Duluth schools attracting more students
September 26, 2011 at 7:00 pm in Duluth News Tribune
The Duluth school district is counting nearly 300 more students this year than projected, meaning more teachers hired, about $1.9 million more in state aid, and a boost in morale for supporters of the $311 million plan that built three new schools, closed six, transformed the two high schools and brought improvements
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Its not the schools. The Private and Charter schools are seeing an increase from students leaving ISD 709. The increase in ISD 709 is mostly from people leaving other areas coming here for our better Social Service Benefit Program. Our board should know this,unless they keep quite about it because of school closures and also try and take credit for attracting students. As a landlord the amount of people applying for apartments from out of town with Section 8 in hand has been increasing many fold. They are NOT coming for the new schools. And when MN and the county can no longer afford a superior welfare system to some of the surrounding states they will probably leave again, considering Duluth does not have a policy of bringing in and keeping real jobs.
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Ya, but it’s a positive to have more educated future welfare recipients so they can properly fill out the paperwork to receive benefits.
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I too am a landlord and can confirm the truth in Marks’ statement of section 8 families moving here and bringing a lot of kids with them. These people are not moving here for jobs, or our schools, believe me.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Hmmm. How much is the DNT getting paid by the school district for these articles?
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Trying – you hit the nail on the head with your comment. With newspapers in the Red, and this School Administration spending thousands every month on advertising, the DNT is bought and paid for, and a marketing dream for the School District. Would any business bite the hand that feeds it? Of course not. There are so many contradictory statements in this article. The School District “expected” a loss of 300 students,”Historically, we’ve been losing 300 students a year on average” but there was no actual loss of 300 students so that is what they can “growing”? From what I can tell from the numbers – last year’s enrollment was 8696 and this year is 8711 – my math tells me that is a gain of 15 students – not 300. Perhaps Bill Hansen needs to head back to math class, and brush up on his accounting skills. From the beginning of this Red Plan mess the projected numbers did not look right. They projected way too high of expected “loss” numbers to justify the Red Plan which was supposed to reduce the total square footage of buildings by almost a third. What happened is with the additions, change orders, add-ons and expansions, the square footage is slighly less than it was with more schools. Fewer neighborhood schools don’t serve the public as well. I can’t help laughing when they say the Red Plan is so “green” -because it requires more transportation costs. How “green” is that? The biggest and most obvious part of this article is that Proctor +25, Hermantown+29, Cloquet +57, Two Harbors +53, Esko +15, Edisons +140, & Marshall +46 are ALL experiencing greater “growth” (compared to Duluth’s +15) without a 320 million dollar increase in Debt to their communities. What this article points out to me is that the Duluth School District can put a positive spin on just about anything -and get someone to print this hogwash – but it doesn’t mean what your seeing is true.
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And at least a third of the “increase” was due to a charter school closing and its students moving into district schools. Ah well…it’s the News Tribune. And does anybody really believe the price tag is only going to be $320 million when all is said and done?
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This seems odd…enrollments up in 709, Marshall, Proctor, Hermantown, etc…Marshall added grades…yet 709 is still up?? Sounds like some “funny” math going on. Better wait for actual FACTS to be submitted. With all claiming about a total of a 650 student increase…I would assume maybe half “should be” from families moving into the area…yet the housing market doesn’t reflect that. Hmph…..
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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You are forgetting all the apartment construction that has happened. I feel that most of the people moving into this area are filling the many low-end apartment vacancies that occurs when the previous apartment dweller moves up into newer apartments.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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BINGO Kurt!
For example, where are the enrollment figures from the Minnesota Department of Education from the last few years for comparison? Give us some actual facts to work with here DNT — not another PR spin.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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$1.9 Million in State aid for 300 students. Why do they need to ask for more money from the local taxpayers. Where does all this money go????
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Someone’s got to pay for all the “integration specialists” and “diversity coordinators” who’ve been failing at their jobs since they were hired. Anything but paying for teachers and programs. God forbid.
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State aid funded by the feds which is funded by china. When does it stop. Why can’t a school system work on the funds from the local community?? We pay enough taxes for it!!!
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There have been a lot of great comments on here so far in regards to the numbers and where the new students are coming from. The DNT seems to be missing a lot of components with this story.
