION HEARING DATE SET
The Crookston School Board set the Truth in Taxation hearing date for December 9, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. at the Crookston High School Choir/Orchestra room.
MAIN AGENDA/ELECTION/PROPERTY TAX LEVY
The Board accepted the resignation of Adrianne Winger (school board member), as the Treasurette Dance coach. The board also approved a resolution establishing the Absentee Ballot Board for voting for the School District Election not held on the day of a statewide election, and they also approved the election judges.“We are having a special election November 5, and we will be looking to fill a school board opening and to decrease our referendum and to vote on a $2.9 million bus garage,” explained Olson.
The final item on the main agenda was the approval of the preliminary property tax levy for 2019, payable in 2020 at a negative 6.9 percent. “Overall, it looks like there will be a decrease in the property tax levy for the school district side of things,” said Superintendent Olson. “Currently levying for the maximum looks like we will see a decrease, but through September and October, there are so many renditions of the levy that come out from the state. Overall it looks like we will see a decrease.”
REPORTS –
Superintendent Olson reported to the board that the enrollment has stayed steady at 1138 students. “We are looking at our student achievement scores, and how we compare with other districts that border us and overall, it is a pretty good story,” said Olson. “The scores were strong. We did have a drop-in science, and we are working on that, but we increased in math.” You can see the test result graphs below –
The next Crookston School Board meeting will be Monday, October 28, at 5:00 p.m. at the Crookston High School Choir/Orchestra room.
