The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

March 9, 2009

Decisions looming for Maple River, LSH

Schools plan meetings on tough budget issues

By Tanner Kent

MAPLETON — A decision on the fate of the Amboy school site will likely come on Tuesday.

The Maple River School District, which is facing a 2009-10 budget deficit of about $1.2 million, held a community forum last week to discuss the future of the Amboy site, which currently serves as the middle school for the west side of the district.

Today, the School Board will hold its regular meeting, followed by a work session to study potential budget reductions. On Tuesday, the Board is calling a special meeting at 5 p.m. at Maple River Central to begin finalizing the district’s reductions.

District officials have proposed two options for the Amboy school. If it remains open as a sixth-grade center only (a savings of more than $900,000), the district would still have to consider eliminating middle school athletics, moving to a four-day school week and making reductions to its kindergarten program.

If the site closed entirely, the district could spare most of the additional reductions. Either option, however, would require staff cuts.

Le Sueur-Henderson
Le Sueur-Henderson School District officials have announced two upcoming public forums, both related to its upcoming budget reductions.

The district is hosting a 6 p.m. meeting at Hilltop Elementary to present the possibility of chartering that school. According to district estimates, a charter school at Hilltop Elementary could save $180,000 over the next two years. In addition, the school may have access to state aid not otherwise available as district enrollment declines. The school’s five-member teaching staff at Hilltop has already approved the proposal.

Also, on March 16, the LSH School Board is holding a community forum during its regularly scheduled meeting to review all of its potential 2009-10 budget adjustments.

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