By Lori Ehde
Luverne School Board members continue to hear reaction to their recent decisions on budget cuts.
One program that fell to the budget axe is the high school auto mechanics and auto body program.
High school student Josh Arndt appeared before board members during their Thursday, May 24, meeting asking them to reconsider the cut.
"Thirty-five kids were signed up for this class, which we think we should be able to have," he said.
"We were told through our freshman, sophomore and junior years to wait until our senior year to take it, and now we're being told we can't take it."
The district saves roughly $40,000 by trimming the program.
In other response to budget cuts, Luverne School District parent Vicki Baartman presented her concerns, representing several other families.
She presented the board with a list of questions for which she asked them to find answers.
For example, she asked to re-examine the $450,000 shortfall for this year. "Will we actually be $450,000 short as predicted?" she asked.
She asked about how reserve money is invested and about the impact of increased class sizes and decreased staff.
She reminded the board to consider that strong school programs bring families into the community, and lack of programs could drive them away - resulting more lost revenue for the district.
"It was one of the reasons we moved here six years ago," she said. "In addition to an exceptional, dedicated staff, one of the great strengths of our school has been its diversity of programs."
Baartman thanked board members for their commitment to the district but asked them to be fair.
"I don't think it's fair to ask the students who are just beginning their school years to give up programs that have been offered to all of your children," she said.
"There are other options available; if you ask for and consider input from your staff, I think you would be pleasantly surprised at the options raised for your consideration."
Luverne School Board has been struggling with budget issues since early this year.
The district this year spent roughly $430,000 more than it took home in revenues. Many of the cuts have been in response to that, according to Superintendent Vince Schaefer.
He said he isn't holding out much hope for help from the Legislature, which is predicting little more than a 2.7-percent increase in spending for K-12 education.
"The increases built into our salary schedule will eat that up," Schaefer said. "So any chances for putting anything back for this fall are dim at this stage."
Personnel
In other business Thursday, the board accepted several resignations.
Part-time District Secretary Dorothy Goeske will retire. She's been with the district since 1992.
First-grade teacher Arlene Bendix and third-grade teacher Randa Gangestad will also retire at the end of this school year. Bendix started in 1975, and Gangestad started in 1978.
Gangestad is the only teacher so far to take advantage of a one-month early-retirement incentive that expires June 20.
Teachers who are 53 years old or older and who have been with the district for more than 20 years qualify.
In other personnel matters, the board accepted the resignation of Tomi Zierke as head girls' basketball coach. Her full-time job is with Tri-State Insurance, and she cited the business' move to Sioux Falls as her reason for leaving.
The board also accepted the resignation of Tom Rops as 10th-grade baseball coach. He will continue to be head boys' basketball coach.