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School officials, parents to rally at Capitol BRAINERD SCHOOL BOARD Staff Writer Watch out St. Paul, Brainerd is coming.
Between a parent-led rally on April 1 and the Brainerd School Board's new platform on a variety of school funding issues, legislators better be ready.
The school board Monday approved its Legislative Committee recommendation to approve the district's platform asking the state Legislature for two things: To provide appropriate and equitable funding to the education system and to take responsibility for fulfilling its Constitutional obligation to provide for all learners.
The platform includes asking the state to support a bill to tax seasonal recreational properties for school operating levies like all other properties and to support a bill that adds a 2 percent increase for 2008-09 to provide emergency funding for special education.
When school officials are not breathing down the state's neck, the Brainerd community will be. Anne Holub has organized a parent-led non-partisan event to let state lawmakers know that the educational funding system is broken and to share personal stories about how the Brainerd community is struggling after a failed Nov. 6 operating levy referendum.
Interested parents, community members and students are invited to ride the buses down to the Capitol on April 1. Students will need to get permission to leave school in order to go on the day trip. Several teachers will be taking the day off to ride along.
Cost is $10 per person, which covers the cost of renting the chartered bus. Each bus will hold about 55 people and the committee is hoping to have enough parents signed up to rent at least two buses.
The buses are estimated to leave Brainerd between 8-8:30 a.m. and return between 4:30-5 p.m.
Parents will meet in small groups with lawmakers in the morning. The Brainerd community has reserved the State Capitol rotunda from 1-3 p.m. for people to step up and speak out.
Participants are encouraged to wear life jackets to serve as a physical reminder to St. Paul lawmakers that schools in the Brainerd lakes area, known for its recreational amenities, are drowning.
To sign up to attend the Day at the Capitol rally, e-mail Holub at holub@charter.net or call Jenny Holmes, communications coordinator at the Brainerd School District, at 454-6927.
In other school business, the board:
Heard that the district is considering the implementation of a Safe Routes to School program that will make students walk to school more safe.
Accepted resignations: Carolyn Bye, visual arts teacher at Forestview Middle School, effective Jan. 2; Ron Hamann, day engineer at Lowell Elementary School, effective Aug. 29; Corey Hins, Tech Systems Support, effective last Friday; Hal Peterson, custodian at South Campus, effective Sept. 2; Denene Schulke, noon aide at Baxter Elementary School, effective Dec. 31; and William Stave, night engineer at Baxter, effective May 30.
Approved the following leave of absences: Judith Haglin was reduced to a .4 full-time equivalent Forestview science teacher for next school year; Beth Kunstleben, special education at Lincoln and Garfield elementary schools, going on maternity leave to be effective May 1 to the end of school year; Joann Martin, food service, taking medical leave for the rest of the school year; and Jeanna Mauer, Nisswa Elementary School second grade teacher, taking personal leave effective for the 2008-09 school year.
Approved a trip to Peru for the Spanish Department for next March. Students and other participants going on the trip will pay the cost.
Heard the district received gifts from the following: Crow Wing Power for a round-trip by coach with a $800 value for a Baxter Elementary student trip to St. Paul; Mickey's donated $275 for sack lunches for the student trip to St. Paul; Bremer Bank donated $1,359 for Arts Alive; Crow Wing Power donated $100 for Operation Round-up; Target donated $1,000 for Arts Alive; Robert and Rachel Nystrom donated $250 for Student Council; an anonymous retired teacher donated $300 for the music program; and Gary and Kathie Phillips also donated $200 to music.
Approved a cooperative agreement with the Little Falls girls' hockey team. The agreement will mean that the Little Falls and Brainerd girls' hockey programs will become one for the next two school years, starting in 2008-09 school year.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.
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