Carlton School Board gets organized; poll access questioned

Carlton school board filled its leadership positions at its organizational meeting Monday. Julianne Emerson was re-elected to her position as chair. This will be her fourth consecutive year in the role. To date, she has served on the board 11 years total, leaving in 2018 and returning in 2020 as a write-in candidate. Over her previous terms starting in 2010, she served as chair for six years.

Salaries for board members were renewed without change. Board members receive $1,000 a year plus $40 a meeting. Based on the tentative schedule, a member attending every regular meeting and every working session (formerly called committee of the whole) would be paid $1,880 plus $40 for attending any other required event, such as a committee meeting. Board members also receive the standard IRS meal and mileage reimbursement if travel outside the school district is required.

There was considerable discussion about polling locations for the next election. New board vice chair Sam Ojibway had previously voiced concern about having only one voting location, resulting in less access for some voters in a school district that is geographically spread out. Superintendent Donita Stepan pointed out that there should be little concern this year, since it is a presidential election year, and plenty of polling places would be open in the district, with costs shared with the county and municipalities.

If two polling sites are desired for a special election in an off year “we have to find double the election judges,” she said, meaning costs go up as the number of polling places increase. The school district would likely have to foot the entire bill for a special election, as in November 2023 when Ryan Leonzal was elected to fill the vacancy after Tim Hagenah resigned.

Ojibway said his main concern was with referendums. Board member Laura Nilsen supported his stand.

“I know it might cost more … but I think it’s super-important for people to have access, and there’s a lot of people who don’t have access to the transportation center,” she said.

Since no action was needed for this year, Emerson agreed to make it a discussion item for a future working session.

The Carlton School Board selected the Pine Knot News as its official paper for 2024.

After adjournment, superintendent Donita Stepan commented on some outstanding issues that were not mentioned at Monday’s meeting.

Among the issues:

• There are now four candidates being considered for the open elementary principal position at South Terrace. Two of them are licensed administrators and two of them lack licensure. If someone without licensure were hired, the position would become dean of students, and certain duties, such as formal teacher evaluations, would still have to be performed by the only full-time licensed administrator in the district, the superintendent.

• The new boiler for the secondary school is on its way. State review is complete with only a few minor changes needed to the plan. Installation should commence “in a couple of weeks,” said Stepan.

• The status of merger talks with Wrenshall awaits a financial analysis by the Ehlers firm, which should give a clearer picture of revenue, cost, and debt implications for a consolidation of the two districts.