Enjoy the season!

From all of us at North Branch Area Schools to all of you, have a wonderful holiday season filled with family and friends.

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Arena still in the running!

"If We Build It, They Will Skate!" is among the top 50 in the Pepsi Refresh Grant and you can vote as often as you like in November to see it through to victory. If the arena wins, it could mean $250,000 in grant money. Follow this link to the voting page.

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Food for thought

There is an interesting quote at the end of Mitch Pearlstein's "North High" column today, but he may have missed something subtle but critical:

"...please explain how American education can ever get sufficiently better as long as adequate learning and viable schools are viewed as something politicians and superintendents deliver, rather than as something for which students and their families are ultimately responsible."

Mr. Pearlstein is correct as far as it goes, a school can only be as successful if those served take full advantage of the opportunities. But in the larger sense, he misses the role a community at large has in the education of its youth.

Public education has always been a societal concern in America. As such, one generation supports another and the implied contract is that generation will carry the torch. When those already educated no longer feel like it then becomes their responsibility to pass along opportunities they had to the next generation of students, schools and communities risk failure in a much larger sense.

Community can mean what you like; the area served or the state that oversees education. Either way, when we get to the point that we want less for the next generation than we want for ourselves, we have turned our back on perhaps the greatest American tradition of all.

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Candidates Forum

North Branch Area Community Education and the Chisago County League of Women Voters are hosting a candidates forum, and opportunity to get informed regarding the candidates for many offices, including:

Senate District 17
Minnesota House of Representatives (District 17B)
Chisago County Board of Commissioners (District 2)
Chisago County Sheriff
North Branch Area Public School Board

The forum is Monday, Oct. 25 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the North Branch Area High School Auditorium. I hope you can attend.

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The Rumor Mill

In case you haven't heard, the district has started a web page called The Rumor Mill, where many of the rumors heard out in the community are addressed by the district.

It is always important, when making important decisions and forming opinions, to have as many facts as possible. I hope you will stop by and read a few facts you may not have heard before.

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Enrollments

Enrollment has been a topic of discussion lately and I, and likely you, have heard many things circulating in the community.

The Post Review today has an article on last Thursday's school board meeting, at which enrollment data was provided. I encourage all to read the article to be reminded that the district, like the community at large, is suffering due to factors beyond its control. Housing starts - present and past - indicate what has been happening:

As noted in a demographer’s report last February, the decline in enrollment is directly correlated to a slowdown in residential development in the area.

That can be seen by noting that for the year, North Branch has had only 2 housing starts. In the early years of this century, that number soared to some 200 starts per year.

If you would like further information on enrollments, click here to view the presentation from last Thursday which includes all the data available on current enrollments.

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Levies are everywhere

The Pioneer Press has an article today about all the school districts seeking operating levies this fall:

The Minnesota Department of Education reports that 79 districts — the highest number in three years — are seeking levy authority in the Nov. 2 election to raise about $82.3 million in 2012 alone. Most levies would last for 10 years, with others for five.

Behind the spike is the state's projected $6 billion budget deficit, said Greg Abbot, spokesman for the Minnesota School Boards Association. Districts assume education funding will stay flat or fall while school costs keep going up, he said.

"The only way they can survive is if their local community steps up," Abbot said.

North Branch Area Public Schools was in the early wave of districts experiencing budget cuts due to flat funding, declining enrollment, and no operating levy in place. We've cut $13 million since 2003. We rank right near the bottom in state funding. Now, as enrollments have declined statewide and the state has not increased funding, we are seeing countless other districts experiencing the fallout. I encourage anyone who thinks budget cuts are a "North Branch problem" to read the entire article.

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Levy informational meeting

The school board will host a levy informational meeting on Thursday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m. It will directly follow the school board's regular business meeting, which starts at 7 p.m.

At the levy meeting we will present information about the three questions on the Nov. 2 ballot, and those in attendance will have an opportunity to submit questions following the presentation.

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Arena grant opportunity

The North Branch Area Hockey Association is trying to secure a grant to build a new hockey arena, and the more votes they receive the better. Click here and vote for "If We Build It, They Will Skate." NBAHA is in the running to secure $250,000. You can vote every day October 1st- through October 31. Anyone 13 years and older can vote!

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Tough questions for candidates

Patsy Green, Robbinsdale school board member, has a great editorial in the Star Tribune explaining why so many districts have sought, or are seeking, operating levies. She also has some tough questions that should be asked of candidates seeking state office:

•Why did Minnesota's per-pupil spending fall from 8 percent above the national average in 1997 to 1.3 percent below the national average in 2007?

