District 88 hikes activity fees

Board OKs

fund-raising plans

By KEVIN SWEENEY

Journal Editor

NEW ULM -- District 88 students will pay more for participating in extracurricular activities, and the district will seek more in public donations, the Board of Education decided at its meeting Thursday night.

Those moves, plus a $1 increase in admissions fees and the elimination of some coaching and advisory positions, will bring in an estimated $86,7987 in extra revenue and savings. This amount is enough to allow the district to keep its current activities going without eliminating any programs.

Extracurricular fees were raised approximately 70 percent across the board, a move that will bring in an additional $41,000. The highest-cost activities -- senior high football, boys hockey, and girls hockey ­ will cost $120 next year, up from $70 this past year. Most other fees for sports will increase from $65 to $110.

Other activities that charge lesser fees will also see increase. Fees of $15 for activities like speech, Knowledge Bowl, band and choir, will increase to $25. The $30 fees for cross country, tennis, dance line, and so on, will increase to $50. Activities with $35 fees will increase to $60.

Before approving the increases, board member Susan Nierengarten questioned the reasoning behind charging fees for band and choir ­ classes that give credit but which also require participation in out-of-class activities. She pointed out that the school doesn't charge lab fees in biology or material fees in art.

The board agreed that the question should be referred back to the board's Activities Committee.

In addition to the fee increases, $16,500 would be raised by increasing admission prices by $1. Another $19,297 will be saved by eliminating eight middle school or junior varsity coaching and advising positions and by cutting back on some instructional supplies.

And, an estimated $10,000 is being sought through increased fund-raising activities.

Activities Director Mark Woodbury explained some ideas for increased fund raising. The most promising, he said, is setting up a system of Eagle Passes, a system of selling season passes to all activities to individuals or businesses who give $120 or more to the Eagle activities programs. A $120 donation would earn the donor two individual season passes and a listing in the Eagles programs. A $240 donation would get the donor four season passes, a 1x2-inch ad in game programs and priority for post-season tickets. A $500 donation would earn 10 season ticket passes, a 5x3-inch ad in the game program and post-season ticket priority.

Finding 100 season ticket buyers in town would more than meet the $10,000 fund-raising goal needed to keep the current activities going, Woodbury said.

Another fund-raising plan would be the creation of an Eagle Booster Club, led by a board of directors made up of the school's coaches. The club would organize sales and fund-raising activities and seek donations from community booster clubs and organizations. It would be a chance for the programs to raise money

Other fund-raising ideas were putting on a talent show, seeking a donation from the student council of a percentage of its concession sales revenue, and other fund-raisers by individual programs for their special projects.

The board gave unanimous approval to the proposals.

In other business, the board moved that attendance in summer school would not be required of students who are failing.

In personnel matters, the board continued the district's budget cutting measures, placing four non-teaching staff on unrequested leave of absence: Angie Koch, Pat McLuen, Gerald Olson and Marlene Brunner. The board also approved a medical leave of absence for Phil Davis next year, and reinstated one teacher, Stephen McClellan, to be a possible replacement.

Speech clinician Deb Peters was granted a three-year leave of absence so she could take a head teacher position with River Bend Education District as its autism consultant.

Superintendent Harold Remme introduced a couple of things for the board to consider for future meetings. One would be contracting for some communications services with Jill Lorentz, the full-time communications specialist whose position has been eliminated through budget cutbacks. Lorentz or another provider could be contracted to help with publication of the district's Focus 88 newsletter, its e-newsletters and other public information efforts. The board will consider which services it wants to keep, how often they would be published and whether the work could be done by existing staff.

The board will also consider possible uses for $90,000 in federal special education flow-through funds. The funds are carried over from other years and are available for use, as long as the uses meet federal guidelines. Remme outlined some options, and will have cost estimates at the next meeting.

The board decided to cancel its June 14 meeting because several members will be unable to attend. Its next meeting will be at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 28.