City councils at Cook, Orr and Tower have approved identical resolutions opposing School District 2142’s consolidation plan for the Cook, Orr and Tower-Soudan schools and asked that its implementation be delayed at least one year until a more acceptable plan for their communities can be devised.
Councils passed the resolution at special meetings on Monday at Tower and Orr, and at Cook during its regular meeting the previous week.
The resolution is in response to the district’s plan which would close existing schools in Cook and Orr and locate those students in a new facility to be built 4.7 miles north of Cook along Hwy. 53. Under the plan, Tower would retain an elementary school.
A $78.8 million bond issue to fund construction and remodeling of schools was narrowly approved by district voters on Dec. 8 with voters in the south half of the district voting overwhelmingly in favor of the plan while a majority in the north half rejected the proposal. Opposition was nearly 9-to-1 in Tower-Soudan, while voters in Cook and Orr voted roughly 2-to-1 against the plan. A majority of voters in Babbitt-Embarrass, which retains its school, supported the bond issue.
Critics of the plan say that closing schools in their communities will hurt their businesses, increase the tax burden on their citizens and result in the destruction of school buildings still suitable for use. The district contends that the reorganization will reduce overall costs for the district by cutting staff and operating expenses, and provide students with more class choices and a better education.
The Tower City Council voted unanimously, with little discussion, in support of the resolution at a brief special meeting on Monday.
Councilors in Orr, meanwhile, voted 4-1 in favor of the measure with Bruce Black casting the lone dissenting vote. In an inteview following the meeting, Mayor Dale Long said the closure of the school in Orr could harm the city’s economy and called the school an important part of the community.
Cook Mayor Dick Edblom made a similar appeal when he introduced the resolution at Thursday’s council meeting in that city
“If we don’t do something, we’re going to lose our schools,” said Edblom. “It’s going to be a disaster.”
Edblom’s motion was supported by Councilors Karen Hollanitsch and Jody Bixby.
Councilor Dan Manick said although some portions of the district were strongly opposed to the plan, it had been approved by voters and communities should respect the outcome.
Meanwhile, school board members Andy Larson, who represents the Tower-Soudan attendance area, and Zelda Bruns, who represents the Orr attendance area, have also voiced concerns about the plan. Bruns requested that the board consider other options in the north half of the district, but a majority of the board was cool to her proposal.
Although board members said they are willing to discuss community members’ concerns, they will not support a wholesale revision of the plan. They are proceeding with design work and the purchase of property for new schools. Construction and remodeling is scheduled to begin as soon as possible next spring.
Orr City Councilor Bruce Black is a teacher at the Orr School and a member of the radical teacher's union Education Minnesota. Mrs. Storm, Cook City Councilor is married to Jerry Storm, retired teacher at the Orr School and also a member of the radical teacher's union Education Minnesota. Education Minnesota is, by it's association, a member of ACORN. You can go to Education Minnesota's website and find the American Federation of Teachers is part of Education Minnesota. Then you can go to Blue-Green Coalition, and find that the AFT, United Steelworkers and the Service Employees International Union are members of that group. Then go to the ACORN website and you will find they are all organized under the ACORN umbrella.
So, Cook and Orr, if you think your city councilors care about your community first, or the ACORN movement first, you have your marching orders. Research the foregoing, and report back to all of us about your anti-Cook & Orr elected representatives and the organizations they belong to.
orrcountry,
Your posts have slowly migrated. They are now firmly in the realm of bizarre.
The school board is trying to move asap because if they allow the local areas to choose their own way they know they will lose. It's time we call Bakk and Dill to let them know how WE the local taxpayers feel. The local VOTERS are who they must support. Call them and let them know your concerns.
No problem on my part hoodoo1985. The city councilors Black from Orr and Storm from Cook should have correctly recused themselves from voting on these resolutions since they clearly have a conflict of interest. In fact, the Orr and Cook school attendance areas both voted against the Bond referendum, so it appears these two councilors voted their own personal interests rather than those of their constituents.
