SuperSweet

Calendar for 2012-13

2012-01-24T15:22:00.000-06:00

Click here to see the calendar for the 2012-13 school year that was officially adopted yesterday.

Upcoming Meetings

2012-01-20T12:14:00.000-06:00

The regular monthly meeting of the school board will be held on Monday, January 23, 7:00 p.m. at Delano City Hall. Click here for the agenda.

On February 6 the school board will hold a special meeting to take input from school district patrons on what qualities they should be looking for in the hiring of the new superintendent at Delano City Hall at 7:00 p.m.

On February 8, the Delano Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Committee will host a Non-Partisan State Budget Workshop put on by the Citizens League. These workshops are very informative and offer the opportunity to get educated about the state budget and provide input that does get presented to the Governor and state legislators. The workshop is at Delano City Hall at 7:00 p.m. Please RSVP to DACC@delanochamber.com or call 972-6756 as we need to know how many to plan for. Click here for further information.

Superintendent Search Begins

2012-01-11T10:52:00.000-06:00

Delano Public Schools is seeking qualified applicants for the position of superintendent as I announced my retirement at the December 19, 2012 school board meeting. Click here for informational brochure.

School Board Opening

2012-01-09T08:30:00.000-06:00

The Delano School District is seeking applications for an unexpired term on the school board through appointment by the school board. The person appointed will serve until December 31, 2012. The seat will be on the ballot at the November 6, 2012 election and it will be for a two-year term. Click here for the application.

Organizational Meeting of School Board

2012-01-06T10:04:00.000-06:00

The school board held its organizational meeting on January 5. Amy Johnson was elected chair. Click here to see other officers and their terms of office.

School Board Sets Tax Levy for 2012

2012-01-03T10:30:00.000-06:00

At the December board meeting the school board certified tax levies for taxes payable in 2012 as follows:

Total General Fund levy includes voter approved operating levy ($426 per student) $2,086,685.
Community Education $209,028.
Debt Service $2,327,550.
Total levy $4,623,264 which is a decrease of $264,183 or 5.41% from the previous year.
This is the second year in a row that the levy has been lowered. The 2011 levy was 9.41% less than 2010 so over the past two years the levy has been decreased by a total of $791,586 or 14.82%

Presentation at Meeting with Legislators

2011-12-20T10:04:00.000-06:00

Several weeks ago school superintendents and city administrators from Wright County hosted a meeting with area legislators, school board members and city council members.

The focus of this meeting was the inequity in school funding brought on by the way operating levies work, the opportunity gap that this brings on for students and the inequitable system of taxation for taxpayers that results. Click here to see the presentation I made on behalf of the schools in attendance.

December School Board Meeting

2011-12-17T11:16:00.002-06:00

The Delano School Board regular meeting for this month is Monday, December 19 at 7:00 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. The annual discussion on taxes and budget will be held at 7:00 p.m., after which the board will adopt a resolution certifying taxes for 2012. Also on the agenda will be an update on cost cutting measures resulting from the failed levy. Click here to see the agenda.

Board Member takes High Stakes Test

2011-12-06T10:25:00.000-06:00

Click here to see a school board member's view of testing, after he himself took a 10th grade math test.

Election Results

2011-11-08T21:11:00.002-06:00

Yes 1291 No 1450

Great Schools Begin at the Ballot Box

2011-11-04T13:15:00.000-05:00

Click here to check out Parents United for Public Schools latest update.

Tax Levies

2011-11-02T11:18:00.000-05:00

In 2005 the school district refunded some bonds that were eligible for refinancing. What that means is that they could be refinanced at a lower interest rate and the term of the bonds could be shortened so that they could be fully paid off in February of 2011. That action resulted in a tax reduction of $527,403 (about $45 per $100,000 of tax value) or 9.74%, in the amount of taxes needed to pay principal and interest on the bonds and was reflected on the school portion of property tax bills for the current tax year, 2011.

This reduction weighed heavily in the school board's decision to set $990 per pupil as an amount that taxpayers might support for the operating levy that is on the ballot November 8. In addition, the $990 per pupil amount was what made sense in terms of funding the school district into the future.

At the September school board meeting the board adopted the preliminary tax levy for taxes payable in 2012. That action will decrease the school share of property taxes by $264,183 or 5.41%.

The school district portion of property taxes will have decreased a total of $791,586 or 15.51% for tax years 2011 and 2012.

The school board is very sensitive to the tax impact of the proposed operating levy. The board is also sensitive to the fact that Delano School District is a low spending school district while maintaining high academic achievement. Maintaining current operations is the goal.

Remember to vote on November 8.

Recommended Reductions if Levy Fails

2011-10-26T10:51:00.000-05:00

On November 8 Delano School District voters will be going to the polls at either Delano Middle School or Independence City Hall to vote on the school district operating levy. Recommendations were made when the board voted to put the operating levy on the ballot so voters would know the possible consequences should the levy fail. The recommendations try to keep cuts as far away from the classroom as possible and total over $800,000.

If the levy fails the following reductions have been recommended:

Bus only beyond the two mile legally required limit for grades 5-12. This would reduce two routes.
Reform staff development budget and new teacher mentor program.
Reduce supply budgets.
Reform school board to legally required minimum of six members (from seven).
Reduce activities budget.
Restructure extra duty web master positions (one per building).
Reduce 1.5 FTE custodians.
Reduce 2.5 FTE media center paraprofessionals.
Reduce 5 FTE special education program paraprofessionals.
Reduce 1 FTE nurse.
Reduce 5.5 FTE classroom teachers.
Reductions made this year include combining polling places, reducing superintendent's administrative assistant, and eliminating busing from St. Peter and Paul Academy in Loretto, which closed.
Go on the ballot again in 2012 in order to avoid another round of reductions.

According to a report in the October 26, 2011 StarTribune of this week's job summit convened by Gov. Dayton, there are "hundreds of openings" for workers in all parts of the state if they are qualified and that there is a "skills gap" which contributes to the state's 7 percent unemployment rate.

Is this a time to disinvest in public education?

Remember to vote on November 8.

Voter Approved Operating Levies

2011-10-19T07:21:00.001-05:00

Voter approved operating levies have become a vital component to the revenue stream for schools. Voter approved operating levies fund the general operations of the school district and do not go towards construction of buildings, purchase of land or the purchase of equipment, including computers. The current $426 per pupil levy was passed in 2002.

State aid has not kept up with costs for many years as shown in the following chart:

Year           Per Pupil Aid        Change
07-08              $5074
08-09              $5124                  1%
09-10              $5124                   0
10-11              $5124                   0
11-12              $5174                  1%

The average yearly increase since 1991-91 = 1.3%
Consumer Price Index yearly average         = 3%

School districts all across the state are reliant on voter approved levies to fund the educational programs and operations of their school districts. The voters of the school district determine the level of educational programming desired, through the operating levy.

Remember to vote on November 8.

Response to Wally Johnson

2011-10-12T07:06:00.000-05:00

Many Delano residents subscribe to either the Herald Journal or the Eagle, and as a result, may have read a letter to the editor from Mr. Wallace Johnson. I would encourage school district residents to continue to gather facts regarding the upcoming school levy vote on November 8.

