As I reflect on what has happened in the Kenyon-Wanamingo School District since consolidation took place in the early 90s, I could not help but think that the current roof problem at the Wanamingo site is symptomatic of a greater concern. No longer meeting the expectations that we once hoped for, KW has now become a metaphor for what is not working. For one reason or another, it has lost its standing in the educational community. Something is amiss.
According to the literature, there are reasons for not remodeling and, thus, abandoning a facility is worth consideration. While this may vary from one school district to the next, in the case of the Wanamingo site, permit me to list the following reasons for making a change. They are as follows:
• The existing roof has been ruled unsafe for insurance purposes. This is at least the third time we have had to pay for problems with this roof.
• The cost for replacing the roof will be $1,200,000. Moreover, there will be additional considerations (See Kenyon Leader) if we are going to make this site safe for our students.
• The building under consideration is no longer needed under the current circumstances. There is room for a PreK-12 program at the Kenyon site.
• The cost to operate a single site is more cost efficient than a two site model. This is the primary reason that Hayfield, Medford, Rushford-Peterson, and Triton went to a single site. It is called an Economy of Scale and it saved the Triton School District $750,000 in the first two years of its operation.
In looking back 30 years, one of the greatest oversights the KW voters made took place in the fall of 1995. With an opportunity to create a single site near Bombay, the respective communities were given a chance to vote on a building that would not only house their enrollment of 1089 students, but the plan was to accommodate at least 1300 students with room for growth. Sadly, that is where it all ended.
Once the votes were counted, 54% of Kenyon voters said yes and 84% of Wanamingo voters said no. As a longtime educator from Wanamingo said after the votes had been counted, “The only thing in common between Kenyon and Wanamingo is Highway 60.” You see, Wanamingo's first choice was Zumbrota-Mazeppa. How do I know? Because I was the middle school principal at ZM when they came looking for our help. Now, and for the sake of our students, we need to put an end to any division that may still exist between the two communities. We need to get it right this time.
Ladies and gentlemen, as we look to the future of our school district, we need to start with a given: our current student body enrollment is the lowest in the area (656); our student achievement scores are oftentimes below standard, and our school taxes never seem to stop increasing. Based on discussions with parents from KW, I know of “honor” graduates who were not ready for higher education. As a matter of fact, it was not long ago that only 17.5% of our students were deemed to be college ready. Incidentally, the drop in student enrollment and the low achievement scores are not something new. At a time of increased challenges for our students, we “must” get better at what we are doing.
In closing, I would like to suggest that a single site model is long overdue. In addition to the Economy of Scale savings, I believe we have the opportunity to become a “draw” for families that would find it easier to bring their children to one location. If done under the right kind of commitment/leadership, I would expect numbers to increase and student achievement to improve across the board. It's time!
*Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are not necessarily those of The Messenger.
