Chamber honors schools as Industry of the Year

Education in New Ulm sets its sights high and spurs us all on to higher achievements, speaker says

By KEVIN SWEENEY

Journal Editor

NEW ULM -- New Ulm's schools celebrated their selection as the 2004 New Ulm Chamber of Commerce Industry/Business of the Year Monday by focusing attention on their most important product -- their students.

The Chamber's Industry/Business of the Year celebration at the Holiday Inn was short on speeches, but each school -- Minnesota Valley Lutheran, New Ulm Area Catholic Schools, District 88 and St. Paul's Lutheran -- was represented by students providing musical entertainment.

The cast of New Ulm High School's musical "Grease," which is being presented this weekend, sang several numbers. They were followed by the Cathedral High School Jazz Band. Lydia Balge, a student at St. Paul's played a piano solo, and MVL's singing group, the Chargaliers, finished off the entertainment.

Dr. Ted Olsen, president of Martin Luther College, gave the keynote address. He reminded the crowd of a young army officer who on Nov. 15, 1806, tried to climb a mountain peak in Colorado but was arrested by the Spanish authorities for trespassing. Lt. Zebulon Pike couldn't climb the mountain that day, but Pike's Peak was named after him.

"The moral of the story," said Olsen, "is the person who reaches for the heights doesn't always get there, but he who sets his sights high will spur himself and his colleagues to betterment, to higher levels of achievement."

Education in New Ulm sets its sights high and spurs us all on to higher achievements, said Olsen. He said it is very appropriate that the school systems be recognized as Industry of the Year.

"Can you think of a cleaner industry in town? Can you think of an industry that has more significant benefits for the individual and society as a whole?

"Research shows that increases in educational attainment produces decreased demands on public budgets. And also, with higher levels of education, people are less likely to depend on social safety nets. And moreover, the higher level of education people have, the more likely they are to be involved to a greater degree in civic participation."

"Is education expensive?" said Olsen. "You bet it is. But ignorance is even more expensive."

New Ulm's schools systems, one public, one Catholic and one Lutheran, are diverse, but all dedicated to the same thing -- the children of the community, said Olsen.

After the entertainment, Jeff Dittrich, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, and Mayor Joel Albrecht presented the administrators of the four honored schools with certificates, and a city Distinguished Service Medal.

The administrators each focused their remarks on a different way the schools impact the community.

Mary Ellen Domeier, superintendent of the NUACS system, pointed out that the four schools -- NUACS, District 88, St. Paul's and MVL -- have a combined work staff of about 450 people. Many of them are homeowners and property tax payers. The schools have a combined payroll of about $27 million, which is spent throughout the community and helps fuel the economy.

Wayne Fischer, head of MVL, pointed to the impact the schools seek to have on imparting values to their students. Each school teaches not only academic subjects, but seeks to train students to be contributing, productive members of society.

Mike Koestler, principal at St. Paul's recalled one of his teachers who had proverbs and morals for many occasions. He had a saying on a poster near his door, "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we may achieve excellence." New Ulm's schools chase perfection, he said, and the proof is in the excellence achieved by students and staff.

Harold Remme said the honor of being Industry of the Year was a great kickoff to American Education Week, which has a theme this year of "Chasing the American Dream." He said the honor is shared by many in the schools, from the teachers and administrators, cooks and clerical workers, the bus drivers, the boards of education and school councils who make the hard decisions when necessary, and by the parents and students.

The collaborative award shows there is a special relationship among the school systems. Each one is more efficient, said Remme, through its interaction with the other two, and the beneficiaries are the students who attend the schools.