Please visit the school district’s website at www.delano.k12.mn.mn.us to view operating levy information regarding financial considerations, a proposed list of cuts, and budget forecasts.

*Regarding Mr. Johnson’s point that the district is "oblivious" to the current economic situation - quite the contrary - as schools are subject to the same economic tides, with rising costs, fewer resources and, and yes, just like he mentioned, rising health insurance costs, not to mention food and fuel and energy costs - all costs directly related to operating school districts.

*In response to that economic reality, I wonder if Mr. Johnson is aware of the district's strategic and purposeful efforts to reduce such costs? Delano has controlled energy costs through efficiency revamps as well as collaborated with employee groups to reduce health care costs for our district while implementing wellness efforts to further reduce future costs. All the while, the district has made concerted efforts to reduce other costs through other means - even $2300 (which the letter references) makes a difference in this economy and for our situation, right?

*Mr. Johnson’s last sentence - "Delano is an excellent school with hard-working, excellent teachers producing high academic student achievements. Voting no to the levy at this time will not change that." - is perhaps the most inflammatory and unfortunately can really misinform readers. I can only agree with his first statement – we do indeed have a top-notch group of teachers, staff, and students alike. Asserting that money doesn't equate to quality education (at least to a certain degree) is like telling the car owner that you built her car with minimal expense.... a few key components may have been overlooked, it will probably run for a while, but don't be surprised when it leaves you stranded by the side of the road. Inadequately funded public education is not a smart investment in our local future.

*Fewer teachers and support staff, inadequately trained staff (due to staff development cuts), diminished educational opportunities, longer bus rides - and those are just the beginning in a longer list of student-centered cuts - do directly affect students - and thus, impact educational success.

Sarah Baker, Member

Delano School Board

Response to Wally Johnson's letter that appeared this week in local newspapers

2011-10-11T08:25:00.000-05:00

“…the facts should always be provided with complete candor…” is how Wally Johnson continues his decade-old lobby against public education in his 10 October editorial. I just wish Wally would invest some of this free time to get the facts right himself – they might change the way he thinks about the Delano Schools.

First the election is not forcing all voters to one location - -the City of Independence is also having an off-cycle election so the Independence voters are voting in Independence. The smear that the school board is doing something that “smacks of being unethical” is based on Wally’s refusal to seek the facts, which are clearly published on the district’s website. The voting location falsehood may lead to voters going to the wrong polling place, or not going at all. That is wrong and inexcusable.

I don’t know what cash model Wally’s looking at, but in our school board meetings and on the district web-site it’s very plain that the budget we’ve adopted includes deficit spending THIS year, not 2013. We’ve been sharing this fact non-stop and in complete candor in our public meetings this summer & fall too, which although attended by many voters hasn’t produced Wally in attendance yet.

Our models do want to maintain current staffing levels and class sizes – this is about the closest to accuracy Wally achieved. And why not – at $8204 cost per kid we’re one of the lowest priced education levels in the state. For years we have run our schools lean, built a modest fund balance, and have forgone many hires other schools have. If Wally lived in Orono he’d be denouncing a $1531 operating levy per kid in an $11,227 cost-per-pupil district. If Wally lived in Mound Westonka he’d be paying a $1480 operating levy producing an $11,535 cost-per-pupil. By the way – the state average cost-per-pupil is $10,639, and the state average operating levy is $1055 per pupil - I’d like to think we’re doing a sensational job with the financial resources we have.

As a conservative I agree with Wally that there is more to education than money, but I don’t shirk from the facts, either, the key fact being that the State of Minnesota has under-funded K-12 education – the General Education aid was $5074 per kid in FY08, and five years later we’re at $5174, or about a 0.3% increase per year. Even in a district run as lean as ours, this means we either cut staff or run at a deficit, and right now we’re looking at doing both.

During our open-house forums this year we solicited public feedback on a number of levy amounts, and in the end selected $990 because even though we still were deficit-spending, we’d be able to stave off cash-flow issues thru the next state budget biennium, by which time we hope the state will be adequately funding K-12 education again.

The bottom line is to keep Delano’s educational quality consistent we need local levy support. True conservatives know that public education for all kids and families – regardless of learning disabilities, language abilities, etc. – is the foundation of our merit-based economic and democratic system. It also means we hold our duly-elected school board members accountable, because as we have shown in Delano, we can run our schools very lean and produce some of the best academic results in the state.

To Wally’s last sentence, voting “no” to the levy will of course impact our schools – for months we’ve had $800K of cuts already identified on our district website if it doesn’t pass, and we’ll follow that up with more cuts the next school year, as the deficit will be untenable. What a statement to make – we’ll cut 15 staff including paras and teachers, and kids won’t be affected? Good grief.

Peter Brasket, Chair
Delano School Board

Education pays in higher earnings and lower unemployment rates

2011-10-10T11:40:00.013-05:00

During the challenging financial times that are facing not only our nation, but the world, educational attainment is more important than ever. The following chart from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the relationship among educational attainment, earnings and unemployment. The importance of a good education is more evident now than ever as our students are competing in the market place of the global economy, not just nationally, for their future employment and overall well being.

Past generations did not face the same challenges that face our students today.

History of Operating Levies

2011-10-05T11:25:00.000-05:00

In 2001 Governor Ventura and the legislature intended to take funding of education off of property taxes. This action reduced school levies in Minnesota from $1.9 billion to $924 million by taking away the general education levy for education that showed up on property tax bills. This levy was fair to taxpayers, in that it was fully equalized; meaning the tax burden on property with similar market value was uniform across the state. A problem developed when the state did not find other revenues to make up for the reduction in property tax revenue. This led schools to rely on voter approved operating levies to maintain operations.

Delano voters approved the existing $426 levy right after that in 2002, the same time that many schools reacted to the actions of the legislature in 2001. That is the primary reason approximately 130 schools are asking voters to approve new levies now, 10 years after the action of the legislature.

The $990 per pupil levy being voted on November 8 will be used to maintain current operations, not add new programs or reduce class sizes.

Levy Referendum Information

2011-09-28T15:22:00.001-05:00

Good questions are raised regarding the Operating Levy Referendum that is on the ballot at the November 8 election and I will provide answers to some of these questions as they arise.

What is an operating levy? This is a voter approved levy that provides funding beyond what the state aid formula provides. This funding is generated through property taxes and goes to support the General Fund. The General Fund provides for the day to day operations of the school district. The operating levy does not support capital expenditures such as building construction or the purchase of equipment or textbooks. The Food Service Fund, Community Service (education) Fund, and Debt Service Funds are separate funds not associated with the General Fund or the operating levy. The current voter approved operating levy of $426 per pupil was passed in 2002.

Over 90% of the school districts in the state are reliant on operating levies for the day to day
operation of their school districts. Our cost per student is lower than any of our surrounding school
districts and well below the state average. Without the operating levy we would need to reduce spending considerably, which would have direct impacts on class sizes, course offerings, pupil transportation, student activities and General Fund supported programs and personnel.

