By Lexi MooreHills-Beaver Creek School Board members made arrangements during Monday’s meeting to attend a statewide rally for public school funding on Feb. 28 at the State Capitol Building in Saint Paul.Members of the board cited several sources that are encouraging school board members, school officials and teachers to lobby for educational finance reform during the School Board Member Day at the Capitol.Education funding in Minnesota has not increased in three years. Board members said they feel their voices need to be heard so that changes will be made.The current solution to school finance problems offered by state officials is for school boards to levy their district’s citizens for additional funds. Board member Gary Esselink spoke against district levying. "All the mandates we have to follow are set by the state, but the state doesn’t want to pay for it," Esselink said. "They expect us to get the money. There comes a point when we can’t ask any more of our citizens."Five H-BC board members and Superintendent David Deragisch plan to attend the event in Saint Paul. Their day will begin at the Kelly Inn with a welcome from Minnesota School Board Association President Jack Williams. The morning will be spent listening to various speakers including Representative Barbara Sykora, Chair of the House K-12 Education Finance Co. and Senator Steve Kelley, Chair of the Senate Education Policy Committee.Board members will also attend meetings with their local legislatures. During these meetings they will make sure their representatives are aware of the problems facing the H-BC school district.Their final destination will be the Alliance for Student Achievement Rally at the Capitol.This event, sponsored by the Alliance for Student Achievement, is intended to let the Minnesota "legislators know that fully funding public education must be a priority in our state."Information on the rally can be found by calling 1-800-672-0993 or visiting www.AllianceforStudentAchievement.org. Board members voted to cancel their regular meeting on Feb. 28 due to lobby day and the rally. Their next school board meeting will be on March 14 at 7:30.In other school news:H-BC Elementary School began working with a guest teacher from Japan. Her name is Naoko and she will be working with the preschool and kindergarten classes on Thursdays and Fridays.oDeragisch met with H-BC bus drivers last week to explain a new policy that requires bus drivers to inspect the bus interior and exterior after the children have been dropped off. This will happen twice a day, in the morning and evening, with a specific check list. oThe elementary school Family Night will be Monday, Feb. 28. This session will center on writing. Family Nights focusing on reading and math earlier in the year have been well attended.oH-BC students had another outstanding academic quarter. Deragisch reported that 51percent of the students were on either the A or B honor roll. Four of those students had perfect 4.0 grade point averages.oMembers spent time congratulating various winter athletic teams on their outstanding seasons. They specifically mentioned girls and boys basketball teams and wished senior wrestler Cody Scholten luck in his individual section competition Feb. 18-19.