Park Rapids School Board mulls next move after bonding fails
Chairperson Sherry Safratowich said the low turnout and the result hurt badly. A special meeting to discuss the next move was set for Monday, April 26. 5:00 am, Apr. 22, 2021 ×
The Park Rapids School Board had a debriefing Monday about the failure of the school bond referendum on April 13.
The school board also approved a canvass of the ballots, in which 1,001 people voted in favor and 1,046 against the proposed $59.8 million bond issue to fund school facility improvements.
Board chair Sherry Safratowich said 943 of those votes were early voting or absentee ballots.
Safratowich voiced disappointment with the voter turnout, compared to approximately 8,000 eligible voters in the district and nearly 7,000 who voted in the November 2020 election.
‘Panthers First’ project tackles freshman failure rates
Park Rapids Area teachers share a research-based project that they hope will reduce the number of freshmen failing classes. 7:00 am, Apr. 9, 2021 ×
Teacher Brent Vandal explains the evidence connecting the transition from eighth to ninth grade with high school failure rates during the Park Rapids School Board s April 6 meeting. (Robin Fish/Enterprise)
A group of teachers, some of them doing graduate work, told the Park Rapids School Board on Tuesday, April 6 about their action research project, “Panthers First,” aimed at reducing failure rates among high school freshmen.
Establishing the need
Teacher Brent Vandal showed the school board a chart of the average number of failing students during the first trimester from 2018 to 2020, broken down by grade level. Ninth graders had the most failing grades, while failure rates dropped with each succeeding class.
Park Rapids School Board seeks more public input on school bond
After PRoject 309 took a hit at the November polls, the school board continues to take local feedback before deciding whether to carry on. 8:00 pm, Dec. 16, 2020 ×
Despite a setback in the Nov. 3 election, PRoject 309 – seeking taxpayer approval for a bond to improve school facilities – remains on the Park Rapids School Board’s agenda.
Educational consultant Jason Splett told the school board on Dec. 7 that his firm, ICS, is working on concept designs for the bus garage.
Also, Splett said, he and Superintendent Lance Bagstad plan to meet with city staff to discuss potential sites for the garage.