Why do we need it?
The district budgeted for a $785,000 deficit this year, which will be financed by reserves that can be used for this purpose. The first round of federal stimulus ended June 30. State aid was frozen the past two years. Enrollment increases are projected to be minimal and expenditures are projected at 1.32% during the next several years.

Added to this is the state's shifting of 40% of state aid into the next school year, causing the district to cash flow the shortfall. One goal of the school board is to maintain a fund balance sufficient to avoid interest expense associated with cash flow borrowing. The new operating levy will provide that.

China Visitors

2011-09-26T16:27:00.000-05:00

This week we are hosting our visitors from our sister school in Tanguu, China. Fourteen students and six staff members are learning about Delano Schools and Minnesota. Click here for an interview I conducted with our guests.

Do Schools Need Operating Levies?

2011-09-19T15:01:00.000-05:00

Claims are being made that the legislature has provided sufficient funding to schools so that schools don’t need operating levies.

The state increased per pupil funding by what amounts to $60 per student each year in the biennium. In FY13 they put in a $52 per student literacy incentive that is calculated based on the number of students proficient in reading in the 3rd grade times the number of students in the building (estimated to come out to about $38,000 total for Delano).

Last spring our financial planning models that were developed by PMA Financial Network, Inc., the district’s investment advisors, did not account for this as the model was developed prior to the adjournment of the legislature. The increase amounts to about $137,000 each year plus about $38,000 more for the literacy incentive in the second year. This increase won’t have much of an impact on our situation as related to the levy. The $785,000 deficit that we have this year, which will be funded by reserves in order to maintain current level of programming, could be reduced by these dollars. The overall effect of the increase is that it extends by a few days how long the levy will last with costs of operation at $366,678 per week.

It’s interesting to note that legislators are talking about how these increases should deter schools from needing to pass levies when $50 of the $60 per student was passed with the intention to help schools pay interest charges for cash flow borrowing brought on by the legislature shifting 40% of what they owe schools this year into the next year to help the state balance the budget.

Click here to see a response from the Commissioner of Education, Brenda Cassellius that appeared in TwinCities.com Pioneer Press.

Chamber of Commerce Presentation

2011-09-16T15:08:00.000-05:00

Click here to see the presentation regarding the operating levy that will be on the ballot on November 8.

Levy Referendum Meetings

2011-09-16T07:29:00.001-05:00

I will continue to host informational meetings regarding the November 8 levy referendum in the high school cafeteria at 7:00 p.m. on the following dates: Tuesday, September 20; Tuesday, September 27; and Thursday, September 29.

You will learn answers to questions such as "why is the levy doubling?" The fallacy behind claims that schools have enough money to maintain current operations. The consequences of the recommended $800,000 in reductions if the levy fails.

Mr. Spanier's Class

2011-09-14T15:13:00.001-05:00

Today I visited Mr. Spanier's 8th grade Gateway to Technology class. This class is part of our Project Lead the Way curriculum that emphasizes Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The purpose of this unit is to investigate a technological artifact and find out its history and impact on civilization and how it may be used differently today. Click here to see an interview with Mr. Spanier and students investigating the telephone.

Informational meeting re levy referendum

2011-09-08T13:08:00.000-05:00

I will be hosting the first of several informational meetings about the upcoming operating levy referendum on Thursday, September 15 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. Click here for further information about the ballot issue.

Delano Receives Energy Star Rating

2011-09-01T10:12:00.000-05:00

We were notified today that we have achieved the the Environment Protection Association's ENERGY STAR rating. The ENERGY STAR program was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce green house gas emissions through energy efficiency. Products and buildings that earn this rating are recognized in preventing greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the federal government. You will see the ENERGY STAR decal around the buildings.

Our staff needs to be recognized for their efforts in helping to reduce energy usage in all our buildings. Since December 2010 we have avoided more than $12,000 in energy costs by changing how we use energy.

August School Board Meeting

2011-08-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

The August school board meeting is Monday, August 22 at 7:00 p.m. at Delano City Hall. You can access the agenda here.

Email Server is Down

2011-08-03T14:47:00.000-05:00

The school district's email server was severely damaged in Monday's storm and remains out of service. Please communicate with us by telephone, blog, or means other than email. Thank you for your patience.

Summer Enrollments

2011-08-03T14:39:00.000-05:00

During the summer I get inquiries every week from people who are relocating to the area as well as from non-residents who are interested in enrolling their students in Delano Public Schools. These people report to me that they have researched our school via our website and/or talked with others who tell them that "Delano Public School District is where you want to be" or similar positive statement.

Delano Public Schools is the primary attraction for people moving to this area and we receive great students and parents as a result. Thank you for being here and thank you to all who make these referrals.

Energy Cost Savings

2011-08-03T08:55:00.001-05:00

We have received the second quarter report on our efforts to reduce energy consumption and costs through the Schools for Energy Efficiency program that we started in January 2011. The district avoided $6,729 in costs for March, April and May 2011, as compared to the same period the previous year.

This fall we will continue to ramp up efforts through further education of staff and students.

Spanish Students Visit Delano

2011-07-22T10:57:00.001-05:00

John Fitzer, one of our Spanish teachers, is hosting 10 students from Spain for five weeks. This is the 20th year he has hosted students. He has them busy sightseeing around the Twin Cities area, brushing up on their English, and learning about the culture of America. The students are staying with host families from Delano and I would like to thank them for opening their homes to these great students. I interviewed Anna Sanz and Zavier Barcala and you can see the video here.

Annual Trapshoot

2011-07-15T09:19:00.000-05:00

Delano Partners in Education will be hosting its Seventh Annual Trapshoot on Saturday, September 10 beginning at 1:00p at Park Gun Club. Make plans now to attend this fun event. Click here for more information.

State Government Shutdown News

2011-06-30T06:32:00.000-05:00

The Ramsey County District Chief Judge has ruled that school funding will continue through a potential shutdown of state government. This means that state aid will continue to flow and school districts will not need to rely on reserves or borrowing to keep functioning if there is a shutdown.

Board Votes to Increase Operating Levy

2011-06-28T18:27:00.000-05:00

At the regular June School Board Meeting, the board passed a resolution to revoke the existing operating levy of $426 per pupil and replace that with a new levy of $990 per pupil and to call a special election for November 8, 2011 . This would be applicable for ten years effective for taxes payable in 2012.

The estimated tax impact is $63 per $100,000 of taxable value over taxes that were paid in 2010.

Post questions on the blog or Facebook and I will respond.

June School Board Meeting

2011-06-24T14:56:00.000-05:00

The regular school board meeting for June is Monday, June 27 at Delano City Hall at 7:00 p.m.

Included on the agenda is a resolution to increase the operating levy. Click here to see the agenda and linked information on each item.

All QComp Results

2011-06-07T13:30:00.001-05:00

Test score data has now been received for all grades and the results are as follows:

District Goal: The district goal was to have 86.6% of students earn an achievement level of meets or exceeds the standard on the reading portion of the Minnesota Comprehensive Achievement Test (MCA). The goal was attained with 87.16% meeting or exceeding the standard.

