By Mike Harbridge, I-S School Board President
I want to thank everyone who voted in this past election. While I wish the outcome were in favor of the referendum, I understand times are tough, costs are increasing for everyone, and many in the community had a hard time supporting this. At our board meeting next week, we will make decisions on ways to further cut costs and review many options.
Many years ago, when the district faced its first referendum, as a business owner, I questioned why this was needed and why the school could not budget for items like new boilers and repairs. I questioned where and how tax money was being spent. That’s when I got involved, attending board meetings and learning how schools are funded and what our board and administrative staff were doing. I learned a lot and decided to run for a board position.
The first year was absolutely overwhelming. School finance and the government are so complicated. It’s a broken system that schools just have to work with and do their best with. Schools are given mandates from the government for changes that can cost up to a hundred thousand dollars, but they don’t offer a way or assistance to pay for them. These unexpected expenses come out of school budgets and tax dollars. The state has not kept up with inflation and sits on a money surplus that could eliminate the need for school referendums across the state.
Over the years, we’ve had some great board members come and go. We’ve had heated discussions, may not always agree, but have respectful conversations to figure things out and come to a conclusion. Difficult decisions have been made with administrative, teaching, and support staff. We currently have a diverse board with many being business owners. Each person brings a different perspective and questions things differently, which helps us make educated decisions. I want to see the debate. There are checks and balances and audits to make sure things are done right. I’m very proud of our Board and our staff for the respect they show for one another and their willingness to work together.
We’ve made many changes to curriculum, staffing, and our facilities. Each month at our regular board meeting, staff and students attend to share with the Board, administration, and community members the results of decisions made. One of the most satisfying things about being a board member is hearing that the decisions our administration, staff, and board have made are making a difference. Sometimes things don’t work as expected, we learn from it, and make more changes.
Our district has made so many positive changes over the last 10 or so years, thanks to the hard work of our staff, community members, students, families, businesses, and the Board. Sometimes it takes years to see the impact. Our students have excelled with test scores and have exceeded expectations compared to surrounding districts. Iola is one of the highest-ranked schools in the area. There is much more to life than test scores. We try to prepare our students for real life, and if you follow the posts now showcasing our graduating class, you’ll see a wide range of career plans, from healthcare to teaching, the trades, and so much more. Watching those kids come across the stage and hand them their diplomas, and seeing the families excited, celebrating, and taking photos, is the most rewarding part of my position.
From my first day on the Board, the mission of the Board is to look out for the kids. Every decision we make, we always have to ask ourselves what’s best for the kids. Every workshop I’ve attended over the years has drilled into us to do what’s best for the kids. For those who have attended school board meetings in the past, they’ve likely heard lengthy discussions that come back to the question of what’s best for the kids.
Our Board, administrative team, and staff are facing cuts totaling millions of dollars to our budget. It will be impossible to do this without taking things away from the kids. But the voters have spoken, and these are some of the difficult options I anticipate we will be discussing.
Not replace staff retirements and resignations. We have had two positions recently that let us know they are retiring or moving from the area at the end of this school year, and we have held off finding replacements. Our staff needs to determine who is qualified to teach business classes and how we can adjust schedules and juggle things around to make that work. Our current and past business teachers are amazing, and we have been so fortunate that our students have learned so much about how business works. Do we just eliminate all of our business classes? I would hate to see that happen. That hurts the kids. Our physical education instructor and football coach is retiring. Do we eliminate physical education for the kids? Do we eliminate football? This same staff member could be seen at the fitness center after school hours, working with students to develop weight-lifting skills. Evenings and weekends were spent working with the kids during practices. I know for a fact this staff member has stayed in touch with many past graduates and followed their lives outside of school. How do you place a value on this dedication and impact on the kids?
Eliminate sports or start charging kids to play. While someone who does not play sports may think this is a great or easy option to cut, sports offer many life skills, and many families look for districts with strong sports programs. Sometimes, that is a deciding factor in whether a family moves into a district or enrolls from one district into another. I’ve heard community members suggest the district make families pay everything associated with the sport their child wants to play. Yes, we could start doing that. But do community members realize how many families struggle to make sure their kids have lunch each day? Paying hundreds or thousands of dollars to play a sport is not possible for many. So now sports are only an option for wealthier families. Again, what’s best for the kids?
Eliminate extracurricular activities, clubs, field trips, and extra things for the kids. All of these activities cost money and usually involve transportation costs. I’ve personally volunteered to judge at DECA events and have seen students go before a judge for the first time struggle to get through it. But let me tell you how exciting it is to have that child come the next year and the next, showing the growth they’ve made, the confidence they have developed, and the skills they have to go into an interview or a business meeting. Other organizations work hard to raise money for veterans, and the kids learn about volunteering and skills to help others. Our greenhouse has been revived, and students are learning to plant, grow, care for, and then sell what they’ve grown. This touches on so many life skills. This was brought back by dedicated staff and determined students. Some families struggle to travel far from our district, so a field trip for a child may be an amazing experience. Can you see why it will be difficult to eliminate any of this for the kids?
