By MaryHelen Swanson

While it seems like school just got out for the year, school boards everywhere are preparing for yet another year.

In Rush City last week, the board approved handbooks for the 2006-2007 school year for both the elementary and high school buildings.

The school board always encourages families to go over the handbooks with students.

There will be some items new this year, including information about cell phone use.

High school principal Mark Saari said it was not realistic to place a ban on all cell phones.

Who can stand at the door and check for cell phones, he asked?

He believes 80 percent of the students have them.

But students should carefully read the section on page 14 of the high school handbook where they will learn that cell phones cannot be used in classrooms.

Cell phones can be taken away, Saari said, if used inappropriately.

This information on cell phones will be gone over with the students in the fall.

Saari also noted a change in credit load found on page 5 of the high school handbook.

There are changes in required math and science credits through grade 12.

Elementary school principal Melody Tenhoff said cell phones will be allowed at that school, although she estimated that only 30 percent of the students had them.

She also noted that some teachers would like it if they were not allowed at all in the school.

Information about cell phone use in the elementary handbook can be found on page 15.

Families of elementary-aged students will also want to check out page 5 of the handbook regarding a change in arrival procedure and signing students out of school, plus page 6 where it talks about bringing animals to school.

On page 8, there is information about proper clothing for school.

The school board approved all handbooks, including those for building staff.

The board also approved the districtís transportation handbook. The board members also reviewed the school calendar which will go to every home in the district before the start of school.

It contains important information about the district, including testing results.

Regarding testing results, the board viewed a presentation by Ben Silberglitt of the St. Croix River Education District, on the student performance in testing. He noted that probes are used for quick check ups three times a year, plus students progress is followed with MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) and state (MCA-II) tests.

He said, in reviewing line graphs of the test results, there are no real weaknesses in reading and math among RC students.

Superintendent Vern Koepp said the data presented makes the district look good, and there are some reasons to celebrate. But, he added, there are some challenges.

One challenge comes from new rules that say students will now take the state math test for the first time in 11th grade. The challenge will be in finding time for a student to get remedial help in order to pass the test before graduation.

The test must be passed for graduation and there will be limited opportunities to take it after 11th grade.

In the past, the test was first taken in grade 8.

Koepp noted that there has been no student who has not graduated in the district due to not passing the state tests.

In other business, the board:

ï Learned that the girlís hockey co-op with Chisago Lakes has been declined by the school. Their reasoning was that with the increasing number of their own students in the hockey program, if they allowed the RC girls there would have to be cuts and they didnít want to have to do that to their students.

ï Approved all fund-raisers as detailed in a full-page report. This means groups who have previously held fund-raisers will not have to individually come to the board for approval of an event.

ï Set the Truth in Taxation public hearing for Dec. 5 with a continuation of Dec. 12. The final levy will be adopted at the Dec. 21 regular school board meeting.

ï In organizing for the new year, agreed to keep the same day and time for regular monthly meetings - 3rd Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. - kept board compensation the same as it has been for five years at $45 per meeting, and appointed the Post Review as the official newspaper. They also acted on official depositories, legal counsel and approval of the Board Policy Handbook, and adopted Robertís Rules of Order for meeting protocol.