Staples-Motley spending more for special education, preschool services

By Mark Anderson

Managing Editor

The Staples-Motley School District is spending about 30 percent more for special education this year, Superintendent Shane Tappe told the school board at their Feb. 26 meeting. Business Manager Ellie Hill also told the board that the early childhood program is currently deficit spending.

Tappe said the special education costs are partially because of the school data not aligning with the Freshwater School District data that is sent to the state for funding. 

“We’re working diligently with Freshwater to make sure our data is where it needs to be,” said Tappe. “If their data is off, it makes all the districts off, causing large adjustments for local districts.”

Tappe said the school will have to pay money back to to state that was received for special education. This is in addition to the long term problem of special education mandates from the federal government not being fully funded.

Hill said that all the districts in the Freshwater district should see revenue increases next year.

“We are going to start seeing changes in special ed,” said Hill.

Hill reported to the school board about the schools funds, and the small adjustments the board can approve to transfer from one fund to another, or use old money sitting in a fund for another purpose.

Hill said the Community Service Fund is for programs that are not school, such as Early Childhood Family Education and Community Education.

Hill said the budgets for Community Education and the Adventures program are doing good, but the early childhood budget is deficit spending. 

She said some of the requirements are made at the state level. With this the first year of a new school funding formula, the district is still shaping program budgets to fit state requirements.

Food service

One of the big changes in state funding is for food service. This year, students receive free breakfasts and lunches, with the state paying for the portion that is not covered by the free and reduced grant from the government.

Hill said “There is a big change in how we get revenue, parents don’t pay.”

Parents are still asked to fill out the free and reduced lunch income papers so that the district can qualify for the federal funds.

Free lunches also means the school had to refund parents who had money in the lunch account and had to collect on accounts that were negative from last year.

Food Service Director Wade Vangsness gave the board a report on what he has learned in his first year at the head of the program. 

He started off by saying he is looking for a smart system to replace the old food service tracking service. He said the new data system the school is using doesn’t have a food service component, so they are using the old Skyward system.

“We are hoping to find a system to improve on efficiencies,” said Vangsness.

There are some new efficiencies, Vangsness said they are keeping up on required reporting and have found enough resources to provide a variety of meals that meet requirements for state guidelines.

Vangsness said the food service has two kitchens servicing five schools, including three schools in Staples, the Central Lakes Adventure School in Pillager and the Staples ALC.

He said they have seven staff members who are hard working and reliable.

Board member Ryan Wright said “I commend you for putting out 1,100 meals a day with seven people.”

Vangsness said they do a lot of trials to see what the students like. He said he goes to food service meetings where vendors have a wide variety of products that meet reduced sodium and whole grain components that are now required.

“Companies had to go back to re-do foods so that kids will eat it,” he said.

The kitchens passed in all categories during health inspections, said Vangsness, with the only findings things they can’t control, such as kitchen size.

In other news, the board

• Learned that Bertha-Hewitt is not renewing their 50 percent of the Spanish teacher contract, so the board approved the non-renewal of that 50 percent of teacher Skyla Rewitzer’s contract.

• Approved the addition of an early childhood special education teacher and a 1.37 contracts for early Childhood Special Education. Tappe said this will not increase the budget.

• Accepted resignations of Coral Cuppy, transportation, and Margaret Urbanski, long term math substitute.

• Approved non-renewal of contract for Kelsie Tyrrell, Tier 1 teacher, James Simmer, Tier 1 teacher, Karla Zek, probationary teacher.

• Approved family leave request from Tanner Anderson

• Approved hiring Naomi Sullivan as paraprofessional.

• Approved list of spring coaches:

Baseball: Shane Tappe, Head; assistants Brian Smith, Drew Potter, Jeff Halverson, Cory Lawrence, Mark Bettis, Zack Qual and Scott Larson

Softball: Darren Holst, Head; assistants Deanna Anderson, Ben Bestland, Emma Gerard, MacKenzie May and Kayla Vejtasa

Golf: Glen Hasselberg, Head; assistants Brad Anderson, Bruce Lund, Wade Vangsness, Paul Mithun, Erik Johnson and Beck Erholtz

Track and field: Bruce Fuhrman, Head; assistants Marly Simmons, Steve Fligge, Steve Jennissen and Chris Jennissen