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The positions talked about for weeks became actual people at Monday's Crookston School Board meeting, as Superintendent Wayne Gilman added further details to the $955,000 2009-10 budget reduction package previously approved by the board. The package with the actual names of affected staff is expected to be approved when the board meets on Monday, April 13.
One tenured teacher is affected, however, and because tenured staff need to be notified by April 1, Crookston High School business teacher Kristi Swanson was placed on an unrequested leave of absence by the board on Monday.
Gilman advised, however, that even though the package will likely be approved in mid-April, it could be June before everything shakes out once and for all, meaning that other, non-tenured staff could potentially learn that their contracts are being terminated in the summer, and not have a lot of time to secure other jobs prior to the start of the 2009-10 school year. With some K-12 funding proposals at the state legislature in St. Paul calling for significant reductions over the next budget biennium, and a potential special session dragging into June, Gilman said these are very uncertain times for the Crookston School District as well as countless others across the state.
In addition to Swanson, other staff affected by the cuts include:
• Kathy Bakken-Dryden, a teacher at Northern Lights Academy, will be reassigned to replace the retiring Dawn Newton as director of New Paths Area Learning Center.
• With the reduction of one section of second grade, current second grade teacher Jamie Kresl will move to fourth grade, and current fourth grade teacher Laurie Sanders' contract will be terminated.
• The Home School Liaison position will be reduced to half-time, and it's possible that Mary Farley will delay her retirement and remain on at that level for the upcoming year.
• Transportation Administrative Assistant Carol Picard's position is being eliminated, but she will retain her bus driving duties. Transportation Director Rick Niemela will no longer have any support staff.
• Jim Kent, curriculum/staff development/testing coordinator, will have his position reduced to half-time.
• Delivery Custodian John Barrus will now handle general custodial duties and Corey Winger's hours will be reduced. But with the board approving Don Hoffman's request for a one-year leave of absence, Winger could retain his hours.
• Youth Services Coordinator Mary Ann Odland's position is being eliminated, with CHS Dean of Students John Tufte taking over the bulk of her duties. Gilman explained that the change will save the district money because some of Tufte's salary will come from community service funds.
• Payables Accountant Marilyn Wahouske's position is being eliminated. Current Business Manager Laura Lyczewski held that job before she was promoted.
• Health teacher Carolyn Osenga is being non-renewed as part of a .7 full-time equivalent health reduction at Highland. Physical education teacher Mike Hajostek will have his hours increased by .3 FTE.
• It's still not known if one special education teacher will be cut, or three special education paraprofessionals. Special Ed Director Joni Burris said she'll know "well before June."
• Because of demand for industrial technology classes, there will be no reduction in Pirates Cove classes. But money is being saved because the t-shirt making process is being changed, requiring less technology, and the digital printer is being sold.
• Sue Wolfe in the CHS Guidance Office is having her position cut by half, and the same goes for Suzanne St. Michel, Community Education administrative assistant.
• The computer lab technician is being reduced by .2 FTE, saving the district $8,671 paid via stipend to Chris Trostad.
• Art teacher Jill Schisano's .15 FTE contract is not being renewed.
• Library Aide Nancy Asman is being reduced by .2 FTE.
The positions talked about for weeks became actual people at Monday's Crookston School Board meeting, as Superintendent Wayne Gilman added further details to the $955,000 2009-10 budget reduction package previously approved by the board. The package with the actual names of affected staff is expected to be approved when the board meets on Monday, April 13.
One tenured teacher is affected, however, and because tenured staff need to be notified by April 1, Crookston High School business teacher Kristi Swanson was placed on an unrequested leave of absence by the board on Monday.
Gilman advised, however, that even though the package will likely be approved in mid-April, it could be June before everything shakes out once and for all, meaning that other, non-tenured staff could potentially learn that their contracts are being terminated in the summer, and not have a lot of time to secure other jobs prior to the start of the 2009-10 school year. With some K-12 funding proposals at the state legislature in St. Paul calling for significant reductions over the next budget biennium, and a potential special session dragging into June, Gilman said these are very uncertain times for the Crookston School District as well as countless others across the state.
In addition to Swanson, other staff affected by the cuts include:
• Kathy Bakken-Dryden, a teacher at Northern Lights Academy, will be reassigned to replace the retiring Dawn Newton as director of New Paths Area Learning Center.
• With the reduction of one section of second grade, current second grade teacher Jamie Kresl will move to fourth grade, and current fourth grade teacher Laurie Sanders' contract will be terminated.
• The Home School Liaison position will be reduced to half-time, and it's possible that Mary Farley will delay her retirement and remain on at that level for the upcoming year.
• Transportation Administrative Assistant Carol Picard's position is being eliminated, but she will retain her bus driving duties. Transportation Director Rick Niemela will no longer have any support staff.
• Jim Kent, curriculum/staff development/testing coordinator, will have his position reduced to half-time.
• Delivery Custodian John Barrus will now handle general custodial duties and Corey Winger's hours will be reduced. But with the board approving Don Hoffman's request for a one-year leave of absence, Winger could retain his hours.
• Youth Services Coordinator Mary Ann Odland's position is being eliminated, with CHS Dean of Students John Tufte taking over the bulk of her duties. Gilman explained that the change will save the district money because some of Tufte's salary will come from community service funds.
• Payables Accountant Marilyn Wahouske's position is being eliminated. Current Business Manager Laura Lyczewski held that job before she was promoted.
• Health teacher Carolyn Osenga is being non-renewed as part of a .7 full-time equivalent health reduction at Highland. Physical education teacher Mike Hajostek will have his hours increased by .3 FTE.
• It's still not known if one special education teacher will be cut, or three special education paraprofessionals. Special Ed Director Joni Burris said she'll know "well before June."
• Because of demand for industrial technology classes, there will be no reduction in Pirates Cove classes. But money is being saved because the t-shirt making process is being changed, requiring less technology, and the digital printer is being sold.
• Sue Wolfe in the CHS Guidance Office is having her position cut by half, and the same goes for Suzanne St. Michel, Community Education administrative assistant.
• The computer lab technician is being reduced by .2 FTE, saving the district $8,671 paid via stipend to Chris Trostad.
• Art teacher Jill Schisano's .15 FTE contract is not being renewed.
• Library Aide Nancy Asman is being reduced by .2 FTE.
Holding CEA money
The board officially accepted the $70,000 in staff development funds waived in 2009-10 by the Crookston Education Association, and board chair Nick Nicholas thanked the teachers for voting to do so.
But, even though the CEA asked, unofficially, that the money be spent to retain licensed teachers, the board decided that, for now, the money will be put in a reserve account, at least until the state legislature decides how it will fund public education over the next biennium.
Board member Frank Fee said that he feels every effort should be made to spend the staff development money on licensed teachers, but added that he thinks the CEA will understand the board's reluctance to immediately spend it all, given some of the dire proposals coming out of St. Paul.
Gilman, saying he hopes that teachers and others are "appalled" by what they're hearing in St. Paul, urged them to contact the area's legislative contingent and voice their concerns. Concerned superintendents only have so much of an impact, he said, but if 100 Crookston teachers and staff contacted legislators, they could have a significant impact.
Asked by teacher Dave Davidson what cuts might be in store a year from now if the economy doesn't rebound, Gilman said the cuts would get deeper and more painful. Reducing elementary sections to three, reducing the number of principals and reducing the activities director and dean of students at CHS are potential possibilities for future cuts, he said. And, Gilman added, about one-third of this year's reduction package is one-time savings only.
"We can't not buy buses forever, we can't not ever buy new textbooks or computers," he said. "We just can't ignore things we need, things that kids need, forever."
