Carlton board approves superintendent contract

The Carlton school board formally hired Donita Stepan for the position of superintendent with the approval of her contract Monday, March 20. Stepan will start on July 1 of this year, earning a salary of $134,859, which includes $10,000 for elementary principal duties at South Terrace, health insurance and other benefits. The package is an increase over the amount current superintendent John Engstrom makes.

"I took a haircut," he explained, meaning he accepted lowered salary expectations as his contribution to the necessary and painful cuts the district has been forced to make because of declining enrollments. "I make in the 120s now," he said, noting that includes the single-coverage health insurance, which he took as a lump sum cash payment.

Still, Engstrom made it clear that Stepan's salary is worth every penny to the district because, "she will have less people [than he] to share duties with" because she will still run the elementary school.

According to board chair Julianne Emerson, even with the increased salary, the administrative restructuring will save the school district $85,000 to $90,000 annually.

The contract was approved unanimously, but there were still questions. Speaking of next year, board member Sue Karp asked, "Donita, when you are not at South Terrace, who's in charge?" Stepan pointed out that even now she is not continuously at her desk.

"It's fair to say I'm not always at South Terrace," she said, assuring the board she had people she could rely on when she is temporarily away.

Overall, there was satisfaction with the restructuring. Board member Sam Ojibway said he was "grateful that Donita was willing to step up."

Stepan also spoke on the progress being made by the District Advisory Committee, which is charged with making a plan for growth. She reiterated the dual track system envisioned for the upper grades with both a traditional and project-based track, discussed at the previous meeting.

"Our next step is to talk to our staff," she said. "Nobody can make this vision come alive alone. We need our staff ... to be all in."

When the advisory committee plan is completed, board chair Julianne Emerson warned the finance committee to be prepared.

"We will [need to] be ready to pass a referendum at the current level ... and possibly asking for more," she said. The current operating levy expires this year and will need to be renewed for the district to continue receiving the locally produced funding.

Without comment, the board approved the fiscal year 2023 revised budget, which now shows a General Fund deficit of $400,203 under revenues of $4,680,267 and expenditures of $5,080,470.

In other matters, the school board received the Local Indian Education Committee (LIEC) annual compliance report, which suggested nine items of noncompliance with state and federal law relating to Indian Education. Among other things, the LIEC noted a lack of Ojibwe language and culture classes for all students. The Carlton board has 60 days to respond in writing, but Engstrom commented on a few of the items.Responding to a call for more American Indian teachers, Engstrom pointed to a lack of new hiring.

"We've had a math position that has been open for over a year, and we had an elementary opening where we didn't have any applicants at all," he said.

In response to the request for a district plan in writing to close the equity gap, he promised "ongoing dialogue" and asked that every LIEC meeting include the topic. American Indian education coordinator Kevin Kot suggested there was a lack of data and that he would like to "get the numbers in the elementary and see how they are stacking up with non-native students."

Emerson said the board would work toward resolution.

"I'm looking at this and trying to make sure that we are compliant," she said, adding she looks forward to the next LIEC meeting where discussion could take place so that a response could be prepared.