Opinion: Open enrollment benefits Wrenshall

Open enrollment brings different opinions on its effects in a school district. If you have a conversation with someone about open enrollment, you find out how much they do not understand the benefits open enrollment brings to their school. The goal here is to let people know how it has changed the outcome for our school in Wrenshall.

We have the advantage of having the Duluth school district at our back door, plus Carlton and Cloquet at the front door. That brings us students when room allows, to come in when student numbers in our home district are down. Every student coming in gives us revenue per student that the state funds.

Other words, it creates revenue where it could be an empty desk. And an empty desk means you're not going to be able to offer more opportunities for learning. The added money open enrollment brings in keeps the doors open and helps us to retain our teachers, and increases money going into building, grounds and programs - allowing the school to run much more efficiently.

The vast majority (79 percent) of Wrenshall school funding comes from the state, and some from the federal government. The state has a baseline of $6,312 for each full-time K-6 student and a price tag of $7,280 for students in grades 7-12. The information comes from Minnesota school Finance 2018. So with this as a guideline, you can see what money for open enrollment can do for a small district. Most of this funding follows open-enrolled students into Wrenshall.

Keep in mind, the cost for maintaining a building is the same with 200 students as it is with 360 or more students. A district that loses more students than it gains has much higher local operating levies because their schools operate less efficiently if enrollment is way down. The Wrenshall local tax levy has

decreased 2-3 percent the past two years. With overall enrollment up the past few years, maintaining around 365 students makes for a sound district.

Additionally, school districts today have to be motivated to change with the times. We need to market ourselves and be two steps ahead of everyone else. We have to give students a reason to come to us.

We want to lead the way with an industrial engineering construction program which will allow students to get a jumpstart on a career-oriented goal without having to pay for a four-year college degree. If they go to a vocational college, it would cost the district money, and the students would have to specialize more with classes or attend additional years. They would have to supply their own transportation to WITC or Lake Superior College, or other place that would have room for them. Open enrollment will give others the opportunity to take part in this program too.

Open enrollment is the law in Minnesota. School Choice is your way to find the best education for your child.

As a school district, it is our job to bring the best teachers and safest learning environment possible. If we do everything right, we will have a school district that will help our town and area prosper and grow. Property values will increase and local business will create more revenue.

Schools such as Floodwood, with no place to draw open-enrolled students from, will be making many hard choices to stay open.

In the event of consolidation with Carlton in the future, we would be able to maintain a healthy steady enrollment with our geographic location for years to come.

Writer Jack Eudy is a Wrenshall school board member.