by Kurt Nesbitt
Contributing Writer
The ceiling for the amount of money taxpayers could pay next year is about 7 percent higher than last year.

The Elk River Area School District set its tax levy limits at $43 million Monday night. The levy presented to school board members is 6.93 percent higher than the current amount, according to school board documents.

According to Joe Primus, assistant director of finance for the district, the current plan has changes in the voter-approved operating levy portion of the levy. District documents show a $400,000 increase. Primus said that’s largely related to student enrollment growth, since the district gets more state and local money as enrollment increases.

The district also plans to spend more money on facilities. Primus told the school board the district reduced long-term facilities maintenance last December, but that category is now $740,000 higher in the proposed budget for 2018.

As for the district’s lease levy, the portion of the district’s new office building not paid for by the Compass program, as well as the lease levy for the addition to Prairie View, increased by $574,000, Primus said.

Debt service is going down by $2.9 million because of the bonds the district has either restructured or refunded recently, which has helped the district spread its repayment schedule out and with a lower interest rate.

“The district has really focused on doing everything it could to lower the tax impact and lower the tax and reduce that impact for our taxpayers,” interjected Superintendent Dan Bittman, speaking to the audience.

Other budget adjustments accumulate as data from years past is finalized. Primus said tax abatements — the district has a few large properties that have tax breaks, which will reduce levies — are also a factor in the budget. The district learns about them six months to a year later, said Primus. He added the district gets abatement aid to offset the reductions and they last anywhere from five to 10 years.

“It’s imperative that we get some relief in the form of equalization,” added Greg Hein, the district’s executive director of business. “Our levy is going up almost 7 percent. The vast majority of that doesn’t mean more money for us. It means we pay more and the state pays less.”

The district has a substantial amount of property growth, which went up about 6 percent this year, and means there are properties coming onto the tax rolls that should help, Hein said. He cautioned the board not to draw conclusions on those regarding any valuation.

“We’re getting hit with both new growth and revaluation — upward valuation on our district properties. I think that’s got to be a top priority this year with the legislative session,” Hein said.

The presentation received no questions from school board members, who approved the levy limit unanimously. The final vote on the levy is scheduled for Dec. 11.

by Jim Boyle
Editor
Halftime at Spectrum High School’s homecoming game became a somber affair as the school recognized one of the school’s former students who died this past spring.

Micah Pachl was the school’s first female football player in addition to a member of several Spectrum girls’ athletic teams.

She was recognized Sept. 23 for her determination and courage — both on and off the football field.

Pachl’s family was presented her former football helmet by head football coach Seth Mills at halftime of the Sting’s homecoming game.

Also participating in the presentation was Micah’s brother Jonathon Pachl, who served as an honorary captain for the homecoming game and coincidentally was selected as the homecoming king at a coronation on Sept. 18. Erin Bozich was crowned queen, and the two of them paraded around the football field as part of the halftime program.

Other royalty candidates included:
Freshman
Ella Burfiend
Harrison Grotte
Sophomore
Kaylee Betzler
Carter Hansen
Junior
Emma Galligher
Aidan Eck
Senior
Addie Betzler
Olivia Foell
Taylor Johnson
Mady Waknitz
Noah Hansen
Clayton Posch
Parker Stockwell
Dillion Swenson

by Kurt Nesbitt
Contibruting Writer
As the student population increases in Elk River schools, so do student needs. The Elk River Area School District added three more paraprofessionals Monday night to assist with an increase in students with severe disabilities.

Dr. Jana Hennen-Burr, assistant superintendent of educational services, told the School Board that the 300-student spike in this fall’s enrollment included students with disabilities. Those students’ need required three more paraprofessionals, so the equivalent of three more full-time positions was added to address the need. Staff said the district has the funding for the positions. The School Board approved the request unanimously.

The decision continues the district’s hiring trend, which officials say is caused by more students moving into the Elk River area district or by students who live within its boundaries choosing to stay there. Beginning this summer, officials have added several teaching positions at all levels throughout the district to accommodate the anticipated needs created by the spike.

The Elk River Area School District is looking to take advantage of lower interest rates to save money on its debt repayment.

The School Board approved two issues of bonds unanimously Monday night. The bonds will reduce the amount the district has to pay on debts by a total of about $1.3 million over the next 10 years or so. One issue of $2.55 million in general obligation refinancing bonds will reduce the district’s debt on a 2009 bond issue by $500,000 over 11 years, starting with the taxes payable in 2018 and continuing to 2029. The second issue of $6.55 million in general-obligation alternative facilities bonds will save $838,000 over 10 years, beginning in 2019.

Both issues will reduce the amount of money the district needs for its debt service tax levies, district documents said.

Applications are being accepted for the Minnesota House of Representatives high school page program.

Participants meet with legislators, assist in the legislative process, develop leadership skills and learn more about issues affecting Minnesota.

The program is open to all Minnesota high school students in their junior year. To apply, students need to fill out an application, receive a faculty recommendation and craft an essay. Applications are due by Dec. 1. For details, go to https://tinyurl.com/y8jdqupm.

by Jim Boyle
Editor
Elk River High School students enjoyed a rousing pep fest this past Friday during homecoming festivities.

Elk River High School Principal Terry Bizal kicked things off with an E-L-K-S chant involving freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors to bring everyone together. He then announced the emcees, and it was game on —seniors against everyone.

The seniors, of course, won everything as they were judged louder, faster, smarter and more spirit filled than the rest. Juniors and underclassmen put up quite a fight.

Students and staff sang the National Anthem without incident, and a king and queen were crowned. Keegan Haus was crowned king, and Elise Hills opened the winning rose box to be crowned queen.

