Secretary of State visits students in Frazee

By Robert Williams

Editor

Superintendent Terry Karger discussed happenings at the legislature, along with an advocacy briefing provided by the Minnesota Rural Education Association (MREA) three weeks into the session in St. Paul.

Karger began with noting the positive change in the state’s budget from a projected $2.8 million deficit last November to a current reported $300 million surplus.

“With that, MREA is going to look to defend the formula,” Karger said.

The MREA Education Formula Inflator refers to the association’s advocacy for linking the state’s Basic Formula Allowance (the primary per-pupil funding source) directly to inflation. It currently sits at a 2.69 percent funding increase.

A Blue Ribbon Commission Special Education was formed to advise and assist the legislature and governor in transforming special education services. The purpose of the commission is to develop and present to the legislature and the governor an action plan for transforming special education services while maintaining a free appropriate public education for students with disabilities by October 1, 2026.

“They are tasked to come up with $250,000 cuts in special ed,” said Karger.” Special ed is a growing bucket of cost and it is eating everything up. That’s one we have to watch and see how it impacts us.”

The $250 million reduction in the appropriations for special ed funding is slated to begin July 1, 2027.

A third challenge presented was Compensatory Aid Hold Harmless—a provision that ensures school districts do not experience significant funding drops due to declining enrollment or shifts in student identification methods.

Last year, all the schools in the state were held harmless. 

“This year, they’re set to remove the hold harmless and most schools take a pretty good hit and some take a very significant hit,” said Karger.

On behalf of schools, MREA is asking for another year of hold harmless.

If extended one year, the district will see $132,000. If not, that will register as a loss.

“While that is a significant loss, when you look at what some other schools are losing we’re okay,” Karger said.

From the House education hearings, Karger highlighted bill HF 3771 – allowing schools without an operating referendum, like Frazee-Vergas, to go higher on local operation revenue (LOR).

LOR is a key part of Minnesota’s general education funding, allowing school districts to levy up to a certain amount per pupil to support operational costs, such as staff and programming. This funding mechanism often acts as a supplement to, or replacement for, voter-approved operating referendums.

The Senate has prioritized recent troubles of district’s finding school board members. A bill is being heard to allow schools with enrollments less than 1,000 to consider a five-member school board. Currently, schools can have six or seven member boards. Frazee-Vergas has a seven-person school board.

“Nothing with any money attached, really,” said Karger.

Senate Finance is looking at suicide prevention, teacher mental health supports and teacher retention while considering a bill SF3750 to remove an aging stipulation regarding storm shelters.

Storm shelter requirements during school construction were mandatory and the Finance Committee is looking to repeal that requirement. The bill has cleared the Labor Committee.

Cell phones

Districts are required by law to establish policies on student cell phone use, aimed at reducing distractions. A new bill (HF2516) proposes banning cell phones and smartwatches in schools for grades K-8 and restricting them in classrooms for grades 9-12, starting in the 2026-27 school year.

Vice Chair Tyler Trieglaff brought up the bill and questioned its possible effects locally when there is already a policy in place.

Karger noted the number of bills being heard is staggering and this happens to be one of them.

“It didn’t even make MREA’s talking points,” Karger said.

Principal Jason Smith addressed the second year of the local phone policy.

“This year has been a shift from last year and I feel like we were able to tighten up what needed tightening up,” said Smith. “Is it perfect? Of course not. Would I like if the state just made the law and I could blame Uncle Tim for everything, like we did in COVID? Absolutely.”

High school

Smith reported on a visit by Secretary of State Steve Simon and the members of the League of Women Voters speaking to students about voting, eligibility, campaign facts and how involved students, even those under the age of 18 can be in the process.

“He was very encouraging of kids to get involved sooner,” said Smith. “It was a very positive experience.”

Smith and counselor Marty Thorp traveled to Menahga to discuss online learning alternatives. Menahga used an outside provider overseen by the high school principal for online instruction for kids K-8th grade. Menahga has 180 students K-8 working online from all over the state.

The school has added teachers to address specific needs of some of those students. Grades 9-12 were supposed to be run with another district but Smith reported, “that just never came together.”

The meeting was informational and led Smith to announce Frazee’s take on online learning will not follow the Menahga model and will have to be crafted to accommodate the needs of both student and faculty. 

There are three basic options: an in-house online academy, online courses through an outside vendor or a hybrid.

“It’s another one of those things that we can tailor to our district, but it looks remarkably different,” said Smith. “You can construct this thing any way you want to.”

Students were given a course survey to help create next year’s course offerings.

Hornet Pride

The board approved the following monetary donations:

Roger Thorp- $250 donation to Weight Room

Ryan and Annie Vigen- $100 donation to Weight Room

Lucky Little Learners LLC. (Brandon and Angie Olson)- $500 donation to Weight Room

“A big thank you to all of those individuals and organizations and companies that donated to Hornet Pride,” said Board Chair Nathan Matejka.

Staffing

The board approved the following:

Resignation of a High School English Teacher and High School Yearbook Advisor Kaitlyn Hoekstra, effective at the end of the 2026 school year. 

Resignation of JH Football Coach Todd Larson, effective immediately.

Hiring a Long-Term Substitute Paraeducator April Luukkonen.

Hiring a FTE Custodian Jennifer Chisholm.

Hiring a JH Softball Coach Kim Brill.

Increase Paraeducator’s Kelly Gabriel hours from 5 hours per M,T,H,F to 7.25 hours per M-F, due to increased student needs and assuring our students are getting their service time as set forth by their IEP plans. Effective upon approval.