District 877 to ask voters for increase in operating levy; class sizes to be addressed

Voters in Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose District 877 are being asked to approve an increase in the district’s operating levy. The question will be on the November 6 ballot.

The district is seeking the additional funds to help reduce class sizes, address school safety through personnel and infrastructure, expand middle school opportunities, and address the special education funding deficit.

Beginning today and over the next three weeks, the Wright County Journal-Press will be presenting information about each of those needs.

Background

Superintendent Dr. Scott Thielman said that District 877 administrators and the school board have been closely watching the general fund balance over the last several years. The general fund, the district’s largest fund, is used primarily for the day-to-day operations of the district.

“For many years, the general fund balance has been level,” said Thielman, “because we have been frugal. We have watched the dollars very carefully.”

“But,” said Thielman, “inflationary pressures have caught us.”

According to Thielman, since 2002, the federal government Consumer Price Index (CPI) has increased 34.4 percent, while the money available to the district has increased 25.1 percent. Over 16 years, the district is 9.3 percent below the CPI in available money for the operating fund.

At the end of July, seven months into this year, the CPI showed an increase of 2.9 percent, while the state’s increase in the funding formula for all of 2018 was 2.0 percent.

Costs for heating and cooling, supplies and equipment, building operations, and employee salaries and benefits have increased while the available money has decreased, causing the school district to be forced to tap into the general fund balance.

The district has a policy of maintaining an 8 to 12 percent fund balance. Without additional money, the fund balance is projected to drop below 8 percent in 2020.

To support the increasing needs of the students and maintain a reasonable fund balance, the district is asking voters to approve a $950 per pupil increase for operating fund.

Class Sizes

The first area is reducing class sizes.

For many years, District 877 has focused on keeping smaller class sizes in the district’s elementary schools.

The class size goal in the elementary schools is 22 or fewer in kindergarten, 24 or fewer in grades one and two, 26 or fewer in grade three, and 28 or fewer in grades four and five.

Those class sizes are already being addressed.

“But,” said Thielman, “our attention now needs to be placed on the large classes at Buffalo Community Middle School (BCMS) and Buffalo High School (BHS).

“We now want to target classes with more than 30 students at those levels based on need,” said Thielman.

At BHS, Principal Mark Mischke said that class size is a “significant” problem.

“In ten of twelve departments, the average class size is over 30,” said Mischke. “At least two-thirds of the courses here are over 30 students.”

To Mischke, class size has a direct impact on the other three issues, school safety, middle school opportunities, and special education.

“Smaller class sizes makes kids feel safe, allows more opportunity, and better serves students with special needs,” said Mischke.

School Board Member Melissa Brings agrees. “Strong schools make for strong communities; schools are the heart of our community.”

Brings noted that the needs of students are different from the past.

“With the rise in more difficult home situations and unstable living environments, schools have become the one stable part in the lives of many students,” said Brings. “The adults in our schools need to be able to develop relationships with each and every student.”

Added Brings, “We can’t do that if classes are so large that there is no opportunity to get to know each student. Each child needs to feel noticed and valued. That is so important for academic success and mental health.”

Goals at BHS include every student having an adult to connect with and every student to feel supported by other students, student-to-adult and peer-to-peer relationships.

“Smaller class sizes,” said Mischke, “have the greatest impact on us reaching our goals as a school than anything else.”

According to Mischke, when parents call about their child, their concern is that their child has no opportunity to connect with teachers.

“Parents are not complaining, they understand the large classes, but they are asking for help,” said Mischke. “We want to provide that help, and can do better with smaller classes. Once kids connect at school, they will connect to learn.”

Added Mischke, “This is a levy about people and the success of the children.”

Next week the topic will be addressing school safety through personnel and infrastructure.