I feel that it is a promotion peice as parents, especially the high school ones, are getting fed up with the large class sizes. Why should a student sit in a study hall with 100 students? If they have a question, do they have to take a number? Why are there 50 students in a Biology class at East? Why have they not called back all of the teachers who were laid off last year if they are up 15 students? There are students that, although they are in a new building, with smartboards (which all surrounding schools have or even have newer tech like the Mimios) and other luxuries, do not have a desk to sit at because there are too many bodies in the room. I think the DNT needs to talk to the parents and to the students and write an article on how it is to actually go to the new schools and what the average class sizes are in the high schools by subjects.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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I’ve been letting a lot of stuff slide comment wise here, but this one I can’t let sit.
There is no study hall with over 100 students. There was a study hall at east with 102 students on the first day of school, both of my sons were in it. That study hall was split into 2 and about 20 students in that hall (including my oldest son) found another class to attend. The study halls have about 40 students.
The teachers are in the process of being called back (as money from state funding allows). Currently they are adjusting schedules and expect to be done by this Friday. It’s a very complex process given that the school year has started so they can’t just rebuild every student’s schedule. I understand this process takes time and the district cannot simply wave a magic wand.
As for desks, every student at both high schools has a place to sit. There were shortages on the first day or to with the huge crush, but those were sorted out within a day or two. Let me repeat, every student has a place to sit.
If there is a student at either high shool who doesn’t have a desk, give me a teacher and class hour. I personally will go to the district and to the school and see to it that the problem is fixed. I guarantee that no one in the district administration would allow that sort of problem to exist where it can be fixed so easily.
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I know that the district is working on getting everything figured out and staff in place and they have to make sure that the numbers will match up when calling back staff. However, when parents hear students complain on a daily basis, it starts to become an issue. I will confirm the desk story with the student who is at Denfeld this year.
Mr. Frisk, do you have any numbers to provide with average class sizes within subject areas? I feel that is an important topic that needs to be addressed.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Rabble!
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I agree on a story about class sizes, and whether it would be wise to not rush in Central HS’s sale. As a life long resident of Duluth, who has watched its population shrink by 20,000. I would think its a MAJOR story on where are the students and families for each type of school coming from. And what brings them here. Or is that to be kept quiet. Has a dying city been reborn?
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Doug F -Sorry, but you are hardly in the position to so positively comment on what is happening in ALL the classes as far as numbers. I have heard from multiple people (teachers and students) that the situations in these classrooms is anything but rosy. Classrooms in some cases, have standing room only. Isn’t it too bad that our Board members, who got us into this mess to start out with, are too busy patting themselves on the back for these “awesome” buildings to make sure of what is happening on the inside in regard to the actual programs and needs of students and teachers. Not only that, but they are completely above responding to emails from parents demanding answers and solutions. Until November’s election, and operating levy vote, they will pull out all the stops and marketing ploys to make sure the public thinks they have everything under control in hopes that we will entrust them with even more tax money. Meanwhile they are about to add another 15 million to the cost of the Red Plan WITHOUT asking . I say if they couldn’t stay within a quarter of a billiion dollars budget, why would we give them access to more without a change in leadership?
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How they make 15 look like 300 is just amazing. Must be that new math or maybe they are using Johnson Controls “Super Computers”.
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I’m with you patriot. I read just the other day where the entire district overall was up by 15 students. They listed all the various 709 schools with the individual totals and the end result was they were up by 15 students. Where is this 300 number coming from ?
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Talk about knee-jerk reactions – barely a month and everything is being criticized still. Issues related to a change of this magnitude take time to settle and resolve – be realistic and quit pointing fingers! How about some support for the change in order to create a positive atmosphere for the young people in the schools?
Give it a chance folks, give it a chance.
