The Courier March 2015 | Volume 22, Issue 8
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a division of Independent School District 15 Community Education | St. Francis, Minnesota Serving the communities of Athens Township, Andover, Bethel, East Bethel, Linwood Township, Nowthen, Oak Grove, St. Francis and Stanford Township
www.the-courier.org | news@isd15.org
McLean named Social Studies Teacher of the Year Steve Fetzik SFHS Community Relations Coordinator
Tim McLean, a social studies teacher at St. Francis High School (SFHS), has been named this year’s High School Teacher of the Year by the Minnesota Council for the Social Studies (MCSS). The honor was presented by Council at its annual event February 22 at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center. “It is my pleasure to share the news that Tim McLean has been chosen as the 2015 High School Teacher of the Year by the Minnesota Council for the Social Studies,” announced Bo Stevens, a recently retired SFHS social studies teacher. “This is a well-deserved honor that takes into account the countless hours that Tim has dedicated to students and his passion for teaching social studies,” said SFHS principal Doug Austin. According to the MCSS selection committee, “Our awards committee was impressed with McLean’s dedication to his students, excellence in teaching social studies content and his impact on colleagues. The Council is always humbled by the strength and dedication of the social studies teachers in Minnesota. Thank you, Tim McLean, for doing your part in creating a school and district environment that supports excellence in social studies education!” “I will never look at the award without reflecting on the thousands of kids that I have been privileged to teach St. Francis High School social studies and the hundreds of staff that I have teacher, Tim McLean, was recently been privileged to work with. Love named the High School Teacher of the ya, St. Francis High School,” reflected Year. Photo by Steve Fetzik, SFHS McLean.
The Early Childhood Advisory Council Family Carnival was held February 7 at the Lifelong Learning Center in Oak Grove. Children used a variety of carnival props to capture the fun. Lots of clowns, balloons and smiles were evident, marking another great success. See page 13 for more information regarding the early childhood programs in Independent School District 15. Submitted photo
Independent School District 15 sets course to balance budget Paul Neubauer ISD 15 Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Balancing the budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year will require a deliberate look at all of Independent School District 15 (ISD 15) functions to find ways to generate revenue, operate more efficiently and reduce expenditures. In order to accomplish this, district administration has developed a process to involve stakeholders, keep constituents informed and make decisions that are sound for the district while maintaining programming for students. The annual budget process begins in October for the following year’s budget. At that time, enrollment projections for the coming year are made, budget priorities are established and communications begin. The district cabinet utilizes a software program
to establish and estimate ISD 15 enrollment for the upcoming year. Much of the projection model is based on the number of births that take place in the district’s counties (Anoka and Isanti). Fewer children born means a lower number of students who will potentially enter our school system. The higher the number of births, the greater the number of students who will potentially enter our school system. In the past several years, the county birth rate has dropped significantly, causing fewer students to enter kindergarten while larger class sizes are graduating. ISD 15 is projecting a decrease in enrollment of 123 students for school year 2015-16. That, coupled with increases in the cost of doing business, results in a $2.74M budget adjustment. District administrators will set the course, process and timelines for adjustments to be made. District administrators will propose
adjustments based on district priorities and will include those adjustments prior to sending information to the sites. Administrators have been meeting with site principals to work through areas where we could possibly operate more efficiently, as well as anticipate class size, establish site needs and set a course for adjusting the budget. Principals have been very involved and always bring a level of concern for the well-being of our students to the forefront. In addition to working with site leadership, there is a role for each school’s Site Management Council (SMC) to play. Once the SMC is given their site’s reduction amount, they begin to develop the areas for reduction and work with their administration to develop a plan. In a global sense, the SMC’s role is to make decisions by representative groups who are most directly affected by the decision.
Once there is a viable concept and plan for adjustment, the ISD 15 School Board becomes involved and assists administration and provides guidance relative to the proposed plan. Early on, this information is more general in nature. As we persist through the process, we are able to add more specificity to this plan and ultimately will propose a plan to the school board for final action. Continued Page 10
What’s Inside Schools in Action.................................................. 2 School Board Highlights................................10 Community Education....................................12 Community & Business...................................15 Sports & Outdoors.............................................26 Life...............................................................................31 Meetings, Events & Benefits.........................32