Cuts keep coming in Carlton

The mood at the Carlton school board meeting was subdued, an obvious reaction to what was on the agenda: more cuts to education programs as the board seeks to find $250,000 in budget savings for the next school year. After Monday, it was $135,000 short of that goal as an estimated $115,000 in cuts have been made.

There were mixed votes on all five reductions offered Monday, with just one failing on a tied vote.

Moving arts classes to an online-only option failed, with those voting against saying the arts gets the ax too often when budget cuts are needed. The savings would have been about $54,000 in the salary for the teacher. Later in the meeting, the board approved the resignation of art teacher Trinh Tran, who is leaving to move closer to family.

The board members, after audience urging and some discussion among themselves, did approve merging band into one section of instruction. What that means has yet to be determined. Crunching the numbers shows a possible savings of about $15,000.

A class section was eliminated at South Terrace Elementary School and district health classes will be migrated to online. Some business courses will also be offered only online.

Right now, there are two sections of band, senior high and junior high, with 57 students participating. Students in sixth grade were moved into the junior high program this year. The board earlier this year did not renew a contract for a small-band instructor, eliminating the pep band.

Sharrie Janovick, the district music and band teacher, said she doesn’t know if eliminating a section means all district students in one room or cutting the junior high or senior high band. She said after the meeting that she also doesn’t know what one section will mean for lessons.

Janovick spoke in the public comment portion of Monday’s meeting.

She said there is “no more fat to cut” when it comes to band and spoke about the students who continue to participate despite the limitations of the program.

One of her ninth-graders also spoke. Lauryn Hilton praised Janovick for helping her stick through her clarinet training even though she “hated it” in fifth grade. She learned to love playing and the band, especially the camaraderie in the band room, calling it “a different place” where “we are a family.”

Board member Ann Gustafson also asked what one section will look like and it appeared there isn’t an exact answer. Chairwoman Julianne Emerson said the board could always reverse course but needs to make cuts now because it can’t later, under statutory rules. The board will eventually have to define what the band cut entails.

Board member Tim Hagenah kept his vow of not voting for any cuts until he sees sports programs under the budget knife. He said sports has a small percentage of participants while the cuts in classes affect all students in the district.

Emerson repeated what she’s been saying for months, that sports are on the table. A committee was formed recently to look at savings by pairing more sports with Wrenshall. According to numbers provided Monday, extracurricular activities, from math league, yearbook, instrumental music to sports, with revenue and expenses, costs the district $132,227, a five-year average.

“Nobody here likes any of this,” superintendent John Engstrom said quietly during the band vote discussion. He said the simple fact is that the board needs to find $250,000 this year — and perhaps the same amount next year — in order to right the estimated $500,000 district deficit. Some cuts are partial, some are whole, and some could be reinstated, he said. “It’s the reality of where we are.”

After the four of five suggested cuts were approved, the board moved on to other items, including approving voluntary visits by Ardis Williams and her therapy dog in the preschool classroom.

Gustafson quipped, given the gravity of the meeting and the cuts that still lie ahead, that maybe the therapy dog could visit the school board meetings as well.

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How they voted

All board members were present at the meeting Monday: Julianne Emerson, Sue Karp, Eryn Szymczak, Sam Ojibway, Tim Hagenah and Ann Gustafson. The cuts approved so far total about $115,000. The board has a goal of cutting $250,000 from the budget this year and the same next year to clear an expected $500,000 district deficit. Last month, the board approved cutting $13,000 in benefits from superintendent John Engstrom’s contract.

• Reducing one classroom at South Terrace ($45,000). Passed 4-2, with Hagenah and Karp against.

• Eliminating in-person art classes ($54,731). Failed 3-3, with Hagenah, Karp and Gustafson against.

• Eliminating in-person health classes ($11,345).

Passed 5-1, with Hagenah against.

• Reducing in-person business classes to one at middle school, two at high school ($30,023). Passed 4-2, with Hagenah and Ojibway against.

• Reducing band to one section of grades 6-12 ($15,632). Passed 4-2, with Hagenah and Karp against.