Cut or freeze pay for staff. Cutting pay for anyone will almost guarantee they will be looking for a new job. Freezing pay when everything is getting more costly is not a popular option, but it happens. I hear community members commenting about some of our staff making a lot of money. We have some veteran staff who have been with us for a long time, and, like in other jobs, they have earned that wage for their commitment and hard work. Our staff generally receives a cost-of-living wage, but it has not happened automatically every year. The board always looks at the wages in surrounding districts to be sure we are competitive without overpaying. We also look at our starting wages for new staff and adjust them to be competitive. I’ve heard people say teaching is a part-time job because they only work nine months.
Most of the staff are in their classrooms long before the school year starts because there is normally in-service training on new curriculum, safety, government mandates, or getting their classrooms ready for students. Many teachers also teach summer school classes or serve as coaches, working past the end of the school year or starting early for practices. Many of the same staff members drive buses to ensure students get to games and activities, often past school hours or on weekends. And if you watch the school board agendas, you’ll see the board approving volunteer coaching positions every month, where they help other coaches with practices and games. Most staff work on lesson plans and grading papers in the evenings after they put their kids to bed. Parent-teacher conferences, dances, professional development, and training often happen in the evenings. And this is all after a day of working with wonderful kids, and often some challenging kids. And sometimes challenging parents. Our staff can often spot kids who may have things going on at home, families with challenges getting food or warm clothing, and teachers work to get them what they need.
Cut benefits for staff. Many people show up for work every day because they need health insurance. That is a big part of our budget, and the district made some big changes by switching to a high deductible a few years ago. While that was not a popular move, it’s a reality for most people. We could save a lot of money if we cut out health insurance, but we probably wouldn’t have any teachers for the kids. We are exploring co-op programs and other alternatives that could save the district money. This is something we have looked at in the past, and it was not a cost savings, but things are looking a little better this year to potentially make this move.
Eliminate staff or cut hours. We have an amazing staff that cares about the kids. We already decided not to replace the positions of those retiring or leaving the district. Is anyone interested in retiring early or voluntarily cutting back on hours? Some community members have suggested cutting back on the length of the school day. While the student would probably love that, unfortunately, public schools are required by law to have classes for a certain number of days and hours. We have to be very careful with this prospect because eliminating teachers could result in classes of 30 or 40 kids, which is not a good learning experience for the kids, and they would not get the attention many need.
Eliminate subjects or curriculum. Administration currently looks at every class, and sometimes ones that don’t get much interest aren’t offered, or we offer alternatives through virtual classes with other districts. Other districts also have kids tuning into our virtual options, which our staff teaches. The board is always involved in this approval process.
Fitness center changes. Do we close the fitness center, cut back on hours, or have another rate increase? Community members and students use this facility, and it attracts many visitors and users from other districts. Most people are impressed that our small community offers this. Changes here could save money, but they would also affect swimming lessons, community activities, sporting events, and every community member who uses it to stay fit and active. This would certainly have a negative impact on kids and adults.
Sell the bus garages. This has been discussed because some community members have made the suggestion. Those garages house the district’s vehicles used to transport students with special needs, for events and activities, and for sporting events. Other equipment and materials are stored in those garages. The district rents part of them out to our busing company so the buses can be kept locally since the drivers are local. If the buses were stored in Manawa, the district would be paying a great deal more for transportation. The district pays for every mile they are driven. Some of our coaches (many of whom are also teachers and staff) drive the buses to events. Another option would be to have the bus drivers keep the buses at their homes. In the winter months, there could be challenges with buses starting or getting stuck in the snow. Bus drivers will be required to shovel out their own bus every time it snows. And if they can’t get them started, how do the kids get to school? It takes a very special person to drive a school bus, and it’s not easy to fill those positions.
Sell the school forest. This too was brought up by community members. I was not around when this property was donated many years ago. It’s several acres, and students do visit it for educational purposes. There is no cost to the district, and it is occasionally harvested, which generates a small amount of revenue.
Other questions
How do we get the state to pay what they should per student? The overwhelming need for referendums throughout the state comes down to the state not keeping up with funding.
How can our community attract families to the district? This is so important because more kids in our schools generate more revenue. It costs us nearly the same amount to have the lights on, heat, and staff. An extra two kids in each classroom would be significant. While Iola and Scandinavia don’t have booming industries or employers to attract families, it’s a community effort that makes them desirable places to live. We’re a short drive from other communities hiring for great jobs, and many want to raise their kids in a small town with a great school where class sizes are manageable.
How can we get families to have more babies? While this is somewhat of a joke, with the cost of raising a family, many can’t afford to have large families, which results in lower enrolment in most districts.
There will likely be much more discussion in this next meeting and meetings to follow. Some of these are topics we’ve already discussed in past meetings. Some are based on community comments. We will look at everything while making sure we look at what’s best for the kids. Our district is far from perfect, and we will always strive to do better. There will always be challenges.
Community members are always welcome to come and learn about this process during our board meeting on the first and second Monday at 6 pm at the elementary school. Agendas are always posted in the school buildings and on the district website.
