By Patrick Tepoorten

At last Thursdayís meeting of the North Branch school board, chairperson Kim Salo took the pulse of the rest of the board on the possibility of a fall referendum.

ìWe canít argue that there isnít a need,î she said, but wondered if the board thought it would be worth pursuing given a recent history of failed referendums.

Board clerk Jeanne Walz stressed that she could not make a decision regarding the future of a fall referendum without knowing ìwhat the need is,î and how big the referendum would therefore be.

ìI donít have a doubt that the need is there,î replied vice-chairperson Donna Setter. However, Setter also made note of the recent past. ìIt has been so frustratingî she stated in regards to past referendum attempts, and added that excess operating capital ìdoesnít seem to have community support.î

Director Kirby Eckstrom commented that a fall referendum might be better received if the district could articulate as specifically as possible what the money is for. ìIf we can say, ëhereís what we are going to do with the money,í then we have something we can say will be an outcome.î

District Superintendent Rodney Reisnouer explained that getting too specific can lead the district into dangerous waters since it is unable to predict what the state will do in the coming years.

For instance, money thought to be for one program could become necessary to the survival of another depending on future legislation or cuts at the state level. Despite the need to reallocate those funds, the district could run the risk of being perceived as having ìliedî about where the money would be spent.

Having said that, Reisnouer offered ìclass sizeî as something general that could addressed with referendum dollars.

Or, perhaps more specifically, what the districtís teachers are capable of achieving with smaller classes.

ìWhen we have fewer children we know what we can do,î he said.

On the overall subject of whether to have a referendum and the chances of success, Eckstrom stressed the importance of having an active parents group to lead the way. ìWe need energetic people who can run a good program.î

Eckstrom felt so strongly about an active parents group that he felt an attempt at a referendum would be a ìfailed causeî without it.
Salo encouraged board members to speak with various groups and determine the level of interest in pursuing a referendum.

Provided the district decides to pursue excess operating capital in the form of a fall referendum, the board discussed ways in which it could look different and have a better chance at success than previous attempts.

One idea that the board is considering seriously is hiring an outside firm to guide the district through the process. An outside firm could be very helpful in helping the district craft its message and assist potential parentsí groups with the intense campaigning that takes place in the three months leading up to an election.

Community Relations Director Sara Thompson stressed the need for the district to get an early start if they decide to pursue a referendum. ìWe need to do our homework,î she stated, noting that surveys, focus groups, etc. would be a part of that. ìWe need to figure out where our support lies.î

Thompson also stressed the need for the district to focus on programs that have been lost over the last four years of tightening belts.
On Monday, Reisnouer summarized some of those losses to include less opportunities for gifted and talented students, the disappearance of foreign language opportunities at the middle school, and a diminishment of ìtargeted servicesî designed to help struggling kindergartners prepare for first grade.

He also explained that summer school opportunities have become limited to those essential to special education students and that class sizes have been going up every year for the last four.

Whether or not the district decides to pursue excess operating capital in the fall is unknown at this point. If the board decides to move forward, residents might expect an effort that begins earlier and is perhaps better organized than in years past.

As Eckstrom said just before the discussion ended, it could all depend on who is at the wheel.

ìWe need to find a leader. One or two people that can drive the bus.î

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