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Student rep and community speakers raise class-size, resource and library staffing concerns
Summary
At the Oct. 20 Bemidji ISD 31 board meeting a student representative and others urged the district to consider student perspectives on class sizes, resources and library staffing; the board and superintendent discussed class-size counts and the district's efforts to balance sections.
A student representative and several community participants told the Bemidji ISD 31 school board on Oct. 20 that reduced funding is affecting classroom time, instructional materials and extracurricular access.
The student representative reported crowding and scheduling problems: short passing times between classes make bathroom trips and filling water bottles difficult; scheduling conflicts prevented some seniors from taking both calculus and AP government; and instrument cases supplied three years ago were deteriorating. "It would be great to have a permanent spot for them in the music department and maybe a couple cases for kids to take them home and practice," the student said.
In a separate Lisonbee session recap, speakers highlighted concerns about library staffing and hours. The district currently has a single library teacher who serves six buildings at the elementary level, participants said; reduced hours limit library support for AE (alternative education) students and reduce access to printers and computers. Session comments also noted growing PSEO enrollment directly with Bemidji State University and suggested the district examine enrollment and revenue strategies.
Superintendent Olsen presented a class-size report tied to board policy 430-1. Olsen said 10 classes were one student over the board target and six classes were two students over the board target, a result he attributed to reductions made last spring. "This is the result of that. However, we've worked really hard to try to balance the classes to try to eliminate the number of classes and sections above board target," Olsen said.
Board members and presenters urged that student perspectives be considered during next year's budgeting and staffing decisions. One speaker also urged review of Title IX compliance and the district's policies concerning student participation in athletics for transgender youth, a topic raised earlier in public comment.
The board accepted the student and community input and noted events and outreach opportunities upcoming in the district calendar.