•Why does Minnesota fail to fund its special-education formula, causing our school districts to spend more than $500 million in funding meant for regular instruction on special-education programs?

•With a critical need to close the achievement gap, why have our state policymakers not restored the funding cuts to summer-school and after-school programming that were made in 2003?

•Why do more than 90 percent of the school districts in Minnesota have to rely on voter-approved operating referendums to provide basic programs for their students?

I hope you will read it all.

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Why is the district resurfacing the high school track?

This week I have had a few inquiries regarding the resurfacing of the high school track and how it fits with the district's budget issues. I addressed this subject a few months ago in my "School News" column (click here to go to the online version). for your convenience, I re-post the column here in its entirety:

How can we fix the track while cutting budgets?

By Deb Henton, Ed.D.
Superintendent

One difficult task school districts have, especially those experiencing budget cuts, is explaining the difference between “operating” and “capital” budgets. To put it in a local context: How can the district repair the high school track when it is cutting teachers?

Repairing the track, or replacing a roof, adding secure entrances to buildings, or conducting asbestos abatement, fall into the category of capital needs, or maintenance, and have dedicated funding sources. In simple terms, funds available for those projects cannot be used for operating expenses. So, even if the district wanted to use capital funds to keep teachers or programs, it is not allowed to do that.

These rules exist for a reason. A district has a responsibility to the community it serves to maintain its physical resources for future generations. Taxpayers provide the funds to construct buildings, parking lots, tennis courts, and tracks, and it is the district’s duty to make sure those investments are protected. When done correctly, as it has been for decades with the Main Street School, those resources can be available for students, and the community, for generations.

Were rules not in place, it would force districts to choose between the classroom and its facilities.

Replacing the track has become an urgent need. It is roughly 35 years old, and its life span is 18-20 years.

Failure to fix it could result in an inability to host track meets.

Allowing the track to fall into such a state of disrepair as to render it unusable would be devastating to the track program and disrespectful of taxpayers who expect us to maintain facilities their hard-earned money funded, and who utilize the track themselves.

The inability to host meets could also have a negative economic impact on the community. Perhaps more than any other event, track meets bring large numbers of students and parents from outside the area. They purchase gas for their vehicles, eat in our restaurants, and shop in our stores.

People ask regularly, “How do we attract people to North Branch?” Track meets are one way in which we already do. The district has a responsibility to protect such a valuable resource, not just for present students and taxpayers, but future ones as well.

If you still have questions about the track, please don't hesitate to call me at 651-674-1012.

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Should be fun

I will be participating in an online debate forum today at noon. Hosted by MPR, the four-day week will be the subject of the debate, and the other panel member will be Perham-Dent Superintendent Tamara Uselman. Participation is welcome so join the fun!

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NBAPS as a business for easy viewing

The district now has "NBAPS as a business" available as a web page. Click here to view it without downloading.

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NBAHS had a big year

North Branch Area High School is the only high school in the state to make the Star Tribune's top ten list for improvements in math. The school realized an 18% improvement!

Read more about the district's AYP results here.

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We are approved!

The district learned yesterday afternoon that the state has approved our application for a four-day week. You can read the press release here, and also view the letter sent to the district from MDE commissioner Alice Seagren.

I was pleased MDE noticed the great degree to which the district went to involve as many people as possible, and am looking forward to dedicating those "fifth day" dollars to the classroom, which so many have told us needs to be our top priority.

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NBAPS as a business

We have compiled a document entitled "NBAPS as a Business," which gives an overview of the size and scope of district operations. It also shows what the district receives and spends in specific areas relative to the state averages. I hope it will answer many questions people have about the district.

You can review this two-page, easy to read summary by clicking here.

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Good deeds go noticed

MaryHelen Swanson, editor of the Post Review and fellow blogger, tackles Community Service Day in her latest post. I was unaware of this show of appreciation in Sunrise Twsp:

(Joel) Peterson also prepared a certificate of appreciation for each of the students, and later in the day, after the work was done, Sherry Stirling of the Chisago County Historical Society was going to open the Sunrise museum and give the kids a tour so they could learn more about the community of Sunrise. It was certainly going to be a win-win situation for everyone.

Do read the entire post.

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A voice for the have-nots

The ECM editorial board has published its opinion on my letter to Governor Tim Pawlenty and the state of funding in Minnesota. It is entitled "Parents with kids in have-not school districts need to stand up for kids’ equal education" and you can read it here. Here's an excerpt:

Henton pointed out there are have and have-not districts because some receive more dollars from the state, and property-rich districts are able to pass special levy referendums.

