* Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are not necessarily those of The Messenger.
Dear KW School Board Members:
Can you imagine a new Superintendent of Schools walking into a school district where the first order of the day is to fasten her seat belt? Beginning with statutory operating debt, questionable student achievement, and tumbling student enrollment, she now finds herself worrying about a building that is in need of a new roof. And if that is not bad enough, she not only has at least two school board members who would rather fall on a sword than to do the right thing for our children, but she may now be faced with the prospect of another referendum just to sort it all out for people like you. Is there any wonder why there is no unification between the two communities?
In hindsight, there was a time when Kenyon Public Schools (my alma mater) was near the top of the list when it came to quality education. Unfortunately, after a series of substandard superintendents and ineffective school boards, we find ourselves near the bottom of the list. Why? Because I now realize that we are actually “A Tale of Two Cities.”
Today, we find ourselves in a position whereby we are debating what to do with a building that is not fit for our children or staff members. While it would be nice to turn the clock back to 1995 when we had 1089 students and were in the process of planning for a PreK-12 building at Bombay, the same factions that were at play then...are at play now. For reasons that are self-serving in nature, having a building is more important to some people than having a quality school district. Knowing what I have witnessed since we consolidated, some things never change.
As I read Mrs. Giese's article in the News Record, I was struck by three things. First, I saw someone who realizes that there is a time for change at KW Public Schools. While we might agree that a multiple site would be nice for various reasons, it has never been practical when it comes to building a budget. As a matter of fact, Wanamingo was told this very thing by the Superintendent of Schools of Zumbrota-Mazeppa 35 years ago. He was right...and I was there to hear it.
Second, she is being generous when she says it should start in the 2027-2028 school year. This is what happens when school board members get in the way of a decision that needs to take place beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. They are not only putting her in the middle of an argument that has long since run its course, but they are continuing to ignore the impact it is having on the school district. It needs to stop NOW!
And finally, one of the things that caught my attention in Mrs. Giese's article was the immediate savings it will generate in shuttle services and utilities by going to a single site in the 2024-25 school year. When one couples this $198,000 per year savings over a three-year period of time, you are talking about a $600,000 reduction in the statutory operating debt. Not only would state officials and local tax payers be happy, but the community might begin to think that you actually have their best interests at heart. Just remember, it is all about perception!
In conclusion, you need to know that it is time to put the naysayers to bed. While it is not unusual to find them in other school districts, the perception in the community is that our school district has more than its fair share of people who do not know what the word TEAM means. Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to help create a new culture under a new kind of leadership. After all, it is one of the reasons that you hired Mrs. Giese to begin with. It is time to give her a chance to get it right!
Respectfully yours,
Dr. James Russell Lehman
Kenyon, MN 55946-1405
