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School board wants more time on big decisions; members protest tech funding timeline
By ANDREW WALLMEYER
awallmeyer@acnpapers.com
Frustrated by the tight timelines under which they have had to make several controversial decisions, District 834 school board members are asking district officials to take a more deliberate approach to introducing proposals they expect to be contentious.
The issue came up twice at Thursday's school board meeting: first when board members learned they would only have two weeks to consider a 2009-10 technology funding plan and again when they discussed a spate of proposed changes to the school system's transportation program.
The conversation was kicked off by board member Kathy Buchholz, who chastised Superintendent Keith Ryskoski for pushing the presentation of the district's technology proposal back two weeks to the board's May 28 meeting.
Ryskoski said he and his staff needed the additional time to gather the feedback from the district's 13 schools that board members requested when they last discussed the issue in February.
"But this has been on our radar now for a couple years," Buchholz replied, echoing comments she made this winter. "I had hoped that this could've been prepared earlier, and I still don't fully understand the delay."
Concerned that Ryskoski's timeline meant the board wouldn't vote on the technology proposal until after the end of the school year, Buchholz suggested moving the June 11 board meeting up to June 9. Doing so would at least give building principals a chance to meet with their staffs after a decision had been made on how to proceed with laptop and other technology initiatives at Oak-Land Junior High, Stillwater Junior High and Stillwater Area High School, she argued.
Other board members concurred, and there was general consensus to vote to move the meeting when the group next convenes on May 28.
Board member Michael Ptacek agreed with Buchholz's broader concerns, saying he also thought it was unfair to ask the board to consider such emotionally charged topics so close to the end of the school year.
"That's what bothers me about this whole proposal - right now we're down to crunch time. ... My fear with that is that a lot of times we're so far along the line that when people give us feedback it doesn't change anything, so people get frustrated, and they may say something like, 'Why should I go? It's already a done deal,'" he said.
"We have to get community consensus, and I don't think we're doing that as well as we could," Ptacek concluded.
Board member George Dierberger agreed, adding that he thought conversations involving issues as significant as technology funding, transportation changes or school boundary shifts should start nearly a year before any policy change would take effect.
Ryskoski said he understood board members' concerns, but didn't want to underestimate the value of gathering feedback from district staff before presenting the board and the public with well-considered proposals.
"Certainly, I get that the community has some interest and input into it, but I don't want to discount what the staffs and the building technology committees have come up with," he said.
Board members directed Ryskoski to share information about the district's technology proposal with the public as soon as possible and to provide opportunities for residents to offer feedback on the plan before both the board's May 28 and June 9 meetings.
In other business, the board...
- unanimously approved the school district's final revised 2008-09 budget, which was changed to reflect the issuance of a $19.1 million bond to create a reserve fund to cover employees' future post-retirement benefits. Assistant Superintendent Ray Queener said the one-time move won't have any significant impact on the district's day-to-day operations but it will show up in year-over-year revenue comparisons, which he said will spike this year and fall just as rapidly next year.
- awarded a $797,000 contract to Berwald Roofing Company Inc., of North St. Paul, to put a new roof over the Stillwater Area High School gymnasium, cafeteria and auditorium this summer. The project was budgeted at $1 million.
- adopted a transportation plan that will push the school day at St. Croix Preparatory Academy back 25 minutes - so it runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. - and require students at Stillwater Area High School, St. Croix Prep, New Heights School, St. Croix Catholic School and Salem Lutheran School to register for bus service. Students at District 834 elementary and junior high schools will be asked to notify the district if they will not require bus service.
- increased the time speakers are allowed in open forum from three minutes to five minutes.
- heard a report from Stillwater Junior High School Principal Rick Wippler, who gave an overview of recent activities and academic initiatives at the school, which hosted the meeting.
- adopted calendars for the 2009-10 school year for the St. Croix Valley Area Learning Center and Early Childhood Special Education.
- held a closed-session meeting to discuss parameters for upcoming contract negotiations with several employee groups.