The school funding mechanism is inequitable and needs to be fixed, she said, citing her own district where operating funds per student in 2008 was $8,136.

Compare that to Minneapolis which had total operating fund aids and levies per student of $14,324, St. Paul, $12,199; Mounds View, $12,473, Wayzata, $12,047; Lakeville, $9589 and Elk River, $9,572.

In other words, funding for a student in North Branch was $6,198 less than for a student in Minneapolis.

Compared to a student in suburban Mounds View, a North Branch student received $4,337 less total operating fund revenues.

Please read it all and share the link with anyone you know who cares about education and North Branch Area Public Schools.

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More on NBAEF

The North Branch Area Education Foundation has been very busy. They unveiled a Facebook page recently, and now have an official website as well.

Check it out!

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NBAEF at Facebook

The North Branch Area Education Foundation now has a Facebook page. This is a wonderful organization working to create opportunities for generations of students. It's first major fund-raiser is this fall and you can learn more about that event here.

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More good news

NBAHS senior baseball player Sean Graff is the Hardware Hank "nuts and bolts" athlete of the week. MinnesotaSportsOnline has more.

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Big news today!

Congratulations to basketball coach Bill Baumann on his impending induction into the MBCA Hall of Fame. To read more about this exciting news, go to the district homepage, or click here.

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My open letter to Governor Pawlenty

The following was sent to the governor and copied to legislators, media, and heads of professional organizations on April 5:

Dear Governor Pawlenty:

North Branch Area Public Schools (NBAPS) is deeply grateful to you for your dedication to protecting education funding as the state has struggled with deficits. NBAPS staff, students, and community know a thing or two about deficits, and that is why I write to you today.

Since 2003-04, NBAPS has cut over $11 million from operating budgets. As each annual cut approaches, the decisions get more and more difficult, and the community more and more frustrated with valuable things lost. After almost a decade of painful cuts, valuable programs, gifted staff, and countless opportunities have been replaced by extremely high class sizes, increased fees, a shortened school week, and a community that doesn't understand why its children are worth less than those of almost every other district in the state.

Our taxpayers support education but, due to a lack of commercial tax base in Chisago County, bear the lion's share of the tax burden as residential home owners. Given the opportunity to say "no" to an operating levy and higher taxes, our community has done so six times in the last decade. We understand that decision; levies here cost taxpayers two, three times, or more what they would cost in another district, largely due to the erosion of the equalization formulas.

We are proud of what we have accomplished. The state asked districts to make do with less and we have come through each and every year. We may be one of the lowest funded districts in the state, but I would put the quality of the education here against any district in the state.

Our staff has embraced Q-Comp and ours is considered by MDE to be among the finest Q-Comp plans in the state. North Branch Area Middle School has twice (2007, 2010) been recognized with a Spotlight Award from the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation. On both occasions, it was the only middle school in the state to be so recognized.

We have also found creative ways to be fiscally responsible. The school board recently approved the closure of a building, the district has joined a cooperative for special education services, shares an employee with another district, and has embraced the idea of shared services for years.

However, the district and community can no longer sustain these cuts, and the frustration and mistrust they cause. While other districts in the state are passing levies to add opportunity, our teachers accepted a hard wage freeze for this year, as have I, and other employees will be expected to do the same. We are implementing a four-day week to save $175,000 a year. We have cut energy costs by over $100,000.

As a former civics teacher, I know that often-times answers to the problems we face lie in our state and federal constitutions. In Minnesota, the importance of education was understood very well by our forefathers, who articulated that importance in this passage of our state constitution: "...it is the duty of the legislature to establish a general and uniform system of public schools. The legislature shall make such provisions by taxation or otherwise as will secure a thorough and efficient system of public schools throughout the state."

Governor, there is little that is uniform about our public school system at this time. The current funding formula has created a vast gap between the haves and the have nots. Until this gap is addressed, the state is not living up to the promise our forefathers made its citizens, a promise important enough to include as part of the very fabric of the state.

NBAPS is looking at another $1.2 million in cuts for 2011-12, and has projected deficits well into the future. Though we realize the state has financial challenges of its own, it should not stop our esteemed leaders from finding a way to live up to the state's constitutional duty to all students in Minnesota. Please solve the funding inequities in public education. Please repair the equalization formula. There are 3,500 students at NBAPS and the quality of their education is at stake. They will never get a second chance.