Elementary Goal: The elementary goal was to have 87.19% of the students meeting or exceeding the standard on the reading test. The goal was attained with 93.35% meeting or exceeding the standard.

Middle School Goal: The middle school goal was to increase from 83.77% to 85.77% of the students meeting or exceeding the standard on the reading test. We fell a little short of the goal but improved to 83.9%.

High School: As stated in an earlier post, the high school attained their goal to increase from 85.7% in 2010 to 87.7% in 2011 with 90.9% meeting or exceeding the goal.

There are many people to congratulate for achieving some of the highest test scores ever including teachers, principals, paras, other staff members, the students themselves and also parents who are supportive of their students. Thank you for your efforts to help us keep the focus on "Educational Excellence is our Foremost Goal."

DHS Meets QComp Goal

2011-06-03T15:11:00.000-05:00

Delano High School had a QComp achievement goal to increase achievement levels of all students in grade 10 on the reading portion of the MCA II from 85.7% meeting or exceeding the standard to 87.7%. Test results show that 90.9% met or exceeded the standard. This is a great accomplishment for our students and staff. Congratulations.

Schools for Energy Efficiency

2011-05-13T16:32:00.000-05:00

This week we received the first quarter report on our efforts to reduce energy consumption and costs. The district avoided $5,521 in costs for December 2010, January 2011 and February 2011 as compared to the same period the previous year.

Marty Kittok and Scott Yanke, our building operators, need to be recognized for their efforts in working with the program. Other staff members contribute as well in being conscious about powering down lights and electrical devices. Thanks everyone for your efforts!

Deputy Burton, School Resource Officer

2011-04-25T22:33:00.002-05:00

Today I interviewed Deputy Burton, our School Resource Officer.

Click here to see the video.

Application for School Board Position

2011-04-18T13:33:00.001-05:00

The School Board has set the deadline for application for the un-expired term on the board for 12:00 noon on Friday, April 29, 2011. Click here for the application.

Blake Bobick, Chinese Language Online Learner

2011-04-13T14:42:00.000-05:00

I interviewed Blake Bobick, a Delano High School junior, who is taking Chinese Language online. Before the interview I told Blake that there are people who don't think taking a World Language online works. His response was "How old are they?" This is a telling statement regarding today's students learning style.

Click here to see the video.

School Board Member Resigns

2011-04-08T14:18:00.001-05:00

School Board Member Tim Douglas has submitted his resignation. A job relocation is taking him to Iowa. Tim has served on the board since 2006 and served as treasurer. Tim brought a great deal of knowledge to the district from his background in accounting and employment as Chief Financial Officer at Midwest Asphalt.

The board will be advertising for applicants and interviewing interested candidates sometime in the next several weeks.

Informational Meetings

2011-03-25T10:28:00.000-05:00

The school board has held several informational meetings regarding the financial status of the school district and the operating levy in particular. Click here to see the documents associated with these meetings.

The next meeting is Thursday, April 14, 7:00 p.m. at Delano City Hall. It will be televised live on Delano Cable Channel 12.

The voters of the school district determine the level of educational programming desired, through the operating levy. I urge your attendance at these meetings so that you know what is at stake for the school children and the taxpayers of the school district.

Interview with Shane Baughman

2011-03-23T09:11:00.000-05:00

Mr. Baughman is a DHS social studies teacher who is working on his superintendent licensure, which requires an internship that he has been doing with me. Click here to watch the video.

Boys State

2011-03-14T08:41:00.000-05:00

Travis Collins and Ben Burns, DHS seniors who attended Boys State last year, assisted us in orienting boys to apply for Boys State this summer. Click here to see the video.

Tom Mathieu Interview

2011-03-08T17:05:00.001-06:00

Today I interviewed Tom Mathieu, Energy Efficiency Coordinator. Several months ago the district entered into an agreement with Hallberg Engineering and their Schools for Energy Efficiency program that is designed to change our behavior with respect to how we use energy - electrical, gas and water/sewer. This is a no-cost program for the school district as Hallberg gets paid from the energy savings that occur.

Click here to view the video and thanks for watching.

School Funding Informational Meetings

2011-03-04T13:57:00.001-06:00

The school board has scheduled two informational meetings to review and discuss the status of the voter approved operating levy on Tuesday, March 15 and Thursday, March 24 at 7:00 p.m. in the middle school auditorium.

The school board is seeking input on how to proceed in the future regarding school funding and the operating levy in particular. We invite your presence and your input.

Nancy Stellrecht Interview

2011-03-03T07:29:00.000-06:00

Today I interviewed Nancy Stellrecht, who leads our online learning opportunities. Click here for the video.

School Board Meeting February 28

2011-03-01T09:21:00.000-06:00

The school board heard a report from Energy Services Group (ESG) regarding the Energy Savings Performance Contract the board entered into in September 2006. This program funded $4.1M in energy improvements, deferred maintenance and operational enhancements.

At the end of the first full year of operations (year ended December 31, 2010) the savings associated with this program amounted to $241,000, exceeding the savings guaranteed by ESG by $15,000. The savings will pay back the capital investment, interest on the Alternative Facility Bonds and Capital Lease Bonds that were issued as well as technical services provided by ESG. In addition to the savings realized in the first year of operation, there were savings during the construction period in the amount of $264,000. The project is expected to save over $4.1M over the 15-Year term of the agreeement.

While the savings won't necessarily put more money into the budget for other things we will be saving on electricity, gas, and water useage and reducing the district's carbon footprint while improving indoor air quality and comfort of the buildings.

The board also held discussion on the proposal to establish one polling place for school elections that are not held on the same day as a statewide election. This proposal will be on the agenda at the March 21 school board meeting that will be held in the Middle School Media Center beginnning at 7:00 p.m.. The text of the proposal can be found here.

School Funding

2011-02-25T22:00:00.000-06:00

One of my sources at the State Capitol tells me that legislators receive "volumes of emails from supporters of a new Vikings stadium but next to nothing from those that support our public schools."

Delano Public Schools is not immune to the cuts that could happen by the legislature in resolving the $6.2B deficit.

Legislators need to hear from their constituents regarding the importance of school funding.

Click here for contact information on legislators that represent Delano Public Schools.

School Board Meeting on February 28

2011-02-24T16:45:00.000-06:00

The February 28 regular school board meeting is at Delano City Hall beginning at 7:00 p.m. First on the agenda will be a presentation by first grade students demonstrating their newly acquired reading skills in connection with "I Love to Read Month." That will be followed by a report by Energy Services Group on the cost savings associated with the first full year of the energy savings upgrades.

There will be a discussion on a proposal to establish one polling place as a cost savings measure for school district elections not held on the same day as a statewide election, which is expected to occur on November 1, 2011. This would make Delano Middle School the only polling place for those elections and would eliminate the polling places at Loretto and Independence. There are about 864 registered voters at Loretto and 1111 at Independence. The cost savings the first year would be about $2,296. There would also be quite a savings in manpower to set up just one polling place. This will not be voted on by the board on February 28, just discussed.

Board meetings are live on Delano Cable Channel 12 and streamed later over the school district website.

Click here to see the agenda.

