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The Minot Public School District has published responses to questions received during public input sessions at two area elementary schools regarding their potential closure to offset a budget deficit.
Responses to the questions received at the McKinley meeting were made available first earlier this week, with the responses from the Bell meeting released late Thursday afternoon.
One question asked why the board was jumping straight into discussing closing schools, to which the district responded that school closure is one of many options being explored and only part of the district discussion.
A common refrain from many of the parents at both meetings held at McKinley and Bell Elementary schools was the loss of smaller class sizes, which parents and educators felt aided the students' ability to thrive despite developmental disorders or turbulent home lives. The district's response was all 13 elementary schools in the district provide support services for students, and larger schools have full-time counselors and administrators to help ease the transition in the event the two schools are closed.
As to the question of whether the closure of the schools would be "best for the kids," the district said single-section buildings have limited full-time staff and require several part-time positions to cover music, counseling, administration and physical education.
"The district is proud of our teachers and support staff, and we believe that students will receive a great education, regardless of the building they attend," the response read. "Larger schools have full-time positions which allows for more flexibility in scheduling and easier access to student support services throughout the entire day."
Some at the meetings questioned placing McKinley and Bell students in other schools, as the move would likely inflate class sizes, resulting in a greater potential for teacher "burnout" and in less attention from them for the students in the classrooms. The district stated the move to larger schools would increase efficiency by ensuring "balanced student enrollments per class" and that they currently do not have classrooms larger than the recommended size for the district. The recommended sizes for kindergarten and first grade is 23 students, second grade is 24 while grades 3-5 are 27.
In response to questions about studies related to projected enrollment in the future, the district said the last demographic study indicated numbers are expected to remain stable or fall slightly at Bell and McKinley in the next five years.
The district responded to queries asking why smaller cuts haven't been made in the years since the 2021 referendum was passed, saying that since the school's enrollment has remained low, "The school board needs to scrutinize district spending to support financial stability."
"During the bond referendum, we talked about the need to find 'efficiencies' in the budget to support the addition of the new school. Now, we have a better understanding of what it will cost to operate another building in our district. The board is tasked with determining how we can best offer educational services to all students in a manner that is fiscally sustainable," the response concluded.
Other speakers at the meetings pressed the board and district for more transparency behind the potential savings if the schools are closed. The district provided numbers for McKinley School, saying that about $30,000 would be saved in operations and maintenance, while $220,893 would be classified as savings through teacher realignment as McKinley staff would be reassigned to vacancies at other schools created by recent resignations.
The district also reiterated that as per the language of the 2021 referendum, Central Campus would be repurposed as a comprehensive grade 6-8 middle school once Minot North has opened.
Regarding the future of the buildings should the schools close, the district said no plans have been determined at this time but assured they would not be reduced to blighted properties in the community. The district would remain committed to maintaining them.
Another mitigation option brought up at board meetings and the input sessions was the potential sale of 70 acres of partially developed land south of Ramstad Middle School, which the district purchased for $1 after the developer went bankrupt. Curb work on the property was rejected in the section prior to the bankruptcy, and some trunk infrastructure had been completed on about half of it. Though the district confirmed the school board is discussing selling the property, Superintendent Mark Vollmer indicated in previous meetings the sale of the land would only provide a temporary relief to the district's budget issues year to year if it was possible to sell it quickly.
"The sale of this land is not a sustainable income source. We continue to gather data on this and share with the board as we learn more," Vollmer said in an email to The Minot Daily News.