'Fatigue' not in Wrenshall vocabulary

The Wrenshall school board’s stamina for conflict proved unyielding Monday, when its regular monthly meeting devolved into bickering and generated new insights into ongoing turmoil.

Board member Nicole Krisak revealed that board members looked into superintendent Kim Belcastro’s work emails, fishing for information without informing the superintendent or having a specific reason to do so.

“We looked into her emails,” Krisak said. “She didn’t know that. We had no right to do it. We still did it.”

It was a surprising revelation from a meeting rife with finger-pointing. Earlier in the month, Belcastro warned the board she may retire as soon as October without its support. On Monday, board member Cindy Bourn called Belcastro’s assertion “unacceptable” and “unprofessional.”

“It’s all on Kim,” Bourn said. “All of the costs associated with all of the attorneys’ fees, all of the (special) meetings, the investigators, it’s not the board. The board is just doing its job.”

The meeting featured nearly 30 votes on business items — all unanimous. But even that cooperation was overshadowed by continued sniping.

One revelation the board didn’t discuss? The district’s $13,000, summer-long investigation into Belcastro and a former technology director is over.

“Yes, the investigation is over,” board chair Misty Bergman told the Pine Knot.

The investigation previously led to the tech director being terminated in August for making threats against the superintendent. But the investigation into Belcastro continued into September. In the end, the board took no action against the superintendent, meaning any further details were sealed.

Except those details board members talked openly about.

Bourn revealed the district paid an undisclosed fine for “directing a student to the wrong bathroom,” and that it also dealt with a significant bullying investigation.

“We didn’t direct her to handle it in a certain way,” Bourn said of Belcastro. “We had no role in directing victims to file complaints.”

Bourn, who voted to terminate the former tech director, also said the tech director “cracked under pressure” during the investigation.

The meeting also disclosed that board member Jack Eudy sent a letter recently to his colleagues on the board describing Belcastro as “paranoid.”

“She had a right to be paranoid,” Krisak said. “For her, it’s a non-trust thing. We have to knock off our crap. … There’s too much secrecy, too much name-calling, too much of the blame game going on. … We’re all to blame, all of us have a big part in this. Let’s move forward.”

While current board members bickered, four school board candidates rallied outside the meeting to celebrate the Wrenshall School. They later spoke at the meeting, expressing concern about the budget and ongoing conflicts.

“How bad is it?” candidate Eric Ankrum asked about the budget. “What are we going to sacrifice if we don’t get enrollment numbers up?”

Business manager Angela Anderson told the board earlier in the month the budget was “not well” and that it needed to be watched closely amid shrinking enrollment and a corresponding decline in state funding.

“If you can’t step up to the plate and bring back positivity and start putting our kids first, I’m asking for your resignation,” candidate Mary Carlson said to the board.

Carlson’s comment drew a gasp from Bourn.

Board members Debra Washenesky and Eudy both later warned prospective board members that being part of the board is “not what you think.”

“You ask yourself if you’re really into it,” Eudy told the other candidates vying for three positions up for election, including his own seat. “I hope you are. If you’re not sure about the commitment, you don’t need to be here.”

Carlton agreement approved

After hearing a plea from a parent to cooperate with Carlton in girls basketball, the Wrenshall school board approved a cooperative agreement that could make it happen.

“I’m scared there’s not going to be enough girls this year; I’m scared my daughter may not play this year,” said Sydney Seliskar, an avowed Wrens basketball supporter. “We need to start talking with Carlton and get them on board.”

The Wrenshall board unanimously approved an agreement Tuesday which will share cooperative costs evenly. Wrenshall will host football, cheer and boys and girls track and field. Carlton will host boys and girls cross country and girls softball. The schools’ cooperative teams have previously adopted the name Raptors.

Additionally, One- and Three-Act Play, Knowledge Bowl, robotics, science fair, Business Professionals of America, Math League and a Genders and Sexualities Alliance advisor will be shared between the schools.

The agreement also opened the door for further cooperation, said Krisak, Ben Johnson and Washenesky — the Wrenshall board members working with Carlton on further cooperation.

“It’s not a done deal, we’re really working on it,” Krisak said, noting basketball and baseball are next up for consideration.

“We’re bringing girls up from seventh- and eighth grade that are not ready for varsity,” Seliskar said. “The season is right around the corner, and if we don’t start acting now I don’t think we’re going to have enough girls or a good enough team to even be in competition at the varsity level.”

Johnson said cooperating with Carlton for sports and activities brings “a pretty big cost-savings just in busing alone.”

The students want better cooperation between the schools, Johnson added.

“This is the No. 1 thing kids are talking about,” Johnson said. “They’re all for combining sports.”

Fight settled

While not an official vote, board members were in unanimous agreement with Belcastro to pay a medical bill incurred during a fight at the school last March. Belcastro explained that while the school was not legally responsible, she and others “felt strongly” that covering $1,530 in medical expenses for an injured party was appropriate. “Pay it immediately,” Washenesky said.

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Candidate forum coming

Education Minnesota Wrenshall will conduct a Wrenshall school board candidate forum 6-7:45 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 20 in the commons area of the school. “No ‘gotcha’ questions; we’re not trying to throw anybody off,” said teacher Denise North, organizer of the event.

Editor's note: This story was corrected after publication with the correct meeting day.