Interview with Shallyn Tordeur

2011-02-23T19:43:00.000-06:00

Today's interview features Shallyn Tordeur our Schools-Within-A-School (SWAS) leader, a very valuable program at Delano High School, led by a great teacher.

Interview with Traci Lawman

2011-02-15T14:51:00.000-06:00

This is the first in a series of interviews with school employees. Today I am talking to Traci Lawman, Communications Coordinator.

School Board Meeting

2011-01-26T08:11:00.000-06:00

Click here to view video of the January 24, 2011 school board meeting. We had some great reports from the Wright County Court Services and our own School Resource Officer Craig Burton.

2011-12 Calendar Set

2011-01-25T19:29:00.000-06:00

The school board has set the calendar for 2011-12

Energy Efficiencies at Delano Public Schools

2011-01-05T12:24:00.000-06:00

Delano Public Schools kicked off the next round of energy savings programs this week. In partnership with Schools for Energy Efficiency (SEE) www.seeprograms.com, we are putting in place strategies that we expect will reduce energy use by a minimum of 10%.

The agreement with Hallberg Engineering, the distributor for SEE, is a cost sharing agreement, which means there is no cost to the school district to put the energy savings strategies in place. Hallberg is paid from the cost savings that are incurred. Most of the strategies relate to changing behavior in terms of how we use and conserve energy.

Our expectations are to save the District at least $84,000 during the five year agreement with Hallberg.

I call this the "next round of energy savings program" because we have finished the mechanical upgrades that were part of the program we had with Energy Services Group. We have now completed the first year with all the mechanical upgrades in place and will have a report soon on the cost savings generated the first year. The expectation is that we will have achieved in excess of $100,000 in savings. Some of these savings go to pay for the actions that were taken to upgrade many of the mechanical systems over the past several years.

School Board 2011

2011-01-04T08:03:00.000-06:00

Front left to right: Erica Frake, Sarah Baker, Lisa Seguin, and Amy Johnson (Vice Chair)
Back left to right: Tim Douglas (Treasurer), Peter Brasket (Chair) and Carolyn Milano (Clerk)

Keys to Life

2010-12-28T13:58:00.005-06:00

Kailyn Warne, a Delano Middle School student and Gwen Breisemeister, the Districts Talent Development Coordinator, collaborated to create the film "Keys to Life," which screened at the Filmanthropist Film Festival at the West End Theaters on December 11. The film highlights Kailyn's involvement in creating original music CDs to raise money for Relay for Life, an organization that raises money for cancer research. Here is the link to the film: http://vimeo.com/17751167

School Board Member Appointed

2010-12-21T10:58:00.002-06:00

At the December 20 meeting the school board appointed Sarah Baker to fill the unexpired term of Patricia Osman. Sarah Baker will serve until December 2012. A two-year position will be on the ballot in November of 2012. The board interviewed seven candidates the week before.

Sarah has been actively involved with the Delano Elementary School PIE group for the past three years and currently serves as co-President. She has also been a parent representative on the Delano Elementary Site Base Committee for three years.

The school board's organizational meeting is January 3 at 7:00 p.m. at Delano City Hall. One item of business will be the swearing in of the appointed member and recently elected members which will include Sarah Baker, Erica Frake, Carolyn Milano, Lisa Seguin, and Tim Douglas.

Cool in School: Destination Imagination

2010-12-03T10:12:00.001-06:00

A story on Delano's Destination Imagination appeared on KARE 11 News. Click here for the article and then play the video in the upper right hand corner.

Winning Essay for Walter Grotz Essay Scholarship Contest by Robyn Perry

2010-12-01T13:34:00.001-06:00

Opening on School Board

2010-11-23T13:39:00.000-06:00

An opening has been created on the school board due to the resignation of Patricia Osmon who is moving out of the school district. The school board will accept applications for this two year position that will serve until December 2012. A two-year position will be on the ballot at the 2012 election. Applications are available by clicking here. The applications are due in the district office by December 8 at 4:00 p.m.

Community Education

2010-11-18T14:43:00.000-06:00

A great video telling the story of Delano Community Education is now available by clicking here.

Jane Larter, School Nurse of the Year

2010-11-15T10:14:00.001-06:00

Jane Larter, our Licensed School Nurse, was named School Nurse of the Year on November 13 by the March of Dimes.

According to a news release from the March of Dimes, Jane "was honored for creating a model of school nursing that supports high-quality student services and promotes wellness for both students and staff. She is recognized for advocating for students with special needs and promoting wellness by providing health information to families and staff."

Congratulations!

Emergency School Closing Information

2010-10-27T13:45:00.000-05:00

Winter will soon be upon us. School may be closed for the day, started late or dismissed early due to weather conditions or other emergency situations. Families are encouraged to have a plan in place should a change in the school day occur. Changes in the school day will be called into the following media outlets.

WCCO Television – Channel 4

KSTP Television – Channel 5

KMSP Television – Channel 9

KARE Television – Channel 11

WCCO Radio 830 AM

Families will also receive a phone call and email from the school’s instant notification system if an emergency closing occurs.

Surplus Property for Sale

2010-10-27T13:40:00.000-05:00

Delano Public Schools has various surplus property for sale, including the following:

· Overhead projectors (20)

· Overhead Projector carts (9)

· Other carts (7)

· Computer monitors (4)

· Camera Monitors (2)

· VCRs (4)

· Televisions

· Recumbent bikes (2)

· VHS Cameras (3)

· Used man-lift

· Study Carrels

· Wood chairs

· Copy machine

Anyone interested in these items call 763-972-3365 x2111.

1981 Ford Tractor with nearly new front mounted brush and rear mount snowblower in good working condition. Sealed bids will be accepted at the District Office until 12:00 noon on Friday, November 19, 2010. This unit has a trade-in value of $5,000. The School District reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids. Call 763-972-3365 x2111 to inspect this equipment.

Veteran's Day

2010-10-27T13:15:00.000-05:00

Delano Middle School and High School will again be hosting a Veteran’s Day Program on Thursday, November 11 beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the Tiger Activity Center. The winners of the “Patriot Pen” contest, a writing contest sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars for 7^th and 8^th grade students, will be announced. We will also recognize the winners of the Walter Grotz Essay Scholarship Contest sponsored by WWII Veteran and former Prisoner of War, Walter Grotz. This year’s speaker will be Major Patricia Osmon who is a member of the U.S. Army Reserve and also a school board member. The public, along with all veterans, are invited to the program.

Bussing will be provided for Veterans from the American Legion at 9:00 a.m.

Proposed Tax Levy Information

2010-10-06T14:51:00.002-05:00

At the September 27 school board meeting, the school board approved its proposed tax levy for 2010 taxes payable in 2011. Click here for the proposed levy information. In accordance with state law, the school board will discuss the budget and tax levy at its December 20 school board meeting that will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Delano Middle School Media Center. (The meeting is held at the school because City Hall is not available so the meeting will not be televised live.)

