Wrenshall students have their say on school plans

Sometimes, it's the most obvious thing that can be neglected. In the past two years, the Wrenshall school district has offered up two referendums to make improvements at its K-12 school. Part of that effort involved public forums where residents could ask questions and espouse their views on the proposed projects and how the cost would impact tax bills.

Both times, the effort came up empty as voters said no.

Last week, with a third referendum coming in May, district officials and project consultants came up with a new tack: Let's ask students what they think. And let's allow them to tell it to the public.

They didn't disappoint at the first of two public forums held March 21 at the school. When the juniors and seniors were done talking about how badly their school needs improvements, the more than 80 people in the commons area Thursday applauded them.

A teacher uses a closet for an office. Gym equipment is being stored in hallways. There's no room for proper science experiments. The outdated and cramped weight room can't sustain athletes trying to do their best to represent the school. Some classrooms are boiling hot. Others are freezing.

Those were a few of the comments from a clutch of students at the first of two public meetings regarding the May 14 referendum, which will ask voters to approve $14.4 million in building bonds. The second public meeting is set for 6 p.m. April 17 at the school.

Home budgets have influenced many voters the past two elections, particularly the threat of increased property taxes from several utility company lawsuits that will likely affect local taxes when they're settled. That came out in the public forums last year. Home budgets may still be a factor this time, since construction costs are only going up. The current price tag is up $1 million from last fall, mostly due to rising costs.

The average market value for a home in the district is $150,000. The current referendum would raise the tax on that value by $288 a year for 20 years, or $24 a month. Or 80 cents a day, 10 cents a working-day hour.

Part of the meeting was spent urging homeowners to make sure they have property tax refund information that could lower the impact.

While all the money questions are up for consideration, there remains an emotional side for the students.

Their feelings have been hurt as the last two referendums failed. They have been trying to maintain school pride despite voters rejecting improvements. They take it personally, the students said. They feel let down.

So perhaps the applause was a form of mea culpa. Those who want the referendum to pass certainly hope so.

"I'm not surprised," said Janaki Fisher-Merritt, vice chairman of the school board, on the feelings expressed by the students. When the vote failed in November, "I saw how some of the kids took it personally."

Fisher-Merritt said that when the focus is on the big picture, on the overall health of the school district into the future, taking things from a student's day-to-day perspective was "interesting."

"I hadn't thought how things are as a student," he said.

The student input was part of a wholesale change in the informational meeting. Consultants described the proposed project and its tax impacts, then the students spoke. But instead of opening the discussion to the audience, the consultants and school administration moved to tables on the perimeter of the commons to take questions.

The purpose was to make sure all of those who had questions could get them answered, including what could be personal tax information, superintendent Kim Belcastro said. She said past public forums had intimidated some people after the more boisterous in the audience had their say.

"It allows for in-depth questions," Fisher-Merritt said of the new meeting format. "We thought we'd try something different. It's nice."

A few people in the audience lingered at the tables. Most of the crowd was gone shortly after the presentations wrapped up. Less than an hour had passed.

Perhaps they'd seen this all before. In April of 2017, voters soundly rejected a $12.5 million proposal. Nearly three-fourths of voters said no. Last fall, a $13 million question was denied by just 52 votes, 534-482. That closing gap has district officials buoyed that the third time will be the charm.

The current plan is to shore up the shell of the now-closed rec building and convert it into a space for hands-on technical education. Outfitting the space would come from in-kind donations from trades companies that are trying to foster a workforce of skilled workers. Kraus-Anderson, the construction management team working with the district, has committed to corralling those efforts.

The current gym would become a secondary gym to a new main gym, with the two adjoining each other. The current nonfunctioning pool area would be remodeled to add four classrooms and improve space for athletics.

More than half of the $14.4 million would go to improving the air quality in the portions of the building built in 1956 and 1963.

Keeping the school up to date is also safeguarding the future, Fisher-Merritt said. A well functioning school means that any talk about district consolidation would include an option in keeping a school in Wrenshall, he said.

Tony Sjolander, the director of project planning and development at Kraus-Anderson, told the audience Thursday that improving spaces at the school would improve education. While the cost is certainly a consideration, he said most of the project is nuts-and-bolts common sense.

"It's time to reinvest in your building," Sjolander said. "It's time to overhaul the engine." He said the proposed project wasn't a "Yugo," referring to the cheap, tin-can cars sold in the 1980s. "It's not a Cadillac. You're in the range of a good Chevy."