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Mike W – I’m all for positive changes, but many in this instance were not positive. Neighborhood schools lost, increase in class sizes, loss of teaching and supportive positions, remaining neighborhoods feeling the crunch of more traffic then they were designed for. And this is not a “knee-jerk” response. The Red Plan fiasco has been 6 years in the making and incredibly controversial in the community. For years they have said how well everything was planned out and yet there has been so many issues that show otherwise along the way. This particular article, that we are all commenting on is filled with inconsistencies – that is the issue of discussion. The DNT and School District has this article trying to paint an “everything is rosy” and that the new schools have been the reason why students are flooding back to 709. While that is what the headlines seem to indicate, the numbers show differently. +15 students when other neighboring schools are realizing much higher numbers – without millions in taxpayer debt. I think many of the comments point out that there is a influx of families coming into the community, not a influx of students who are coming back to these new schools. This is yet another “feel good” promotional story that is not forthright or honest about what struggles are going on in the schools and classrooms. A welcomed article would contain true, verifiable facts, the positives AND the negatives that those involved are facing, and what is being done to address those issues.
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Elizabeth, you need some new material. You have stated this opinion on a number of occasions. Thank you for this opinion. My point is that what’s done is done, and it’s time to move forward with the decisions that have been made. At some point there needs to be a collective effort to accept, support the students, and make the best of a situation even if it may not have been your first choice of processes. It remains controversial as long as you make it controversial.
Who’s going to win the difference of opinions contest? I don’t know, but I do know students and staff will continue to bear the brunt of caustic conversation. Coexist. Acceptance. Respect. Kids first.
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Mike W – Your answer seems to be to simply shut up, accept what was done and “move forward”. That seems to be the chosen statement of the Board for the last 6 years when they did not want to hear any of the public’s comments. (even when there was plenty of time to make changes) Followed only second to “it’s for the children”. But when there is an article in the paper that is clearly full of inconsistencies, I will continue to comment & encourage discussion in hopes that we as a community will never again allow a ” for profit” company to take away our voice. I personally feel that until the culprits who have allowed that to happen are replaced on the Board, many in this community will never support a levy.
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Ugh. Suggestion would be to copy and paste – much easier.
School Board elections coming up – time for change there too it seems. I certainly agree with you on that point.
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Why should we let the crooks on the screwel board take their back room deals and under the table rewards and escape into obscurity? They should be re-elected so they have to face the music when the Red Ink Plan starts to unravel. If new suckers are elected to the board they will be able to say “I’m not to blame for this mess” and then plead for support from the community. If the current batch of crooks stay seated they have to take the blame for problems that will undoubtedly come up…they are the ones who caused the problems. Let them solve the mess they have created.
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Ulysses- While your suggestion makes sense, and is tempting, I hope new Board Members will listen more to the public, and will work to bring back the trust in the community. i hope that new Board Members will care more about the programs, teachers and students inside the schools then stadiums, swimming pools and atriums. The current Board finds it far too easy to blame the state funding for every problem they have. I would like to see people (new Board Members) who care about BOTH the students AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY CAN AFFORD.
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U, accountability or lack thereof, is an issue that has gone on since the beginning of the democratic process. Many attempts are made to hold elected officials accountable for their actions – try our most recent former President for instance. Upcoming elections will provide the opportunity to make the changes the majority of voters want – those that win in the election are what the majority want. Excuses for those that do not vote are empty – either take part and vote and voice your opinion on the ballot, or keep your mouth shut.
In any case, there will be those happy with election results and those that are not. Again, since the beginning of our democracy…if it doesn’t work for you, try another form of government.
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Why do you have to look back to our “former” president to illustrate the need for accountability? Hussein has made an unholy mess of this country yet libs want to give him a “pass” due to his skin color. Shouldn’t his feet be held to the fire for the damage he has done? Hussein is still in office yet there is no accountability there. I say make the crooks pay and voting them out of office is nothing more than giving them a “pass” too.
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U, and George Bush? And his Dad? And others? What’s your point? How about former school board members? You say accountability is important – tell me how you’d do it other than voting them out in this situation – curious to see your answer on this one.
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Mike: Read more carefully will you? I already told you how to hold the crooks accountable. Keep them in office, then vote down any levy increase, then tell the crooks to MAKE DUE with the $300 million they have already stolen from the taxpayers. As I have said previously…they got us into this mess, let them figure out a way to get us out of this mess. It’s called accountability, and THEY sure have a lot to be held accountable for.
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So you’ll be voting for Wasson, or Cameron, or Selig-Punkyo, or whoever currently sits from your voting area? I thought you wanted to get rid of these crooks?
Let the majority speak on election day.
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Yes I will. I want to see them squirm.
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