You will notice a significant decline in the school portion of the property tax notice. This is due to a decrease in the debt service which is brought about by the pay-off of some previously issued bonds for facilities. The total decrease in the levy is $527,403 or 9.74%. If the pay-off of the bonds did not take place the levy would have increased by 1%. This will translate to a savings of about $49 per $100,000 of taxable value on residential homestead property.

Property owners will receive by mail a notice of their proposed property tax and notice of the above mentioned meeting between November 10 and November 25. Click here for a booklet titled Understanding Your Property Taxes, 2010 Edition for Taxes Payable in 2010. This publication can be of assistance in undersanding property taxes.

Another publication that is available is Fourteen Reasons Why Property Taxes Vary from Year to Year, which is also helpful in trying to understand why property taxes change.

China Visitors

2010-09-29T13:32:00.001-05:00

We are very happy to be hosting visitors from our sister school in China, Zi Yun High School in Tanggu, this week. There are 12 students, three directors and one teacher that are hosted by Delano students, their families and Delano staff members.

Standing L-R: Mi Shuangjie and Meng Lingcai.
Seated L-R: Zhang Wenyan, John Sweet and Yu Yang

Education Jobs Fund Legislation

2010-09-22T14:15:00.003-05:00

The Ed Jobs Fund bill was authorized by Congress in August. The purpose of the legislation is to save or create education jobs for the 2010-11 school year. This is one-time funding and the funds can be carried over to the 2011-12 school year. Delano Schools is authorized to receive $426,414 in one-time money under this legislation.

The School District intends to spend these dollars in a very prudent manner with an eye to the fiscal unknowns of the near future. A sixth grade teacher was added to reduce class sizes from 30 to 25. A part-time art position in the middle school was increased to full-time in order to provide one more grade with an art experience and to relieve the high school art teacher of a middle school assignment so he has time to work with high school independent study art students. A part-time vocal music teacher was added to the middle school to reduce choir sizes to a more manageable level. An Elementary Curriculum/Assessment Coordinator is also being added to assist the elementary school in the areas of curriculum, testing, and a myriad of other duties associated with a building containing 804 students and 94 employees, the highest number of any building in the district.

During the current fiscal year the School District is operating on approximately $430,000 of one-time funds that will not be available next year. It is the intent to carry over a portion of the Ed Jobs Funds to next year as a cushion for the one-time funds being utilized this year.

Gubernatorial Candidates

2010-09-14T10:20:00.001-05:00

The upcoming election in November could define the future of education for Delano students and all students in Minnesota. Click on the candidate to see his position on education:

Tom Emmer Mark Dayton Tom Horner

6th Annual DAEF Trapshoot

2010-09-07T10:47:00.000-05:00

The Delano Area Educational Foundation will be hosting its 6th Annual Benefit Trapshoot on Saturday, September 11 at Park Gun Club, which is located near the intersection of County Rd 6 and Highway 12, from 1:00p - 5:00p.

The registration fee is $40 for adults (includes one event), $20 for students and $10 per event after the initial shooting event.

There are door prizes, silent auction, burgers, brats and other refreshments included in the registration fee.

For further information contact Larry Hutchins at 612.518.3113, Mike Gallagher at 612.386.8830 or John Sweet at 763.972.3365 ext 2115.

Welcome New Teachers!

2010-08-24T15:17:00.001-05:00

Today we welcomed 16 new teachers to the Delano School District: Katherine Berggren, grade 4; Cortney Bongard, elementary speech pathologist; Andrew Beard, high school/middle school vocal music; Katie Beshears, Spanish; Jennifer Froehlich, high school special education; Jeremy Wenzel, high school social studies; Amy Larson, middle school/high school special education; Jason Monke, high school science; Laura Barto, high school special education; Kiz Gorham, middle school math; Sean Roff, physical education/health/adaptive physical education; Kylee Knutson, grade 6; Tasha Reitenour, middle school special education; Kelley White, grade 5; Seth Potter, physical education; Rachael Anderson, middle school art.

Back to school tax savings!

2010-08-22T14:27:00.002-05:00

Under the K-12 Education Tax Credit and K-12 Education Subtraction program parents can claim a tax savings or subtraction by saving receipts for school supplies and other education related expenses. Click here for further information.

ACT Scores

2010-08-18T09:17:00.000-05:00

The ACT (American College Test) is the test high school students take for college adminissions. The seniors who graduated this past spring did exceedingly well on the test with an average composite score of 24.2. The state average was 22.9. Click here for the entire report.

Board Candidate Filings

2010-08-18T08:55:00.000-05:00

Five candidates have filed for the five open positions on the school board:

2 - year terms: Carolyn Milano (incumbent) and Erica Frake

4 - year terms: Tim Douglas (incumbent), Lisa Seguin (incumbent), and Patricia Osmon (incumbent).

Parking Lot Construction Underway

2010-08-04T07:38:00.000-05:00

Construction on the parking lot across the street west of the elementary began the week of July 26. Completion date is September 3. This lot will accomodate 80 vehicles and will relieve the parking problem on Elm Avenue during the school day. It will also serve as parking for elementary school events, hockey arena parking, soccer, softball and football parking.

Activities Director Named

2010-07-29T11:51:00.002-05:00

Mike Lindquist, a Delano Middle School art and physical education teacher, is being named as the activities director for Delano Schools.

Mr. Lindquist is uniquely qualified for this position. He has 25 years of teaching and coaching experience, 23 years at Delano Middle School. His coaching experience and experience in the visual arts gives him a broad perspective of the total activities program, which doesn't just include athletics.

In addition to his duties with the school district he has been a very active member of the community as a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, Downtown Revitalization Task Force, Highway 12 Bridge and Aesthetics Task Force, and other projects.

He will continue as head girls soccer coach for the upcoming season only. The district will be looking for a new girls soccer coach for next year and a head boys track for the coming season.

He replaces Joe Haas who was recently named the assistant middle school principal.

School Board Election Information

2010-07-28T14:17:00.000-05:00

There are five open seats for the school board that will be voted on in the November 2, 2010 election. There are three four-year terms and two two-year terms open. Candidates must choose to run for either a four-year or two-year position.

Affidavits of candidacy are available here, or at the District Office located at Delano High School, 700 Elm Av East. The first day to file the affidavit is August 3 and it must be turned in to the District Office by 5:00 p.m. on August 17.

For more information contact the superintendent's office at 763-972-3365 ext 2111.

Parking Lot

2010-07-16T14:16:00.000-05:00

On Friday, July 16, the school board held a special meeting for the purpose of considering bids for the parking lot. The board previously rejected bids and then re-bid the project.

Omann Brothers had the low base bid for a 40 space lot at $97,250. The board accepted an alternate in the amount of $49,150 to expand it to 80 spaces. An alternate to repair Tiger Drive was also accepted in the amount of $18,000.

The parking lot will be located across the street west of Delano Elementary and the completion date is September 3.

Welcome China Visitors

2010-07-12T15:34:00.001-05:00

This week, July 12, we welcome visitors from our sister school, Tianjin Zi Yun High School in Tanggu, China. This program is the cornerstone of our long-term educational partnership for the benefit of both our schools and is led by our China Club, which is made up of students, teachers, and parents. Extensive plans have been made to give our visitors a taste of life in America, Delano and the Twin Cities area.