I hope you will strongly consider visiting NBAPS in the near future. We would very much like the honor of showing you how far we have been able to stretch every taxpayer dollar. More importantly, we would like you to see first-hand that we, as a district and a community, are out of options.

We need action now to ensure a generation of our children can contribute to a brighter tomorrow for the state of Minnesota. Please don't hesitate to contact me at your earliest convenience to arrange a visit.

Respectfully yours,

Deb Henton, Ed.D.
Superintendent

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Budget bites

Here's a neat website if you want to stay current on state budget issues: MinnesotaBudgetBites.org.

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More four-day news

Joe Nathan, education columnist for ECM Publishers, has penned a column based on what he has learned about the four-day week from Ogilvie superintendent Ed Harris. Nathan also spoke to Rush City superintendent Vern Koepp and myself. Also this week, another Minnesota district has approved a four-day week.

UPDATE: At the Post Review, an editorial expands on the Nathan column.

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End of course exams update

In May of 2009, I wrote about the need to move state standard math testing to an "end of course" exam. It's nice to see the state looking at the solution more seriously:

The changes proposed by the state Department of Education would require state tests at the end of algebra II and biology courses. Those courses are required to graduate, and the new tests would be worth a quarter of the grade for the courses. Required exams in geometry and chemistry or physics eventually would be added.

These proposed changes are very much a step in the right direction, in my opinion.

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Answers lie at the state level

Minnesota 2020's John Fitzgerald has an incredible article everyone in North Branch Area Public Schools needs to read. Here's an excerpt:

North Branch is considering conversion to a four-day week next year. Can other financially troubled districts like Robbinsdale, Brooklyn Center or Minneapolis be far behind?

The problem is simple. Minnesota has cut aid to schools by an inflation-adjusted 14 percent since 2003. None of the state's school districts can survive with that kind of a cut to their revenue unless they have very wealthy property owners who are willing to raise taxes to make up for the state's inadequate funding. Understandably, the number of those wealthy districts is few.

North Branch is not one of those wealthy districts.

Please, if you care about education at NBAPS, read it all.

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School finance 101 and the four-day week

North Branch Area Public Schools is hosting two important meetings on Thursday, Feb. 18. At 6 p.m., in the Sunrise River School cafeteria, all are welcome to attend "School Finance 101," hosted by Schools for Equity in Education's Deb Griffiths. Just in time for budget season, learn how schools are funded and the challenges faced by NBAPS.

Immediately following that one-hour presentation, the district will host the first of three informational meetings on the four-day school week (7 - 8:30 p.m. SRS cafeteria). Early estimates suggest the district could save a minimum of $125,000 annually by implementing such a schedule. Please go to the four-day school week information page to learn more.

Two other public meetings will follow:

Feb. 22: School board room (204), Main Street School, 7 - 8:30 a.m.
Feb. 23: High school auditorium, 5 - 6:30 p.m.

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Budget season begins

There is all kinds of new budget and four-day week information at the district website today, including this podcast of last night's work session:



Both budget and four-day week now have dedicated web pages where you can learn more and provide input. Click here for the 2010-11 budget homepage, and here for the four-day week homepage.

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NBAPS has important announcement

North Branch Area Public Schools made a very important announcement today. You can read it here.

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NBAPS on the map

The Minnesota Department of Education has a neat new feature at its website called "Minnesota Education Mapper". It allows users to view schools, districts and education regions and includes other useful map information. You can also identify schools and districts by location and view report card information and more.

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SEE the solution

Schools for Equity in Education has released its 2010 legislative platform, which you can read here.

Among other things, it calls for a new funding system, greater taxpayer fairness, reductions in funding disparity, and the elimination of reliance on the operating levy.

As you know, NBAPS has become the poster child for problems with the current state funding system. I encourage each and every one of you to call your representatives and encourage them to work toward changing the system that has been so damaging to our district and community.

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Hoops for a cure

In just a few short weeks, the North Branch Area and Chisago Lakes high school basketball programs raised over $9,000 for cancer research. A check presentation was made to the American Cancer Society during a double-header between the two programs on Jan. 12.

It's a wonderful outcome for cancer research and the student athletes and coaches involved. Many thanks to a community that really stepped up and answered this call.

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Where it's all headed?

Here's an interesting trend in post-secondary education:

Both the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system say they've seen double digit increases in recent years in the number of students taking online courses.

Online courses can take multiple forms. The article linked above talks about "hybrid" courses, in which students spend a portion of their time in class, and a portion learning online. North Branch Area Public Schools has something similar, its distance learning program, which blends classroom time with both offline and online learning.

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