There is something to be said about ethics and morality, and just because we are small communities is no reason to call their conflicts of interest.
Follow the trail. Education Minnesota chose to join the Blue-Green Coalition which was originally set up by former USWA District 11 director David Foster with the Sierra Club, the mortal enemy of working families in northern Minnesota. He and his wife are "Greenies" from St. Paul. People can follow the association of the American Federation of Teachers, Education Minnesota, the SEIU (Services Employees International Union), the United Steelworkers union and their link to ACORN. I'll let computer savvy posters follow that connection. The Sierra Club has done nothing but to destroy life for the loggers and multiple use tourism industry in northeastern Minnesota for the past 35 years. Do you want our teachers union teaching your children if they are a part of this ACORN outfit?
This is why people increasing migrate away from orrcountry. I agree with hoodoo 1985 that orrcountry is moving into the realm of the bizarre. His "guilt by association" approach is destructive. His dredging up ACORN of all things is simply strange. By the way, orrcountry, a just-completed investigation into allegations of voter registration improprieties found not a single case where an actual voter was improperly registered by ACORN. And before you dismiss this as a partisan investigation, keep in mind that even the Bush Justice Department couldn't find anything to hang on ACORN either, despite leaving few stones unturned.
So please, spare us the bogus rightwing talking points. You must be watching too much Fox News.
Jodi: I only get NBC and CBS News. Can't afford a dish. You must be profiling me. A case of the pot calling the kettle black?
My goal is to see that our communities keep their schools open and working. I find it objectionable that people with personal agendas get in the way of that goal. But go ahead and criticize your allies. Once divided, we can only rejoice in our tax bills that no longer provide schools in our individual communities. Have a Happy and prosperous New Year at the Timberjay.
Orrcountry,
If everytime one of those city councilors voting choose to abstain with a minor conflict of interest there would be no one to cast the votes. Let's see if you had kids /grandkids/ neices /nephews, neighbor kids in either the Cook or Orr schools. Conflict of interest. We elected these individuals to vote to the best of their ability. Remember in both Cook and Orr 25% voted yes. They had merit as well. City councellors are working for their towns to the BEST
of their ability. They make choices and decisions based on those abilities. The councils both passed the resolutions. It's now in the hands of the legislatures. Thank you cities for trying to fix this
I remember a time when outcomes of elections meant something in this country. Apparently the idea of voting in our society has an ever decreasing value due to the fact that people will attempt to change the results if they do not like the outcome of an election.
Skigaga,
Maybe if the election had been done fairly with no irregularities then the vote would be accepted. The truth is the amount of illegal activities make this vote worthless. A yes vote made by cheating and lies is a null vote. Let truth prevail. Or are you afraid of truth?
It is rather ironic that a vocal leader of a group that won't face the truth of dire education budgets, declining enrollment, schools that are falling behind and a lose in an election is asking me if I am afraid of the truth.
In regards to Illegal election activities....please enlighten us with specifics based on facts.
As far as the state legislature intervening to nullify the election. I am sure they will be more than willing to step in and over turn an election result because a group is unhappy with results. That would set an excellent precedent for future elections in Minnesota.
I would enlighten you skigaga but that would mean that you actually were willing to open your mind to ideas and facts. Let's just say irregularities happened on election day. It will all come to light soon. Until then let your mind work overtime on what those irregularities were.
Election day was December 8, 2009. That was 5 1/2 weeks ago. If there were irregularities on election day, they should have been brought to light before this. Until these "irregularities" come to light, they are simply speculation shrouded in secrecy. Worthless speculation.
So, no irregularities have come to the surface yet, and it is now just over 6 weeks since the election. I am open to ideas and facts. Please enlighten me - with ideas and FACTS. Just spouting off about unfounded irregularities has nothing to do with FACTS.