“In a fight between W.E. Connect and Tofte Township vs. Birch Grove Community School, the school will lose.”
These words, spoken by Jim King at the first joint meeting of those organizations in over a year, did not resonate the meaning of community to me. Keep in mind that W.E. Connect is Tofte Township and the Birch Grove Community School (BGCS) is a leasee of the majority of the building.
I have a hard time understanding how the divide between these two tenants of the Community Center building in Tofte even happened. At one time they were one unified front. Since the school cannot legally own/ manage a building, the Foundation was created for that purpose, to take care of the building that houses the school and community center.
Somehow, since then there seems to be a very deep misunderstanding of community.
BGCS thought the purpose of the joint meeting was to find solutions for the Town of Tofte and the tenants to cover costs of the building’s maintenance. When we arrived, the purpose quickly changed to finding out what the school had for solutions for additional revenues.
After many minutes of discussion and arguing, BGCS, W.E. Connect and Sarah Somnis of the Tofte Town Board agreed that we could work together to fundraise to keep the building sustainable without having to put the burden on only the paying tenants. The plan is to involve all organizations and groups who use any part of the building or grounds. The purpose is to connect as a community rather than divide.
Birch Grove Community School occupies the majority of the building five days a week, 365 days a year between school and our summer community programs. We have increased our fundraising by leaps and bounds to cover costs.
The Community Center has important programs that use two rooms that W.E. Connect occupies at no cost. Tofte agreed to subsidize these two rooms. The programs run by W.E. Connect do not sustain themselves and W.E. Connect should have to find a solution to do so in addition to what the school is offering.
I know some people are asking about the $20,000 that was requested from each township. This was to help build a fund balance, which is required by our school sponsor. We graciously thank the townspeople of Schroeder, Tofte and Lutsen who supported us.
Under state rules for schools, there is a limit to what BGCS can pay for its lease. My point is that the school should not have to take funds from our general education fund—used for curriculum, teachers and everything else needed for students—to essentially reimburse the Town of Tofte for money it has invested in its building and W.E. Connect.
Like W.E. Connect, the school is not a business, but a community service. We should not have to choose between a school or a community center. The intergenerational interaction at Birch Grove is what makes it such a special place. We hope that we can come together and solve this issue and keep all tenants in the building.
Sarena Nelson
Birch Grove Community School
board member and parent
Tofte
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