Esko schools: School forest idea grows

The beginning of spring has left Esko students itching to get outside.

With the approval to create a school forest by the Esko school board and a solar panel project continuing to be developed, the district is excited to give students more opportunities to learn about the environment around them by exploring it firsthand.

Esko third-grade teacher Steve Krueger and some of his colleagues recognized the importance of getting students outside and active while they are learning. During discussions about developing outdoor classrooms for teachers to use with their students, Krueger and staff began looking into the idea of establishing a school forest.

Krueger shared information with the Esko school board at the meeting Monday.

“I was made aware that the school has some property around the sports arenas and ballfields that right now is just kind of there and not really being used for a whole lot,” Krueger said. “So we’ll pull together a committee of people from the staff and community who have an interest in creating a school forest and will help see it come to fruition in the long term.”

The plan proposed by Krueger would utilize some of the land surrounding the ballfields to create an outdoor classroom and trails that could be used by students and community members.

Since the school district already owns the land, Krueger reported that this project should come at no cost to the district. Krueger hopes to work with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, through its school forest program, which would grant the opportunity to work with a forester to ensure that they are properly protecting the land. The DNR could also offer grants to help maintain the area and educational materials for both staff and students.

“We’re looking at an environmental theme out there (the sports fields),” superintendent Aaron Fischer told the board. “I kind of see this as a bridge to a whole package of environmental opportunities for our kids and turning vacant land into something usable that the students can get use out of.”

The school board was excited by this idea, with board member Leona Johnson calling it “a fabulous opportunity on so many scales.” With the unanimous approval from the board, the committee will continue with their plans to create the school forest.

In other business, the school board approved the hire of Benson Electric to continue the development of the solar project at the football field. As the project continues to develop, Fischer reported to the board that it is beginning to look like the panels will pay for themselves in five years or less, instead of the proposed 10 years or less that the board had been originally planning for.

After a lengthy discussion, the board decided to send a letter of support to Carlton County engineer JinYeene Neumann so the county can apply for a grant to help fund a County State Aid Highway 61 reconstruction project. Although many board members were hesitant to send their support to the project because the planning stage has not yet begun, Neumann assured the board that it would be involved in the project’s planning process from the very beginning stages. The Thomson Township board signed off on a letter the week before.

Neumann said there is a $15 million budget for the project. Plans include a complete reconstruction of CSAH 61, reducing it to two lanes, with a center turn lane, right turn lanes, a recreational trail, and potential for safety measures around the school such as a bus dropoff spot. The board gave its support to allow Fischer to write a letter to the county, as long as there were stipulations that included the school district being involved in the planning process.