Random

Very random! Bits and pieces gleaned from area newspapers over the last week.

From the Eden Valley Voice...
The EV-Watkins school district has a current registered 2019-2020 enrollment figure of 954 students in grades K-12. When the "weighting" is factored in for high school students (worth 1.2 times as much as an elementary student for state aid), the EV-W district has 1,048 pupil units. This represents the highest ever total for pupil units on the books at EV-W schools.

Currently in their "middle" grades, EV-W has class sizes in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

In other related school news, EV-W is implementing what they call "Flexible Learning days" to be utilized on snow days. Last year, EV-W was closed on six separate school days due to winter weather. They are labeling this new initiative "flexible learning" instead of E-Learning to "accommodate the needs of students who don't have access to Internet or technology at home," said in a statement by EV-W superintendent Mark Messman.

A 2017 Minnesota statute allows school districts to count up to five flexible learning days as regular instructional time.

EV-W officials are still deciding what grades their flexible learning plans should apply to, with respect to its youngest students. EV-W currently has students in grades two and older use Google Classroom, Study Island, IXL and Big Blue Button for educational accounts that can be utilized for communication with teachers.

Also, the Eagles Boosters donated $5,000 to the school district to be used for a sports broadcast system. I'm unaware if they currently live Internet stream their home sporting events. At B-B-E, we've live streamed multiple home sporting events and other school events (i.e. - Homecoming coronation) for the last four years.

From the Appleton Press...
In a front-page feature article in their July 24 issue, information was shared from a Lac qui Parle Valley school board special meeting in which they learned information, opinions and ideas about the Ag2School tax credit currently in effect for school building projects in Minnesota. LQPV is in the process of considering a Fall 2019 building bond referendum. (I'm surprised to read they're still figuring out what level of funds to ask for...it is very, very late in the game.)

It was a lengthy article, but I took away one important point: a recent community survey at LQPV showed support for a building bond referendum hovering around $24 to $25 million. This funding would be earmarked mostly towards improvements and renovations at the district's two elementary schools located in Madison (Madison-Marrietta-Nassau students) and Appleton (Appleton-Milan students). The article suggested the ages of these buildings is 60 to 70 years old.

The idea floated by a private citizen at this meeting is to seek out a $67 million bond to build two, brand-new elementary school buildings on the site of their current buildings. The citizen's reasoning behind this included in-depth research on new tax rates the district would bear when the full 70 percent tax credit is in effect via the Ag2School program (year 2022).

Due to grants and other state funding, the LQPV school district has paid very little in property tax funds towards its high school facility, located north of Madison in Hantho Township. The LPQV high school opened in 1991.

Noteworthy: the Appleton Press July 24 issue had just eight pages. In comparison, our Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper published with 14 pages (and had I had more time earlier last week, I would have printed 16 pages!).

From the Albany Enterprise...
In a July 24 issue column by Albany A.D. Scott Buntje, it was revealed that the Albany school athletic program has added the services of an athletic trainer through NovaCare. This trainer will provide "event coverage" which I am guessing is similar to what B-B-E has had the last two years through Heartland Orthopedics.

Albany just raised their activity fees for grades 7-8 from $70 to $80 per activity and for grades 9-12 from $75 to $95 per activity.

Noteworthy: the Albany Enterprise July 24 issue had just 10 pages in it. This newspaper covers the cities of Albany, Avon and Holdingford among other nearby small towns plus the school districts of Holdingford and Albany Area. They regularly publish 10 to 12 pages a week. I don't remember the last time they published more than 12 pages, but I know it's been awhile.

It should also be pointed out that the circulation figures for the Albany Enterprise are smaller than the Bonanza Valley Voice (as of December 2018).

In the neighboring Melrose Beacon, I didn't see anything noteworthy to share from their July 24 issue other than noticing they published just eight pages. They cover multiple communities including, but not limited to: Freeport, Melrose, St. Rosa, Spring Hill, Meire Grove and Greenwald. I'd estimate that 75 percent of their 2019 issues so far have been eight pages, with the rest having 10 pages.

Fun fact: the last eight-page issue published by the Bonanza Valley Voice was in November of 2016. We've printed 10 or more pages ever since. It is costly to be dedicated to printing 10 or more pages each week. With no doubt, it cuts into the bottom line.

I was impressed by this last week's July 23 issue of the Madison Western Guard newspaper. They printed 14 pages.