Kimball Community
The voters of Kimball Area Schools have two very important decisions to make Nov. 3. These decisions are to select three members of the Kimball School Board and a decision on an operating levy.
As a community, we are lucky to have four good candidates for the three positions. As members of the school board they will help determine the goals of the district, make financial decisions that will impact the kids, and provide overall policy management of the school. These are important decisions for ensuring a quality education system in the community. It is clear that a strong school is important to a strong community.
As for the levy, this is a difficult issue for the community. In these difficult economic times, voting to raise one’s taxes will not be easy. This is a decision that has been made or will be made this election in just about every district in the state.
There are several issues that have resulted in the need for the proposed levy. These include rising costs for operating the district (heating, fuel, etc.), we have seen a small decline in enrollment (which has ended and we believe that enrollment will slowly increase in the next few years), and loss of state funding/unfunded mandates.
The state funding combined with unfunded mandates has been the greatest cause of financial struggles for the district. We are currently spending more than $400,000 for required programs not funded by the state or federal government. The state also delayed their payments to the school this last year, which resulted in the district needing to borrow money to pay the bills.
There are many positive things happening in the district. If you have attended some of the recent events at the schools, you have seen strong attendance and a great sense of pride and school spirit. We have very good facilities, a strong curriculum, and excellent staff and students. We have had to make more than $800,000 in cuts the last few years to balance the budget and get out of Statutory Operating Debt. With this levy, we will be able to maintain our programs and continue to balance the budget. This is not about adding extras, but meeting the educational needs of the students.
If you have questions, want to serve on a committee, or support the committee in any other way, please contact me. My e-mail is: kurt.helgeson@gmail.com, or phone (320) 398-2662.
I strongly encourage you to support this levy for the future of the community and most importantly to provide the high quality education that the kids of Kimball need and deserve.
Kurt Helgeson
Your Schools – Your Choice Committee Co-Chair
Kimball School Board Chair
District News – Kimball community faces important decisions
·
