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OrrCountry, I admire that you are looking to solve small school problems in this area and truly believe your heart is in the right place. I don’t believe your interests are vested in personal gain as others in the area are. I worry they don’t have yours or Orr’s best interests at heart as you do and will turn on you in a heartbeat. Your intelligence shows and you sincerely are trying ideas to see if they will work. I do not want to criticize your efforts but here are some issues to ponder regarding a northern district.

1.Any of us has control of the future educational course of this area at this point. The 2142 school board does as a result of the 52% to 48% approved vote.

2.An assumption that Ely, which appears to have an interest in quality education with an adequate taxation level, would have an interest in downgrading its system to the previous 2142 taxation level which is what I think is being proposed. The Ely school board appears to have suggested to Tower to take a hike after the referendum passed, if you want to send your students here do so. It isn’t a problem for us. Ely is interested in remaining autonomous at this point.

3.An assumption that Babbitt-Embarrass would be interested in downgrading the improved level of education that will result from the approved vote back down to an inadequate level.

4.We are all happy with a sub par education for our children to keep our taxes low.

5.Babbitt-Embarrass which passed the vote roughly 70% Yes, 30% No would be interested in joining such an under funded district and subsidize it as well with the taconite tax funds. What is the point of creating an under funded district which I believe Babbitt-Embarrass has no interest in being part of. The vote on this has spoken.

6.Politically, would our area legislators get involved in this in an election year when they will alienate roughly ½ of the voters in the area either way? Their gubernatorial vote is at stake.

7.A workable solution could be made. Orr hopes to be the center of a super school between Cook, Orr and I’Falls. Cook hopes to be the center of a super school between Orr, Cook & Tower. Tower hopes to be the center of a super school between Cook, Tower, Babbitt-Embarrass and Ely. When this new district would be made who gets the shaft? Financing is inadequate for these schools, period, someone in this new district will have to close and we are right back to the same situation as ISD 2142. So here we go again, everyone with their boxing gloves on deciding who is to close? How about this current desire: we maintain these schools at the current sub par level to subsidize our communities. That should do the trick. Selling our children’s future and education out for questionable interests in some cases, hmmm.

8.The personal attacks inflicted upon many by the “Tower Group” has made any discussion likely impossible at this point. There has been too much animosity generated. Sadly, they destroyed potential opportunity for Cook and Orr because of this.

Keep thinking Orrcountry, really liked your post regarding the changes needed for rural school funding. Perhaps as an area we need to work together to change the seasonal rec funding so it stays in this area rather than funding Vikings and Twins stadiums.