Staff photo/Jane Howard Before the start of the first ISD 166 school board meeting of the year Monday, September 21, 2009, a cake was enjoyed in honor of school board member Leonard Sobanja’s 85th birthday Pictured are four of the district’s five school board members with new superintendent Beth Schwarz. From left: Bill Huggins, Leonard Sobanja, Eric Kemp, Beth Schwarz, and Rod Wannebo
The ISD 166 school board celebrated its first meeting of the new school year with a cake in honor of school board member Leonard Sobanja’s 85th birthday. After that, it was down to business with a report from K-12 Principal Gwen Carman.
“We’ve had a really great start to the school year. …Overall it’s been really positive,” Carman said. “I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback. …I think we’re on our way to a great school year.” She reported that North Shore Credit Union and Cook County Law Enforcement staff served over 400 hot dogs at the school open house Thursday, September 17, 2009.
School board member Bill Huggins asked Carman what it’s like to be the district’s only principal in light of the administrative downsizing that took place over the summer. “Personally, I’m enjoying it,” Carman said. She said she spends most of her day talking to staff, students, and parents.
Cook County Schools’ enrollment is 497 this year, down from 519 last year. The district took in 40 new students this year— 24 in kindergarten, three from Birch Grove Charter School, and five from Great Expectations. One student left the district to go to Great Expectations, one left for Birch Grove, thirty left for Oshki Ogimaag (in its first year as a charter school in Grand Portage), and two left for online education.
Joint maintenance committee
Maintenance Director Mike Groth reported that a six-agency committee considering a combined maintenance facility is ready to hire an architectural firm to narrow specifics down with a site plan. The school would use about a 14% share of the facility, Groth said. The largest user, the county, would use about 49%.
School board member Eric Kemp asked Groth to remember that the school would not have much money to contribute to such a facility. “Land is our biggest asset,” he said. Leonard Sobanja agreed to represent the school board on the joint facility committee.
School lunch quality
School board member Mary Sanders commended the school for its implementation of health awareness initiatives under a State Health Improvement Program (SHIP) grant. Unfortunately, Superintendent Schwarz added, government food commodities that provide certain food items at low cost limit foods the food service department has to work with. Some of the commodities are not as healthy as more expensive food items would be.
Four-day week
Schwarz reported that the committee looking into the possibility of a four-day week decided that such a move has the potential to positively impact learning while saving the district money. They would not consider it, Schwarz said, if it would not impact learning positively. Because of two-year contracts in place, next fall would be too early to implement the change, but “it’s time to begin to engage everyone in the conversation,” Schwarz said.
Shop expansion
At the request of Leonard Sobanja, a committee will be formed to investigate upgrades to shop facilities. Shop teacher Eli Hill drafted a document outlining numerous needs in his department, including indoor and outdoor storage space, power outlets, propane hookup, and computer drafting equipment. The improvements would allow students to create larger metal and wood products; repair vehicles; weld trailers, boats, and vehicles; forge and cast metals; machine parts; and learn computer-aided drafting.
“I think every opportunity to expand our tech ed. program should be made and I will be striving toward continuous improvements,” Hill wrote. “I know that our school is dealing with some financial issues and I don’t want to stretch our budget to the point of hurting other programs, but I would like to see that our technology education program has the opportunity to grow to serve our students’ needs for years to come.
“I think it’s important to give our students a chance to experience the wide variety of career opportunities that tech. ed. can offer,” Hill wrote, “because, quite simply, there is a growing shortage of skilled labor and many of these students will be looking at these careers in the future.”
Personnel changes
Vicky Bragg has been hired 2½ hours a day to help in the kitchen. Elementary secretary Kathi Johnson resigned from her position effective September 14. The school board expressed appreciation for her years of service to the district. Kathleen Johnson, secretary in the superintendent’s office, said Kathi Johnson had worked at the school for seven years.
After a closed session, the school board terminated the employment of bus driver Steve Dobbelmann. “I’m very disappointed in their decision,” said Dobbelmann. He did not want to discuss the details of the situation publicly at this time, but he said an issue arose that led to unwarranted fears.
“I was looking forward to 22 years in November,” he said. Dobbelmann, who lives in Lutsen, has had an East End route, covering county roads 69 and 14 and the Arrowhead Trail, for the last 19 years.
“I‘ve done it all this time because I love the job and I love the kids. I love trying to help the kids start and end their day on a bright note,” he said.
“I first became involved with driving school bus because of safety concerns we had for our own kids. …I think I made a real difference. I brought a lot of kids from kindergarten through graduation.
“I’m very saddened by the decision,” he said “In all of my 22 years of driving, I’ve never had an accident or incident. It was amazing to me that they could come to this conclusion.” Dobbelmann was suspended Wednesday, September 9, the second day of school. “The kids love me and think I’m the best. …I’m going to miss the contact with the kids and the parents.”
Dobbelmann is currently serving as a volunteer firefighter with the Lutsen Fire Department and is a former First Responder.
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