The money is significant, HLWW Superintendent Riley Hoheisel
told the Lester Prairie School Board last Monday.
He referred to the five to six million dollars that should
be available in the form of a state grant to build a new high school, if
the HLWW and Lester Prairie School Districts decided to consolidate.
The full school boards from both districts met to ask questions
and explore the possibilities available to students and taxpayers, if the
two districts should consider consolidation.
Together, they could provide a new high school with some
extra features, like a swimming pool and/or a fine arts performing center.
Lester Prairie Superintendent James Redfield asked Hoheisel
what HLWW would be planning to do program-wise.
Hoheisel stated his concerns that smaller districts, HLWW
included, may not be able to deliver all the competitive programs students
need to succeed in life.
Hoheisel said, “We are squeezing nickels all the time,
and it is not going to be easy to balance budgets (in the future).”
HLWW architect Bob Abendroth interjected, “HLWW didn’t
look at a new building just because of the growth (of the area).”
Abendroth said the district does need a good anchor facility.
It isn’t just about shiny new buildings; it is about good
teaching, he said.
HLWW Board Chair Jim Raymond said that both schools have
excellent programs that complement each other.
It would be good for the students at HLWW to have access
to a program like the Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) program in Lester Prairie,
said Raymond.
In the same vein, HLWW has excellent music, drama, and
agriculture programs. Both districts have college level classes for students.
HLWW is almost running at capacity, and that always hurts
programs, said Abendroth.
Hoheisel said all the 7-12 grades are experiencing growth.
Redfield restated his first question about school programs
and what was being planned by HLWW.
Long Range Facilities Task Force member Jack Littfin told
Redfield, “We always wanted to make sure it was kept in mind that Lester
Prairie should be involved with the planning process, (if the district is
interested in consolidation).”
“We are saving everyone money (by consolidating),
“said Littfin.
Abendroth said that when districts merge, the new district
needs to have programs from both schools.
“Now is the time to come over and express your opinions,”
he said.
Abendroth told the group that it is his opinion that staffs
from both districts are usually aprehensive, but it has been his experience
that they end up happier than before.
Redfield told the HLWW School Board that Lester Prairie
has a planner investigating his district’s needs, and she is about halfway
through the work.
He felt his district should have that information before
making any kind of a decision.
The meeting ended with the promise of another meeting that
would include HLWW principals.
The principals would provide more in-depth information
to Lester Prairie about programs available to students at HLWW.
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