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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

New playground more than a dream for Elementary School

Keith Vandervort
Posted 12/14/16

ELY – Washington Elementary school students are hoping for a new playground outside their school next fall. K-5 Principal Anne Oelke has been working behind the scenes for the past several months …

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New playground more than a dream for Elementary School

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ELY – Washington Elementary school students are hoping for a new playground outside their school next fall. K-5 Principal Anne Oelke has been working behind the scenes for the past several months to make that dream a reality, and to involve the entire Ely community in the project.

Oelke updated the School Board Monday night, and reported that design and fundraising work for a new structure is well underway. “I want the kids to come to school next fall with this in place,” she said.

Washington Elementary, with a population of approximately 280 students, is in dire need of an updated play space.  The current equipment dates back to the 1960s and 1970s. There’s even a tire swing for the truly nostalgic. “Our students utilize our playground daily with recess and our physical education classes. class.  Our current playground equipment is old and could use many new updates,” she said.

Recess is a very important part of the day for students.  Research shows that recess has a positive impact not only on the development of students’ social skills, but also on achievement and learning in the classroom.  

Oelke’s plan is to utilize part of the pristine green space formed by the demolition of the former JFK building, for a modern and safe structure for the students. “Our new playground site is currently all grass with a black chain link fence around the perimeter,” she said.  The total square footage of the space is approximately 97,000 square feet.  “Our goal is to acquire new playground equipment, designate free grass space for free play and football, and create an asphalt space for basketball, four square, hopscotch, chalk drawings, etc.”

“We have been getting the children involved in designing the playground to include what they would want to see,” she said. The top ten lists, with drawings, created during brainstorming sessions will hang in the hallway for the rest of the year.

Oelke told the board she researched as many as four playground structure companies and decided to go with Landscape Structures, Inc., an employee-owned company founded in 1971 from Delano, Minn.

Various fundraising efforts are underway to reach the goal of $150,000. “Playground equipment is ridiculously expensive,” she said. “We currently have $23,700 committed from community support. “Our GoFundMe project and other fundraising ideas are projected to raise $50,000.”

Washington Elementary students are involved in a “penny war” fundraising event through next week, with a pizza and movie party planned for the winning grade. “The kids are having great fun with it,” she said.

Oelke is also planning for a “community build” day this summer to install the structure. “Our playground will be completely ADA-accessible,” she said. “We hope to partner with the city of Ely for the annual wood chip maintenance and replacement needs.”

Other fundraising activities include a fruit sale, calendar sales, garage sale, alumni appeal letters, Run Laps for the Playground event and hamburger/brat sales.

“We’re doing lots of grant-writing, too,” Oelke said, “including the U.S. Bank Places to Play program where I went for the $50,000 maximum, and Shopko, Captain America, Lake Country Power and the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board.”

“I think we’ll make it,” she said. “We’ll see, I may be coming back to the School Board, but I’ll do my best first.”

The playground project team includes teachers, business owners, parents and other community members: Kelly Noble, Laurie Milbridge, Beth Ohlhauser, Lisa Marolt, Travis Durkin, Rick Cornish, John Mayer, Tara Johnson, Cheryl Debeltz, Peter McClelland, Paul Ivancich, Megan Wognum, Ely Community Resource and the Washington Parent Teacher Organization.

Truth in taxation

School Board members held a Truth in Taxation discussion, led by Supt. Kevin Abrahamson, prior to certifying the final 2017 levy.

The total district revenue (2016-2017) is $8,204,009, including levy revenue of $1,919,453, or 23 percent of the total. “This includes all levy dollars,” Abrahamson said, “ not simply the levy that was up for the referendum (renewal), that are board approved and voter approved.”

The fiscal 2017 budget, which will be revised in February, lists revenues of $8,204,009 against expenditures of $7,721,979, with a fund balance of $482,030.

The Payable 2017 Levy is $1,656,222, and is a 13.7-percent decrease from the Payable 2016 Levy of $1,919,453, according to Abrahamson. By comparison, the Payable 2015 Levy was $1,756,481.

He said the reason for the decrease this year is a shift from levy to aid. “The state took up more aid and reduced the levy portion,” he said.

A comparison of the 30-plus schools in Region 2 shows Ely (13.7 percent) at the second from bottom of the list of levy changes. “We had the second-largest decrease in levy this year,” he said. Mountain Iron-Buhl, with the passage of the building bond, had a 250-percent increase. ISD 2142 compared to ISD 696 with a 13.18-percent decrease.

Taconite production credits are expected to decrease slightly from the Pay 16 Levy ($53,134) to the Pay 17 Levy ($50,060. “These credits are not additional revenue for the district. It replaces revenue that would have been collected from property owners,” Abrahamson said. Taconite production credits are based on local mines’ prior three years of taconite production.

There were no questions or comments from the audience or school board members.

The board unanimously certified the levy later on the agenda.

Other business

In other business, the school board took the following action:

• Accepted the 2016 audit as presented by WIPLFI manager Jennifer Smith, who reported the district is in good financial shape, “Despite the change in staff, this year’s audit couldn’t have gone any smoother,” she said;

• Received the Fall Activities Report from Athletic Director Tom Coombe, who reported 140 students participated and revenues are up due to increasing community attendance at events. “We are seeing an increase in the sale of athletic passes and people are coming out to our games,” he said;

•Approved meal reimbursement rates for district staff travel for 2017;

•Adopted U.S. General Services Administration Domestic per Diem Rates for 2017;

•Adopted resolutions certifying the general and special election;

•OK’d the 2017 Range Association of Municipalities and School dues of $1,250 for 2017;

•Approved the agreement with the Confidential Supervisory Employee Association for 2016-2017 and 2017-2018;

• Hired Zachary Imes for the part-time para-professional position;

• Approved the following volunteer coaches, Stan Skelton, Colin Moberly and Louie Gerzin for hockey, Will Helms and Larry Zelenz for skiing, and Joe Bianco for junior high boys basketball.