- welcomed 2009-10 student board representatives Caitlin Ogren and Olivia Radecke, who were recently voted co-presidents of the Stillwater Area High School Class of 2010.
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of stillwatergazette.com.
Taking a Time Out wrote on May 20, 2009 7:41 AM:
" Lyman Geary, a 35-year school board vet, once said in a Gazette editorial that the toughest part of job was knowing the difference between "being a rubber stamp and using a rubber hose" when considering spending decisions. He said that you needed to take the time to explain the issue and then listen to the community in order to find the answer. I'm glad that the Stillwater school board is showing an understanding of Geary's advice. This community was about ripped in half by the Oak-Land laptop issue - not because it was right or wrong, but because there was a lack of consensus and an fully-articulated set of risk vs. reward scenarios. The net result is that we sit here 5 years later facing another round of technology investments without agreement on what we got out of the first go-around. What doesn't work is one group "declaring victory" without substance, and another part of the community being "un-sold and left-out" - and being open to arguments from groups that simply want to use the "rubber hose" on any public education spending. The board deserves credit for calling a "time out" so it can do its "oversight and accountability" job. They can now take advantage of Dr. Ryskoski's advice to listen to the staff's recommendations, while finding a solution that has parent and community support. "
public school supporter taxpayer wrote on May 20, 2009 8:02 AM:
" Get the 1 to 1 out of Oak-Land. Upgrade technology at the others, but it is not a good use of resources when the 1 to 1 is no more effective than other initiatives the district. Come to your senses, school board, you CAN provide a world class educational experience and be fiscally responsible at the same time. It was a fine experiment, but don't make matters worse by continuing the 1 to 1. "
OLJHS parent wrote on May 20, 2009 3:17 PM:
" Why does everything have to turn into a laptop discussion? Both my kids went through the program and I can tell you it made a big difference in their education and in their engagement with school work. So, can we be done with this?
On the school board - it's a good thing the school board is examining issues like this. I hope they reach far and drive more technology into the teacher's and kid's hands. The board is right to push back on the administration. I don't take this as a negative at all - and I don't think our administrators do either. Nobody should have a problem with being challenged to be better (and I don't think anyone does).
Note how well it works to have a school board that is directly accountable to the taxpayers and operates out in the open (hint, hint St. Croix Prep). We know where our tax dollars go, we can see the process that the district goes on to spend it and we can participate in that process. If we don't like the school board, we can vote them out. Would be nice if all the "public" school in the district's bounds had to do the same thing. "
On the school board - it's a good thing the school board is examining issues like this. I hope they reach far and drive more technology into the teacher's and kid's hands. The board is right to push back on the administration. I don't take this as a negative at all - and I don't think our administrators do either. Nobody should have a problem with being challenged to be better (and I don't think anyone does).
Note how well it works to have a school board that is directly accountable to the taxpayers and operates out in the open (hint, hint St. Croix Prep). We know where our tax dollars go, we can see the process that the district goes on to spend it and we can participate in that process. If we don't like the school board, we can vote them out. Would be nice if all the "public" school in the district's bounds had to do the same thing. "
WTF2004 wrote on May 20, 2009 8:33 PM:
" Give Rykowski a raise! "the community has some interest and input into it" Did he not know back in 2005 this would be a topic for his "share holders" yet he is unprepared to show how the program excelled/or not worth the investment. SHOCKING! Let's compare his worth by ratio; Apple Valley school district where he wants to be 28,000 students at $10,000 more a year compared to 9,000 students @ IDS834 per $175,000 plus per year? Do the math, let him find what he's looking for! He has made it quit clear offers have been presented to him. Yet he makes excuses as to why he has not been prepared for the laptop issue he spearheaded as the I.T. guy is B.S.
Finally a school board that will start asking WHY? In all fairness the board will be held accountable for decisions made not the guy that wants to be somewhere else. Thanks ISD834 School Board for the refreshing view of leadership! "
Finally a school board that will start asking WHY? In all fairness the board will be held accountable for decisions made not the guy that wants to be somewhere else. Thanks ISD834 School Board for the refreshing view of leadership! "
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