Wrenshall Board seeks balance on open enrollment

Brady Slater

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Faced with growing enrollments and class rosters for the next school year, the Wrenshall school board did something Monday it hasn’t had to consider in years. It closed open enrollment in four elementary school grades.

Superintendent Jeff Pesta recommended the action and, after much discussion, the board agreed.

“It’s a good challenge to have,” Pesta said, “and one you haven’t wrestled with in quite a while.”

He was confident that closing classes to outside enrollees would reinforce the image the school wants to project, one with smaller settings and close instruction.

Board chair Mary Carlson made it clear that the board could reopen classes with a vote.

Families who complete enrollment paperwork will be on a waiting list for closed classes. Closing classes now does not prevent children of new Wrenshall residents from joining the district. Board members reasoned that closing classes now gives the board, administration, and principal Michelle Blanchard control over when to split classes and hire another teacher.

“We’re not going to make everyone happy,” Carlson said, asking for “grace.” “We’re really trying our best.”

In the end, the second-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade classes were closed by unanimous, 5-0, votes of the board. Board member Nicole Krisak was not in attendance.

Second grade has a current projection of 25 enrollees, over a target of 23; fourth has 28 projected, over a target of 25; fifth has 26, over a target of 25; and sixth grade has 24, one under a target of 25.

Targets were negotiated with the teachers union, a first for the district and something board member Eric Ankrum said sets Wrenshall apart by reinforcing smaller class sizes.

“It’s not something we negotiated before,” Ankrum said. “We’re being proactive and getting away from a reactive nature.”

As an example of being forced to react, he cited the need to add a teacher last fall after school had started and the second grade class grew beyond 25 students.

Closing classes “protects staff and students who are here,” Ankrum said, by strengthening the quality of instruction.

The board sought teachers’ opinions and received eight pages worth of emails, offering “real honesty,” Carlson said, that caused her to lose sleep over the decision. Their prevailing message was to “do something,” Carlson said.

Class sizes were negotiated into the teachers union contract in February, and teachers will receive extra compensation for classes that go over targets.

The kindergarten class was left alone despite a projection of 24 students already surpassing the target of 20. The board was hesitant to close enrollment to first-time families, and seemed ready to split it into two classes. First grade remained two under target of 23 students, and third grade sat at 19 projected, six shy of the target of 25.

Carlson said the topic would be revisited monthly, and even in special session, as the district prepares for the next school year.

In other news:

• Graduation will be May 24. Seniors will get caps and gowns May 16 and will conduct a procession down the elementary school hallways that day, so the younger students can admire and pay tribute.

• Prom between Carlton and Wrenshall “turned out very well,” principal Blanchard said. There were 85 attendees at Pedro’s Grill and Cantina Event Center in Cloquet, and Blanchard expected the participants “would love to keep doing it” as a cooperative effort.

• Knowledge Bowl finished 10th out of 15 teams in the small-school state competition.

• Athletic director Luke Wargin reported that the Raptors spring sports cooperative with Carlton yielded 53 participants in track and field, 20 in softball and 27 in baseball. The track and field program has already garnered five school records.

• Charitable fundraising allowed the board to approve purchase of a new $3,750 football scoreboard for the Wrenshall field, where the Raptors junior varsity team plays. The scoreboard now awaits funds or donations for installation by a licensed electrician. There are plans underway to conduct another bean bag tournament fundraiser with Bricks Wrenshall Pub.

• Enrollment has “remained very durable” throughout the school year, superintendent Pesta said. The district has consistently had 335 students enrolled throughout 2023-24.

• Regarding consolidation efforts with Carlton, Pesta said the administrations are talking about which courses could be shared beginning in 2024-25. Carlton’s move to a four-day week, if approved by the state, could still complicate course sharing. Board chair Carlson expressed optimism about the consolidation team between the districts returning to the table this month. She had two priorities for the committee, which features only leadership members from each board, to

1) bring entire boards into

consolidation sessions from

now on, and

2) hold a brainstorming session allowing board members from both districts to share questions, dreams and ideas for the consolidation. “I think it makes sense” to bring full boards into the discussions, said board member Misty Bergman. Board members agreed that inclusivity would improve communication and clarity.

• Finally, the board projected fiscal year 2025 revenues at $6.72 million, which would create a $70,064 surplus above the unanimously approved budget expenses of $6.64 million.