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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