Our visitors include the following students: Zhao Hui, Li Muyao, Yu Miao, Li Man, Li Xuyang and Zhou Xinyi. And the following adults: Su Guolian, Director; Yang Xuebi, Director; and Ren Xiue, Teacher.

Click here for pictures

Test Scores and QComp Goal Met

2010-07-08T12:07:00.000-05:00

I am very pleased to announce that the QComp (Quality Compensation) goals were met for the 2009-10 school year. Our teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, students and parents are all to be congratulated for their great work.

Mid-Summers Night Street Dance

2010-07-08T11:51:00.001-05:00

The Delano Area Educational Foundation, in cooperation with the Delano Lions and Delano Jaycees, are sponsoring a street dance on July 24 beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Bridge Street in Delano. Proceeds from this event go to the Foundation.

Tickets are $10.00 in advance and can be purchased at State Bank of Delano, 3 Crows, Crow River State Bank, Coborn's or on line by clicking here

I hope to see you at the dance!

Walter Grotz Scholarship Essay Contest

2010-06-02T16:08:00.001-05:00

Walter Grotz, a World War II Veteran and former prisoner of war, is sponsoring a scholarship essay contest that is open to seniors graduating in 2011. Click here for information and entry form.

"Thousands Might Not Graduate..."

2010-05-27T11:47:00.001-05:00

...that was the headline in yesterday's Startribune. All Delano High School seniors have passed the GRAD tests referred to in this article.

It is also worth noting that Delano High School met it's QComp (Quality Compensation) goal for the year. That goal was to increase the percent of students who meet or exceed the math standard on the Minnesota Comphrehensive Achievement Tests II from 68% in grade 8 to 70%. The goal was met with 71.3% of the students meeting or exceeding the standard.

School Board Election Information

2010-05-26T10:28:00.000-05:00

The school board has five positions up for election at the November 2, 2010 General Election, two - 2 year terms and three - 4 year terms. For details regarding the timelines click here

Funding Cliff

2010-05-12T12:41:00.001-05:00

The latest school finance term is "funding cliff." This defines the financial situation school districts will be in as reserves, one time dollars, one time solutions and all the proposed legislative solutions combined do not solve the state's financial problems.

The attached article gives a summation as to where we are headed in the next biennium. Please note this article was written prior to the Supreme Courts decision regarding the unallotment that was done to balance the budget. This action leads to an additional $3B shortfall on top of what is written about in the attached article.

May 1 Update

2010-04-28T10:40:00.003-05:00

I would like to recognize six teachers who are retiring this year: Sharon Keller, 5th grade, 39 years of service; Gail Savage, special education, 38 years of service; John Zerull, social studies, 38 years of service; Jan Christophersen, 4th grade, 31 years of service; Brad Hagen, vocal music, 31 years of service; Leo Popischal, special education, 24 years of service. (Leo is leaving the district to finish his career teaching in China); Barb Stevens, paraprofessional 13 years of service. These staff members have all made great contributions to the education of students at Delano Public Schools and I congratulate them on their contributions and retirement.

We will also be missing seven other teachers who are leaving the district at the end of the year and we appreciate their contributions as well: Melissa Baker, high school science; Aileen Cahill, grade 4; Quinn Ebert, middle school math; Jesse Hackenmueller, middle school physical education; Rochelle Lindberg, grade 6; Amy Kelly, high school special education; and Dr. Aixue Wang, Chinese.

At the school board meeting on April 26 the board approved adding Chinese language to our online offerings as an alternative to hiring a full or part-time teacher to accommodate the students with interests in Chinese language and culture. This action was preceded by a great presentation on the trip student and faculty made during spring break to our sister school in China. We will again have visitors from Tanguu, China in June.

In other action at the April 26 meeting the board gave approval for the design of a parking lot at 789 Tiger Drive, across the street from Delano Elementary with about 64 parking spaces. This is in response to concerns about students parking on Elm Avenue. There are several advantages to placing a parking lot at this location. 1) It will serve a future building at the site and 2) it will provide over-flow parking for the elementary and hockey arena. This was the preferred site after consulting with students and residents of Elm Avenue. If things go as planned the board will consider bids for this project at the June 28 meeting with completion about August 13. This will be funded from the Capital Outlay Fund reserve with an estimated budget of $120,000.

As the school year begins to draw to a close we reflect on all the great work of our students and staff as well as the great support they receive from parents. Thank you for a great school year.

John Sweet, Superintendent

Follow Up to Threat

2010-04-20T12:11:00.002-05:00

At the end of the school day on Monday the Wright County Sheriff's Department, with the assistance of a State Trooper and bomb sniffing dog, did a thorough search of the middle school and high school. No bomb was found.

Today all students and staff were given a search similiar to what you experience at the Metrodome or Target Field. No contraband was found.

We are having discussion about the advisability of holding these bag searches on a random basis throughout the school year to impress on people that we are taking measures to keep the school buildings safe.

NOTICE

2010-04-19T12:49:00.004-05:00

Today a note was found written on tissue paper in one of the bathrooms in the high school with the word “bomb” written on it. Wright County authorities were immediately notified and an investigation is underway. Wright County authorities believe this to be a very low level threat, however all threats are taken seriously and precautionary measures are being taken.

At the close of school today Delano Middle School, Delano High School and the Tiger Activity Center will be closed until 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday so that Wright County authorities can conduct a thorough search of both the Middle School and High School. This action does not include Delano Elementary or the Community Education Building.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, April 20) all students and staff at the Middle School and High School will go through a routine bag search with law enforcement and school officials stationed at each of the entrances beginning at 7:00 a.m.

Delano Middle School and High School students are receiving a letter at the end of the day today explaining where to enter the building on Tuesday.

As a reminder, Delano High School will be conducting a mock car crash at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday on Tiger Drive. This event will include the presence of a number of emergency vehicles including a helicopter.

I thank everyone for their patience as we deal with the safety concerns on the campus.

Parking on Elm

2010-03-26T13:46:00.002-05:00

The School District and the City of Delano have been receiving complaints about high school students parking on Elm Avenue. The problem stems from not having enough parking on campus for high school students that drive to school. The problem increases as the year goes on as more students become eligible to drive.

Various solutions to the problem have been discussed, including constructing additional parking at one of three locations: the corner of Elm Avenue and Tiger Drive near the entrance to the middle school/high school; a block east of Tiger Drive on Elm Avenue where the School district owns a lot; and at 789 Tiger Drive across the street west of the elementary school. All of these solutions come with a price tag ranging from about $58,000 to gravel space up to $193,000 for blacktop, curb and gutter, depending on which of the three locations is chosen.

School and City representatives will meet with residents of Elm Avenue and any other interested persons on Tuesday, April 13 at 5:00 p.m. in the high school cafeteria to discuss the problem and all the various ideas for solutions, which are not all limited to constructing additional space.

School Facility Needs

2010-02-23T07:58:00.004-06:00

The board’s building and grounds committee has identified several high priority needs that were part of the last bond issue election in 2008. The school board as a whole continues to discuss the school facility needs of the district at special and regular meetings. All the buildings have exceeded their enrollment capacity and issues continue to exist.

