DEER RIVER — The Deer River School Board voted down a four-day school week and began the process of making significant budget cuts at its meeting Wednesday, Feb. 11.
In a brief 20-minute meeting, the Board rejected Superintendent Pat Rendle’s proposal for a four-day week on a vote of 4-2.
Deer River would’ve been the latest in a wave of Northern Minnesota schools trying out the schedule. A district committee started meeting this school year to consider the change, and two surveys sent out by the district showed about 70% of respondents supported the move.
Board Chair Lloyd Kongjord and Jon White were the only “yes” votes. Kongjord said he supported the move in the hopes the estimated $300,000 savings would mean keeping a teacher or two and keeping class sizes small.
Board members Pam Thompson and LuAnn Robinson said they went back and forth on their decisions, before ultimately settling on “no.”
Robinson said she was stuck on how elementary schoolers would struggle with a longer day. School would have been roughly 35 minutes longer under the alternative schedule.
Thompson was emotional while explaining her decision, clearly conflicted about the choice.
“Then it hit me as I was struggling to shut my mind off and sleep: I’ve lived it. I was one of those kids who came to school for lunches, for friendship and to have a haven to call my own,” she said. “ ... I’m going with what my heart and my gut is telling me.”
George Goggleye was the only other board member who shared why he opposed the four-day week.
“It feels like we’re ramming this down the throat of the Board because it’s being pushed in such a short timeframe,” he said. “ ... Surveys, you know, they’re telling us a story, but are they telling us an accurate story?”
After the meeting, frustrated Rendle and Crystal Purdie, fifth-grade teacher and union president, disagreed with Goggleye’s characterization. They say he was a part of the committee that discussed the four-day week plans but didn’t show up to the meetings.
Purdie has 30 kids in her class this year, and her biggest concern was preventing her colleagues from feeling that stress.
“They say they’re making this decision based on our kids,” she said. “But I can tell you none of them have been in my classroom this year.”
She had a two-page written statement prepared for public comment, noting that the current system is strained, and the four-day week is a chance to try something new and support teachers.
But neither Purdie, nor anyone else, offered comment before the Board made its decisions. She didn’t think it was necessary to sway the board and didn’t expect the outcome.
Superintendent Rendle will now begin the process of preparing $2 million in budget cuts. That’s 12% of the district’s budget. He said they did everything they could to avoid this, including multiple failed referendums.
“This is a bad one coming up. This is going to hurt,” he said.
Nearly 70% of the district’s budget is staff, meaning that’s where cuts will need to happen. Like many districts, Deer River is dealing with stagnant state funding and declining enrollment, which means revenue keeps shrinking while costs keep growing.
The Board will adopt a preliminary budget next month and finalize it in April.
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