ELY- Like many other school districts on the Iron Range, ISD 696 has been faced with the triple budget whammy of increasing expenses, the loss of federal COVID-19 funding, and declining enrollment. To address its financial situation, the Ely school board trimmed $450,004 from its 2025-26 budget at its Monday evening meeting.
Over the last two months, the district held meetings with faculty and staff and created opportunities for feedback on possible budget cuts recommended by the district’s finance and budget committee. The agenda packet for Monday’s school board meeting included six pages of written feedback from district employees on how and where to cut expenses.
Budget cut options were presented to the school board at its March 24 study session. The proposed reductions were covered in detail in the March 28 edition of the Timberjay.
The reductions approved on Monday include:
• Consolidating two Kindergarten classes into one for 24 incoming students and adding a teacher’s aide.
• Reducing the third and fourth grades to one teacher apiece with a floating teacher between the two grades but no aide. This is a reduction of one teacher position.
• Keeping a 0.4 FTE sixth grade position for language arts and math but with no aide.
• Reducing the music department from 1.8 to 1.6 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions, Spanish instruction from 1.0 to 0.6 FTE positions, and the English department from 2.8 to 2.0 FTE positions, the combined equivalent of 1.4 teaching positions.
• Eliminating the community education position, a part-time contract day custodian, and science teaching overload.
• Cutting two bus routes and combining the rest.
After the meeting, Superintendent Anne Oelke remarked, “When we had to make cuts last year, we were able to cut items that did not touch student instruction. That wasn’t possible this year.”
The district cut non-teacher staff positions last year and reduced hours for others. This year, both staff and teacher positions were trimmed.
Knowledge Bowl
In only their second year as an activity, the Ely Memorial High School Knowledge Bowl team took fifth place in the Class A division at the Minnesota Knowledge Bowl state meet last week. A total of 48 teams participated in the event. The trip to the state meet was made possible through the support of the Ely Educational Foundation and several individuals who helped fund the team’s travel.
In other business, the school board:
• Approved March receipts of $1,059,818, March disbursements of $465,256, and the March financial report.
• Approved a professional services contract between ISD 696 and Range Mental Health Center from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.
• Approved a consulting agreement with the Costin Group of $2,000 per month from Jan. 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.
• Accepted the resignation of Peter Schamber from his 0.80 full-time-equivalent English teaching position, effective at the end of the school year.
• Accepted the resignation of paraprofessional McCartney Kaercher, effective at the end of the school year.
• Accepted the resignation of Community Education Coordinator Chris Hartman, effective June 30.
• Approved Kevin Niskala as volunteer assistant baseball coach.
• Approved a new district policy on the use of personal electronic communication devices.
• Accepted the following donations: $1,000 from the Ely Educational Foundation, $50 from Tom and Kathy McDonald, $100 from Kathleen Champa, and $100 from Tomi Cole for the Knowledge Bowl team; $500 from the Parent-Teacher Organization for the eighth grade trip; $4,000 for performing arts and $2,000 for weight room equipment, both from Kathleen Shirley; and $2,068 from the Ely Baseball Association for high school baseball uniforms.
• Heard a report from Facilities Director Tim Leeson regarding the Phase II Completion Project. “It’s done,” Leeson said, adding that the final walkthrough for the project was scheduled for Wednesday. The most recognizable feature of the project is the new windows at the high school and elementary school buildings. The project also included upgraded bathroom facilities and new doors.
• Heard from Athletic Director Tom Coombe that 160 students in grades 7 through 12 are participating in spring sports.