The high priority needs that are under discussion include the following:
1) Improve security at the main entrance of the elementary building; cabinetry to finish four existing classrooms; and repurpose the multi-purpose rooms to classrooms. Estimated cost is $99,700.
2)Add two additional music rooms to be shared by middle school and high school. Estimated cost is $1,062,000.
3)Add two additional science rooms at the high school. Estimated cost is $818,000.
4)Add 50 parking spaces at the middle school/high school. Estimated cost is $100,000.

The total cost of these needs is approximately $2,075,000. The yearly tax impact on a residential homestead property would be about $15.00 per $100,000 of taxable value and $22.000 per $100,000 on commercial property.

The board is sensitive to the economic climate as well as the needs of students. Discussion will continue regarding the needs and the viability of placing this on the ballot in November 2010.

Post your comments, questions or suggestions here.

Early Dismissal February 8

2010-02-08T11:10:00.002-06:00

The elmentary will dismiss at 1:00 pm. today and the middle school/high school will dismiss at 1:15p.

Community Education (art, legos, Middle Mania) after-school events cancelled.
Tiger Kids Club will remain open; we ask that parents pick up their children up as early as possible.
Tiger Activity Center will close at 5:00 p.m.

Buildings and Grounds Committee Reports to Board

2010-01-28T13:43:00.004-06:00

The school board's Buildings and Grounds Committee reported to the school board at the January 25 meeting regarding several meetings held. The committee is suggesting that the following are the high priority needs of the district at this time:

Elementary: Improve security at main entrance $35,000
Cabinetry to finish four existing rooms $20,200
Re-purpose two multi-purpose rooms $44,500

Middle School/High School: Two music rooms $1,062,000

High School: Two science classrooms $818,900
Add 50 parking spaces $100,000

Total Cost High Priority $2,079,700

Tax Impact (estimated): Approx. $15.00/$100,000 tax value residential
Approx. $22.00/$100,000 tax value commercial

A need also exists for a larger auditorium. An 800 seat auditorium placed on the southeast side of the Tiger Activity Center would cost $4,171,200

The committee reported that it is sensitive to the current economic conditions. The board will study the facilities situation as all buildings are beyond capacity.

"State Hits Up Schools for Loans"

2010-01-27T15:45:00.002-06:00

That was the headline in today's Twin Cities + West edition of the Star Tribune. News regarding education mostly revolves around school funding issues and the state’s unprecedented budgetary problems. We would rather see news regarding student achievement and the great work our students and staff are doing. The reality of the unprecedented financial situation that the state and our schools face cannot be ignored, however.

The latest news involves state aid payment delays that are required when the state runs into cash flow problems. By law, “The state must first delay state aid payments to the maximum extent allowable before engaging in state short term borrowing,” according to a memo received on January 26 from Alice Seagren, Commissioner of Education.

According to the memo received from the Commissioner, state aid payments will be delayed on March 15, March 30 and April 15. The estimated total payment delay for all the schools in the state is $423.3 million. The delayed payments are required to be paid back to schools in full on May 30, 2010. This situation will require many Minnesota school districts to enter into short-term borrowing to cash flow their districts during this time. For Delano Schools the delay is estimated to amount to $1,960,407 for the March 15, 30 and April 15 payments. The school district will be able to cash flow itself during this period with the reserves that it has on hand.

This aid payment delay should not be confused with the payment shift that was put in place where the state delays 27% of the aid due in the current fiscal year to the next fiscal year. The shift causes another cash flow concern to school districts. Delano School District should be able to cash flow both the delay and the shift this time around.

School districts are sometimes criticized for carrying healthy fund balances. If there was ever a time when fund balances are needed for cash flow purposes, it is now. The other advantage is that the fund balance gives us time to respond to these unprecedented actions without immediate harm to the educational program or incurring the expense of short-term borrowing.

I look forward to the days when more of the headlines in the news are about all the positive things that are going on in our schools.

Board Names New Member

2010-01-27T15:31:00.004-06:00

School Board members for 2010: front L-R: Tim Douglas, Peter Brasket, Carolyn Milano, Patricia Osmon, back L-R: Joy Bodin, Lisa Seguin and Amy Johnson

At the January 25 board meeting Patricia Osmon was appointed to fill the vacancy created by Becky Schaust's resignation.

Patricia holds a BA from Bates College and both a Masters and Doctorate from Baylor University She is a Pediatric Physical Therapist having spent three and a half years working for the SW/WC Service Cooperative out of Wilmar, MN before relocating to Delano.

In her letter of application she stated "After meeting with many different school districts stretching over a 100 mile area, public and private, my family relocated to Delano."

Vacancy on School Board

2010-01-05T11:32:00.004-06:00

At the January 4, 2010 organizational meeting of the school board the board accepted the resignation of board member Becky Schaust. This opening will be filled by appointment by the school board. Persons interested in being considered for this position need to file an application at the District Office by 2:0o p.m on Friday, January 15, 2010. Application forms are available here. The person appointed will serve until December 31, 2010. A four-year position will be on the ballot at the school board election in November 2010.

Race To The Top (RTTT)

2009-12-30T10:52:00.004-06:00

RTTT is the federal government's $4.35B stimulus program directed to education. This is a very significant financial incentive for states to participate in school improvement activities. The $4.35B program doubles the U.S. Department of Education's annual budget for the four year implementation period.

It appears 10-15 states will be awarded the funds. Minnesota is up for approximately $200M. Delano could be eligible for approximately $548,000 over the four year implementation period. All of this is contingent on Minnesota's application to the U.S. Department of Education being approved.

Delano Schools is submitting an MOA indicating our interest in participating.

There are four components to RTTT. 1) Standards and Assessments - adopting internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and the workplace; 2) Data Systems to Support Instruction - building data systems that measure student success and inform teachers and principals how they can improve their practices; 3) Great Teachers and Leaders - recruiting, developing, retaining, and rewarding effective teachers and principals; and 4) Turning Around Struggling Schools - which doesn't apply to Delano.

To be eligible for RTTT funds Minnesota schools must participate in the state's Quality Compensation (QComp) Program. Delano has been involved in QComp for the past three years.

We see RTTT as another tool to assist us in meeting our vision statement: Educational Excellence is our Foremost Goal, and look forward to Minnesota's successful grant application.

Discussion of Budget and Proposed Property Taxes

2009-12-09T10:31:00.013-06:00

A discussion of the proposed property taxes payable in 2010 and the district's budget for 2009-10 will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 21 in the Delano Middle School Media Center. After the presentation and discussion the board will vote to approve the property tax levy for taxes payable in 2010.

The proposed property taxes will show an increase of $147,360 over last year, a 2.78% increase.

Click here to see the levy data the school board will be considering.

Click here to see an explanation of the data.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

2009-12-09T05:34:00.002-06:00

As of this posting at 5:40 a.m. school is on for the day. We continue to monitor conditions.

I advise students and staff who are driving to start a little early, be careful and take your time. Busses may be a little slow so be patient as normal route times may be a little late.