TOWER— Unhappy parents showed up in force at the ISD 2142 school board meeting held here on Tuesday, to weigh in on concerns about cuts to teaching staff and increasing class sizes at the North Woods school. Members of the American Indian Parent Advisory Committee also attended, to complain once again that the district is not in compliance with Minnesota statutes addressing needs of the district’s more than 330 American Indian students.
As reported in the Feb. 21 Timberjay, North Woods parents are upset with the district’s plan to cut five teaching positions at the school, half of the total teacher cuts planned in the district next year in order to address a projected $1.5 million budget shortfall.
The board listened but did not respond to the four parents and grandparents who spoke during public comment.
Suzie Holter told the board about her deep concern for the future of North Woods students and the potential decline in the quality of education at the school.
“The cuts to our teaching staff and essential programs are too much,” she said. “I am particularly concerned about how these reductions are being made while buildings, maintenance, and administrative positions seem to remain unaffected.”
Holter wondered how the district could justify the continued operation of the Tower-Soudan school and the district office.
“Why can’t we relocate that office to an existing school?” she asked. “Where there is space available, and a more efficient use of resources can be made.”
Holter also wondered why the Tower and Babbitt schools, which have smaller student enrollments, could not be combined.
Holter expressed the frustration she and other parents feel about the lack of response from the district to their concerns.
“We are receiving no responses at all,” she said. “We deserve answers.”
Jennifer Herdman told the board that discipline issues were already a major concern for many parents at North Woods.
“When classes are consistently interrupted, less learning takes place,” she said. “Bad behavior needs to have serious consequences.”
She spoke about her son’s experience in a class with over 30 students two years ago.
“It was a nightmare for him,” she said. “He hated school.”
She noted the classrooms were physically too small to fit that many students.
“It’s too noisy and there is no room to move around,” she said.
The district plan to cut teaching staff means that more classes at North Woods would be combined, creating larger classes for many more students.
This isn’t fair for the students or the teachers, she said.
“Is it fair for a teacher to teach 30 kids at North Woods when a teacher in Tower has much less?” she asked.
The board chair cut off Herdman, saying she had gone past her allotted three minutes speaking time, but another parent offered up her time so Herdman could continue.
Herdman wondered if it was too late for the district to reconsider moving to a four-day week, which could potentially save the equivalent of five teacher salaries.
The district did survey parents and community members about a four-day week, but the survey found that the savings would be erased by the number of parents stating they would send their kids to another district if the four-day week was implemented.
“You will see more students leaving because of the large class sizes,” Herdman said. “You need to start listening to parents and teachers.”
Herdman said if the district survey had discussed the possibility of these large staffing cuts if the four-day week was not approved, the survey results might have been vastly different.
“It’s time to start listening to us,” she said, “the taxpayers who are paying your salaries. Our children, teachers, and community deserve better.”
Tammy Palmer, who has five grandchildren at North Woods, asked what other schools are looking at having combined classes with more than 30 students.
“One of my grandkids is in a sixth-grade room with over 30 students,” she said. “I’ve been in that classroom. You are putting too much pressure on these teachers.”
Palmer emphasized that the staff at North Woods is wonderful, caring, and professional. She said some of her grandkids live in Soudan but choose to attend North Woods.
She also asked the board to reconsider the four-day week option.
“You can make Fridays work,” she said. “Work with Cook to offer programming at the recreation center. You need to be creative.”
She also asked if any administrative cuts were being considered.
The board did not discuss the plans for teacher cuts or respond to any of the concerns expressed during the meeting.
The board, after starting their regular agenda, adopted the formal resolution to have the administrator make recommendations regarding reduction in staff and programming. This is the first step required for any teacher layoffs and is done annually.
The board also accepted the report from the American Indian Parent Advisory Committee that stated the district is not in compliance with state and federal rules regarding the spending of Title VI dollars, and heard a brief report from committee parent member Monica Porter.
“We based our decision on non-concurrence on the self-assessment rubric which we reviewed and updated this year. The ratings have not changed in the last three years,” she told the board. “Please go over this document carefully.”
The district receives federal Title VI funding to specifically address the needs of American Indian students. This funding is only supposed to be spent on eligible Title VI students, not part of the district’s general educational programming.
“We would like to collaborate with the school board to ensure that working towards excellence in this rubric is a priority of ISD 2142,” they wrote.
The rubric, which is supplied by the Minnesota Department of Education, is supposed to insure that the district is following state statutes regarding the education of American Indian students and to reduce achievement gaps. The rubric lets committee members grade the district on a four-point scale, from no implementation to full implementation. The district received very few scores of four on the rubric.
The committee sent a detailed list of over 30 items of concern, and they are asking for more formal, scheduled collaboration with the school board, and to give the committee more insight into how the district is using its Title VI funds.
After the meeting, committee parents said the academic achievement of the American Indian students in the district is their main concern. Many of those students are testing below the district average in math and reading.
“Our funding is supposed to close the achievement gaps,” said Porter, who said they feel the funding is being misspent.
Alberta Warwas noted that her mother was fighting the exact same fight when she was a student.
The parents added that the achievement gap is a statewide issue, not just in ISD 2142.
“We are hoping that the new school board members and fresh eyes will start the board in a new direction,” said Porter. “We really have a strong parent committee, and we are not ready to give up the fight.”
Porter said their goal is to improve education for all the students. She said the district has hired full-time Indigenous Support Advocates in each building, and some buildings also have aides. But the number of American Indian students is large enough that more staff is needed to work with the students and their families.
“I was tempted to transfer my kids,” she said. “But then who will fight for our kids.”
Other business
In other business, the board:
• Hired support staff including Kristine Dundas as a para at North Woods, Tori Palkovich as a para at NE Range, Elizabeth Beenken as an ECFE teacher aide at NE Range, and Lisa Wilson as a substitute nutrition employee at North Woods. The board adjusted hours for Amy Boutto, Indigenous Support Advocate II at North Woods.
• Re-hired DeeAnn Sandberg as head softball coach and Rebecca Bundy as assistant coach at North Woods. Other North Woods’ hires include Kandi Olson as golf coach, and Jennifer Burnett for assistant track coach. The board also hired Aaron Donais as assistant baseball coach at NE Range (which co-ops with host Ely) and accepted the resignation of Tate Olson as boys golf coach at North Woods.
• Heard from newly-hired Tower-Soudan bus driver Karel Winkelaar, who talked about positive interactions he had with students on his bus which have caused him to start volunteering at the school, reading to children.
• Heard that Tower-Soudan and NE Range will be collaborating with staff from Minnesota North-Vermilion to bring in educators to work with students out in the new school forest behind the Tower-Soudan School.
• Heard updates from board members on activities and achievements at their schools, including the upcoming robotics competition with teams from NE Range and North Woods participating, and the upcoming band and choir competitions that will be held at NE Range.
• School board member Jarrett Bundy told the parents who attended the meeting that “I hear you. Your voices are being heard.”