Carlton Wrenshall: Schools 'pause' merger wrangle

The on-again, off-again talks between the Carlton and Wrenshall school districts regarding consolidation are officially off again. Superintendents and school board members agreed last week that it was time for a “pause” in current negotiations regarding a merger that has been kicked around for more than a half-century.

The pause marks an end to a flurry of consolidation maneuvers in the past two years that saw the school boards agreeing on a two-site plan that would utilize the South Terrace elementary school in Carlton for lower grades and the school in Wrenshall for a high school.

After a pandemic year that saw hopes dashed for state funding to help shore up the school buildings for a consolidation, both sides said in the past week that they are “tired” and need to focus on more pressing district needs right now.

Wrenshall superintendent Kim Belcastro asked for a check-in with Carlton on consolidation after a few months of virtually no movement as both districts ushered in new school board members and continued to dance with Covid-19 scheduling. School board presidents and vice presidents agreed to meet with Belcastro and Carlton superintendent John Engstrom on Feb. 2.

“It wasn’t a huge surprise on where they are at,” said Wrenshall board president Michelle Blanchard the next day as her board met for a discussion meeting. “We are on their list,” she said, “but we are not No. 1 on their list. But we’re on the list.”

“Neither district was in a place where they were prepared to say consolidation is the only way forward,” Engstrom told his board Monday in recapping the meeting.

The Carlton board has been discussing alternatives to consolidation since its prospects dimmed without the state funding. It has introduced the idea of releasing its high school students to another district and operating just a K-8 school at South Terrace while selling the current high school site to the county so it can expand its jail facilities. The board has also put creating a new K-12 school in Carlton on the table. Both measures would require significant tax levy votes.

What Wrenshall leaders found new last week was Carlton throwing out the idea of partnering with other schools in the county. Superintendent Engstrom said he has had some conversations about the “long shot” of districts such as Barnum or Moose Lake teaming up with Carlton and even Wrenshall to create a unified high school with districts retaining schools for the lower grades.

“I wanted to bring it up,” Engstrom said. “It’s not the worst idea I ever had.” He said he felt a duty to at least mention the possibility.

The idea had the Wrenshall board and some Carlton members wondering about the utility of bringing up yet another scenario.

On Monday, Carlton school board member Tim Hagenah said talk of a unification of the county’s smaller school districts wasn’t new. “Talk and actually establishing something is different,” he said. He said there was “no shame” in discussing the possibility but he stressed a need for Carlton to focus on what it can offer students in a district that has seen enrollment flag in recent years. He said consolidation, and a focus on facilities in Carlton and Wrenshall, has left issues such as curriculum on the back burner.

Carlton board member Anne Gustafson continued to advocate for what she considers the district’s best option — consolidation with Wrenshall. All of the options about the district’s future are worth talking about, she said, but time is of the essence. “We’re not kicking the can so much as just spinning our wheels.”

She said if the district can’t figure out how to cooperate with its closest neighbor, how would it fare with those 20 miles away? “I think we have to start closer.”

The Carlton board talked about the pause and its own scenarios Monday but didn’t move any closer to a set position. It is mulling whether or not to conduct a survey of district residents, and keeping a lobbyist on to advocate for the district in the state legislature. What the lobbyist would be pushing remains a question, with consolidation on a break and no solid plans for levy referendums. Last year the districts split a $25,000 bill for a lobbyist and $10,000 for a survey.

All of those expensive measures are not appealing to Wrenshall right now, Belcastro said.

Wrenshall is also taking a look in the mirror.

Belcastro said her staff has told her that they are tired of the distraction consolidation has caused. She’s been working on aspects of it with Carlton for eight years, she said. “We’re at a point where everyone needs a break,” she said. “We can’t be doing this anymore. We need to focus on Wrenshall.”

The district continues to upgrade its facilities with major air quality projects and other enhancements that will keep its building viable with or without a consolidation. Belcastro said the district needs to update its long-range strategic plan. The last one outlined plans into 2020. “We’ve been in ‘wait’ mode a long time, she said. “It’s time to get together and do a formal strategic plan.”

There remains a bit of light on consolidation.

“We used the word ‘pause’ because we didn’t want to say anything more negative than that,” said Carlton board vice president Sam Ojibway.

“I don’t want to make it sound like Wrenshall’s the only one who wants to pause,” Engstrom said.

“We didn’t close the door,” Wrenshall vice president Jack Judy said. The construction work the district is doing has consolidation in mind, he said.

Blanchard said she didn’t have high hopes on a “yes or no” answer from Carlton regarding moving forward on consolidation, especially considering its continued deliberation of its options. “They need to figure out what direction they want to head,” she said.

Superintendent extension

Carlton board chairwoman Julianne Emerson said the district is close to an agreement that would bring John Engstrom back for another year as superintendent. He was hired last year on a one-year contract after superintendent Gwen Carman left for a job in southern Minnesota. The board preferred an interim position, considering the consolidation talks with Wrenshall that could have led to a new district and administrative structure. Last year, Engstrom agreed to a $108,243, 12-month contract that began on July 1.