Cloquet board talks finances, tuition agreement

While the final 2021 audit brought news of a $556,000 surplus for the Cloquet school district, superintendent Michael Cary cautioned board members that the extra money will eventually be spent on curriculum.

“That’s not new money that will stay in the coffers forever, it’s already assigned to a purpose,” Cary said.

Cloquet got an “unmodified opinion” on its audit, the best allowed for financial statements, according to the auditor from BerganKDV. Cloquet’s healthy fund balance acts as a good shock absorber, he said.

Members of Carlton and Cloquet tuition agreement committees met again Monday, and talked through questions about the proposal that would allow Carlton students in grades 9-12 to attend Cloquet next year without going through the open enrollment process if Carlton closes its high school. They made progress and plan to meet again Nov. 16 at Cloquet High School, for a tour and more talks.

Also Monday, parent Paul Leno spoke to the board, asking them to end the mask mandate, which his 9-year-old dislikes. “It’s not right that she has to wear a mask seven hours a day and yet we can go to football games, movies or restaurants and not have to wear a mask,” he said.