By Lori EhdeLuverne’s Stacy Mente served as spokesperson for a room full of parents who attended the Thursday, May 12, School Board meeting.She’s among roughly 110 kindergarten families in the district deciding whether to enroll their children in Kinder Plus. It’s an afternoon program the Luverne district offered after the all day every day program was cut last month.Mente was on Thursday’s agenda to request that the board reconsider its vote to cut the program.But before she addressed the board, Superintendent Vince Schaefer reminded the parents about previous public board meetings where more than $646,000 was cut from various program, staff and other areas in the past five years.He also said the daily morning program with afternoon enrichment was the first choice among four options presented in surveys of kindergarten parents and K-2 teachers.She came with a long list of questions (see sidebar story), ranging from the price of the Kinder Plus program and busing costs, to the equity in offering a program that some may not be able to afford.Jodi Bosch also spoke briefly. "As parents we wish we could have been more involved in the process," she said. "We feel the decision was made, and that we were given no voice."Kristee Hart said, "I’ve always thought public education was about equal education for all students, but with the price you’ve put on the program, not everyone can afford it."Board Chairwoman Becky Walgrave ended the dialogue."This has been a painful five years," she said. "We’re talking about 1,300 kids we need to provide for."We don’t have any more funds to work with. We’ve cut the middle school high school programs to bare bones, and we’ve had very little input from anyone through all that."One parent, Lauree Teunissen, said offering the afternoon option presents parents with difficult choices, and she said it shouldn’t have been offered at all. "Either have all day every day kindergarten or don’t," she said. "That’s what we’re asking."This brought response from other parents in attendance, including board clerk and parent Brenda Teal. "I very much support the Kinder Plus program," she said, saying that she appreciated having the afternoon program for her child.Walgrave closed the discussion by offering responses to Mente’s questions at the next meeting, May 26.However, she said the board wouldn’t be able to consider reversing the decision to cut all day every day kindergarten."The money simply isn’t there," she said.Cliff Carmody, Southwest/West Central Service Cooperative was on the agenda to report on the district’s strategic planning, but he addressed the budget issue."These folks aren’t your issue," he told the parents in the room. "You need to challenge yourself to take the same emotion and talk to the folks in St. Paul."He said local school boards don’t control the environment, don’t get to decide funding. He said during Gov. Jesse Ventura’s administration the Legislature decided to fund education through sales and income tax instead of property taxes."They did that without a plan to fund it," Carmody said. "And guess what? I can go to any district in my region and the same discussion is taking place. … The funding hasn’t been there for four years."He talked about his home budget and that if he’s low on cash he simply cuts back on expenses. The state of Minnesota, on the other hand, budgets money for education, but withholds 20 percent until the new fiscal year."These guys have to fund 100 percent of their expenses on 80 percent of their revenues," Carmody said about the School Board. "The state says we’re not going to do anything about the problem. You go to your local boards. …"Local school boards have lost most of their control, and it’s a place for us to complain about something they can’t do anything about."Carmody was at Thursday’s meeting to talk about the district’s strategic planning."Now you’re here to try to put together a strategic plan at a time when it seems ludicrous to do so," he said."But you have to, because you have to have a plan."He recommended the board assemble a strategic planning committee to identify several priority initiatives to pursue. "One goal would be to pass a referendum, so you need to come up with a plan to do that."He reminded the board and others in attendance to remain focused through budget cuts."The pride in this district goes back forever, and you don’t want to lose that," he said.In other business Thursday, the board:oAccepted the retirement of Cheryl Roberts, high school English Teacher and assistant speech coach, effective June 2.oApproved a resolution placing elementary/middle school music teacher Patti Nelson on unrequested leave of absence for .41 FTE. This is a result of fewer sections in the school.oNoted that baccalaureate will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 22, and graduation will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 5. The last day of school is Wednesday, June 1.