The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Editorials

December 10, 2005

Our View — More shool days would benefit students

editorial board

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To the Minnesota Association of School Administrators for pushing the issue of increasing the number of days students spend in class.

The association says that to remain competitive, U.S. schools have to catch up to other countries that require more days in school. American students for the most part attend school for about 170-175 days. Students in Japan, China, Australia and England spend more than 200 days in school.

The length of the school year is obviously outdated, designed to benefit a rural economy that depended on kids to help out on the farm. And as Mankato Area Public Schools Supt. Ed Waltman says, the number of subjects schools teach today has evolved as well.

But the calendar adjustment would be a major change and schools would have to have financial backing from the state to do it. Teachers and staff would be putting in more hours, buildings would need air conditioning and buses would run on additional days. And those are just the obvious added expenses.



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To AMPI for deciding to rebuild its butter processing and packaging plant in New Ulm rather than relocating or closing it. The company celebrated the plant’s reopening this week with a ceremony and pancake feed, with, of course, all the butter you wanted.

The decision to rebuild was not a given. Company officials debated whether to rebuild or close the plant — the only butter processing and packaging plant the company has. City incentives, state loans and getting JOBZ status, which comes with a variety of tax incentives, were instrumental in the company’s decision to stay in New Ulm.

But even with the government’s financial help, it was a major investment by AMPI. Rebuilding and other improvements cost an estimated $20 million. About 135 employees work at the plant.

As a result of AMPI’s decision and quick action to rebuild, New Ulm retains a major employer, which benefits the city as well as the region.



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To the Mankato Department of Public Safety for deciding to hold a public meeting regarding the release of a level three predatory offender into the community.

The department is not required to hold such a meeting. The public, however, deserves to know that such an offender will be living here. Level three offenders are identified as those most likely to reoffend.

Although Dwane David Peterson was convicted for kidnapping and never for any sexual crimes, he has attempted to contact boys while he was imprisoned, authorities said. A North Mankato man at the public meeting said Peterson had contacted his son several times, visiting the house once claiming to be a member of the Big Brother program.

The meeting isn’t a means to send everyone in a panic. If anything, it should help educate the community about protecting children and teaching them how to deal with various situations. There are other predators in the community who have not been classified as level three offenders.



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To Gov. Tim Pawlenty and CenterPoint Energy for a plan announced Friday to provide free window insulation kits to low to moderate income people in Minnesota.

CenterPoint also will provide free boiler tuneups for K-12 schools throughout its service area.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce estimates the initiative will save an estimated 30,000 Minnesotans an average of $140 or as much as 20 percent on their heating bills this winter.

The boiler tuneups can typically cost up to $800.

The window insulation kits will go to those Minnesotans who received energy assistance payments last year. The kits are produced by 3M, which ramped up production to meet the needs of the program.

The public-private partnership is part of the governor’s Energy Security Package and it’s an easy, fairly cost effective way for Minnesotans to save energy.

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