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ROSEAU, MINN.: District Proposes Closure of Malung School Site

Posted on: Saturday, 20 May 2006, 09:01 CDT

By Paulette Tobin, Grand Forks Herald, N.D.

May 20--The Roseau (Minn.) School District will hold a public hearing June 15 about closing its Malung School site, a move district officials say could help cut a half million dollars from next year's budget.

Roseau has experienced declining enrollment for 10 years, from a high of 1,557 K-12 students in 1996 to 1,370 students today, Superintendent Larry Guggisberg said. State aid is tied to numbers of students.

"As a result, when your enrollment declines, your revenue declines," he said Friday in an interview. "So the Roseau school has to look at its future financial position."

The Malung School, about 7 miles southeast of Roseau, has 73 students in grades 4 to 6. It is one of four district school sites, including Roseau Elementary, grades K-6, with 581 students; Roseau High School, grades 7 to 12, with 649 students, and the Wannaska School, grades K-8, with 67 students, located about 12 miles south of Roseau.

The Roseau School Board voted 4-2 Thursday night to cut about $296,000 from next year's budget, and to set a public hearing on closing the Malung School, a move Guggisberg said would save an additional $230,000.

Board members voting yes were Melvin Ellefson, Stu McFarlane, Larry Vatnsdal and Patricia Westman. Vonda Danielson and Sandi Weiland voted no.

Closing the school would keep the district from having to lay off teachers, Guggisberg said. Student-teacher ratios would be affected. Currently, Roseau has five fourth grade sections with a maximum of 21 students, four sections of fifth grade topping out at 25 students and five sections of sixth grade with a maximum of 23 students per class.

If Malung closed, fourth-grade classes would max out at 23 students, and fifth- and sixth-grade at 25, the superintendent said.

Minnesota state law requires a public hearing before a school is closed. The public hearing on the Malung School will be at 6 p.m. June 15 at the Roseau school.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Grand Forks Herald, N.D.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, N.D.)

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