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Saturday, August 14, 1999
By TONY ZIEBOL Journal Staff Writer SLEEPY EYE -- After much deliberation the school board approved an Excess Levy Referendum Resolution. The board finally decided on a $350 per pupil unit excess levy for a period of five years. Some members of the board were hesitant to raise taxes because of the troubled state of the farm economy. "I know some farmers that are really scared about the next two years," said chairman Reynold Dittbenner. However, concern over student education won out. The school will need at least $200,000 in the next two years to stay competitive and unless the state legislature makes things easier for the schools, this had to be done, Superintendent Jay Haugen said. "I don't want to see us in two years having nothing," said board member Marcia Marti. "The people of Sleepy Eye are people that believe in family. They are people that believe in children." Board member Doug Domeier agreed. "We have to look towards the future," he said. "(The kids) are our future." A per pupil unit is a state definition of how schools are funded. It does not mean per student and depends on what grade level the student is in. For example, a kindergarten student would only be credited as a one-half pupil unit and high school students would be closer to one and one-half pupil units. This is because higher level students cost much more to be educated properly. It is now up to the voters to accept or deny the referendum. In other news, the school board approved the Sleepy Eye Public School Crisis Plan. Since the tragedies at schools like Columbine, Colo. cities all the around the country have been re-assessing the safety of its schools and Sleepy Eye is no different. Teachers will be taught what to do in a crisis situation and even the janitors will be aware the plan. People at the schools just wanted to be prepared in the unlikely event something would happen and wanted it to be a safe environment for both students and teachers, said elementary school Principal Arla Deckter. "I'm hoping we're being pro-active," she said. The water park is no closer to reality, said board member Mark Beito. "There's just a ton of unanswered questions," he said. The Water Park Committee still doesn't know who will fund it, but are looking into grants and donations from area business. All it has right now is money from a can that kids have put spare change in, Beito said. "What the committee has is a substantial wish list and no way of paying for it," he said.
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