Cloquet School Board OKs talk with Carlton on possibilities

Following the declaration of a "pause" in consolidation talks between Carlton and Wrenshall school districts, Cloquet superintendent Michael Cary said Carlton had reached out to Cloquet again to discuss a range of future possibilities.

It isn't the first time Carlton and Cloquet have talked, but Cary said he wanted approval from the school board - which he got during Monday's board meeting - because Carlton has a superintendent he hasn't talked to about consolidation along with new board members.

One discussion point is a possible tuition agreement that would allow Carlton secondary students to come to Cloquet, should Carlton close its high school. Carlton grade sizes currently range from 25 to 40 kids, while Cloquet averages closer to 200 kids per grade.

"Our thoughts were, as long as we had sufficient space to hold the kids, it might help us fill some sections ... and keep some course offerings that we provide that we may struggle to keep full," Cary said.

He added that any agreement would have to include contributions from Carlton for the maintenance and longevity of the Cloquet buildings.

"From what I've heard, a lot of this is around them not wanting to build a high school or building. So, I don't think it's right that Cloquet taxpayers would subsidize another district's choice not to build a building," he said. He hoped they could find a mutual agreement "where everyone is contributing the right amounts."

Board chair Ted Lammi was part of the previous talks. "We made it clear then and I will make it clear now that we're not talking about consolidation. That would not be to our advantage at all." Lammi said the two will report back to the board regarding the talks.

Also Monday, Cary told board members that 75 percent of staff members have been offered or received at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot. He expects continued progress toward getting everyone vaccinated, and gave credit to the county public health department for overseeing efforts to get educators vaccinated, and the Fond du Lac Band as another source of vaccinations for some staff members.

In other matters, board members:

-Discussed the return to in-person learning for high school students. (See Page 1)

-Approved a bid for the Career and Technical Education renovation work expected to take place this summer in the amount of $1,731,375 with Gardner Builders from Duluth. The remodeled space will include updated wood and metal shops, a computer lab, a new art room with a kiln space and a new fabrication lab to be shared between all the classrooms. The bid also includes additional exterior windows in the art room and fencing and site work in the outdoor space between the auto shop and the CTE area, which will provide secure storage and space for students to work outside. The school district recently bonded for $1.9 million to cover the costs of the work without raising taxes.