The others up for king and queen honors were: Ciara Bailey, Cole Antilla, Emily Sizen, Grant Warner, Madison Odegaard, Mitch Stroh, Rachel Dorff and Tristan Carlson.

The junior royalty included Lily Anderson and Kevin Egbujor. Underclassmen royalty were Claire Anderson, Ryan Wilson and Sebastian Salzar Santor.

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Students from each of the four classes play “Hungry Humdan Hippos” to see who could collect the most tennis balls.

by Kurt Nesbitt
Contributing Writer
Elk River High School students looking to go on to post-secondary education can thank three generations of ERHS graduates for a financial boost that was announced Monday night.

Tom and Prudence Wilson, who graduated from Elk River High School in 1944 and 1945 respectively, established the Thomas and Prudence Wilson Family Scholarship after meeting with their children and grandchildren, their son Stewart told Elk River Area School Board members Monday night.

The family will contribute $200,000 in an investment fund with a good track record with $10,000 being awarded each year. That money will be divided between two students graduating from Elk River High School. According to Wilson and school board members, the scholarship will give one student seeking a traditional, four-year degree a $7,500 boost and $2,500 boost to another student seeking a vocational degree.

Wilson said his parents, who are now in their 90s, decided it was time to give back.

“We all got together, my sisters and I — my sisters are also graduates of Elk River High School. One thing we agreed on immediately to consider would be a scholarship for the students at Elk River High School. My parents are certainly strong believers in education and being graduates of Elk River High School and producing four children who ultimately went on to graduate from college and two grandchildren who ultimately went on to college. So it was a pretty easy decision to make to award this scholarship to Elk River High School,” Wilson said.

Wilson said he worked with Superintendent Dan Bittman, Executive Director of Business Greg Hein and Assistant Director of Finance Joe Primus to iron out the details involved with establishing the scholarship.
“The intention of the gift is that it will be long-lasting. It will be maintained in an investment that has had a very long, proven track record of being able to increase in value and hopefully these scholarships will just go on forever and ever,” Wilson said.

Wilson said Elk River High School Principal Terry Bizal gave him the idea to split the scholarship into two categories.

“He really sold both me and my family on the wisdom that, in today’s market, how important that vocational degree is,” Wilson said.

by Kurt Nesbitt
Contributing Writer
Should the Elk River Area School District have extra or unique policies to guide its operations?

That’s the question at the center of the discussion among School Board members and officials as they review the district’s policies to figure out which they want to keep and which they want to eliminate.

According to Superintendent Dan Bittman, there are four groupings of policies that school districts have — those required by law and those recommended, and then those that are either unique to a district or ‘extra.’
Bittman recommended the School Board eliminate the extra ones. The School Board has already addressed the policies that the law requires it to have.

Decision time is coming for the last two sets of policies — those recommended policies from state associations and policies that are unique or extra.

“…And those are the ones we’re really going to spend some time about,” said Bittman.

He recommended the board eliminate all of the extra policies except the ones that the superintendent’s cabinet deems necessary.

One by one, board members weighed in on the item.

Director Jennifer Plantenberg-Selbitschka said she’s struggled with the idea internally, but also thought the superintendent doesn’t need to be bound by 87 policies. She said later that she’s against “making a sweeping axe” and feels that the board should be more respectful of its constituents as it proceeds.

Director Joel Nelson questioned the purpose of all the extra policies and Plantenberg-Selbitschka replied that they were meant “to make sure things went down the right road.”

Director Holly Thompson supports the idea. Director Gregg Peppin felt like the board should trust the superintendent but should also be the voice of the voters. He said he thinks some of the policies have value and is “in the middle” between keeping all of them and getting rid of all of them.

School Board Chairman Shane Steinbrecher said the board is not dealing with the root of the problem, as he feels merely putting policies in place won’t resolve issues and the superintendent evaluation tool will be the difference.

Nelson said he thinks some school boards hide behind policies and he worries about exceptions to policies.
Director Tony Walter said he doesn’t favor a complete sweep either.

Director Christi Tullbane just felt the committee has done a good job. She also agreed with Steinbrecher’s point, saying she thinks making policies as solutions to problems should be limited.

Steinbrecher directed the board members to read through the policies and choose which ones they want to keep, eliminate or discuss. Bittman said later that the committee of Plantenberg-Selbitschka and Peppin will recommend a schedule to the School Board, which will review the policies at the times on the schedule.

by Kurt Nesbitt
Contributing Writer
Elk River is one of seven school districts in Minnesota to win an award for its efforts to include music education in its curriculum, and it won that award for the second year in a row.

According to Keri Solitt, the district curriculum specialist who focuses on music education, the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation announced Elk River Area Schools is one of the seven school districts to receive its designation as a Best Community for Music Education for 2017.

“We also received this honor last year, and so we’re proud to receive this honor again this year,” Solitt told members of the Elk River Area School Boad at its meeting on Monday, Oct. 9.

Solitt said the award is meant to recognize outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders regarding demonstrated commitment to music education.

“Not only do they teach during the day, but many have jobs directing and performing in community music organizations. There’s even a concert going on tonight in one of our schools. So they extend a music-making influence beyond our schools as well,” Solitt said.

Representatives of Schmit Music, which belongs to NAMM, handed out plaques to the teachers.

To assist students in preparing and applying for financial aid, Spectrum High School in Elk River will host a Minnesota College Goal event at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14. A financial aid professional will present information regarding completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Minnesota College Goal is a statewide volunteer program that provides free assistance to students and families applying for financial aid for postsecondary education. This event is free.

For more information, contact KellyAnn Lockrem at klockrem@spectrumhighschool.org or 763-450-9807.