Henderson, MN Forums Education/Sports Le Sueur-Henderson Schools Option 3 and Neighborhood Schools Update

It's so sad to me that Henderson's "passion" for this issue is mistaken as anger....anger might come, if those in authority don't start listening and emphatizing. Henderson is proud to be part of the LSH school district but we have lost a high school and we all know what that was like and what it means to your town. A very vital part of our now again thriving town of Henderson is the part that "we offer a really fine and complete K-5 Elementary School." Empathy is needed here before decisions get made that will forever affect us all....Henderson lost a high school and we know what that loss does to your community..."what it did to all of us"...so we dearly feel and see the need to hang onto our wonderful Hilltop Elementary School...as it is! ( Plus we are all able to remember building Henderson Hilltop Elementary and we all remember with pride how we felt...is was going to be a grand place for our youth to spend their elementary years learning, sharing and growing together.) It (Henderson Hilltop)is a part of us.....Le Sueur hasn't ever lost a high school....we did....yes, I guess we had to...we couldn't keep it going but....I just want it to be known that our school district truly offers it all...right now as it is....a high school (that come fall of 2008 will be extra grand), a private elementary school (St. Anne's), a Charter School (MNCS) that offers more than we even realize and a full elementary school in each of our 2 towns for our young folks....I hope we'll decide to stay this way and continue to grow! Guess there is just a lot of TIGER pride deep inside yet!

Very well said Eileen. I couldn't agree with you more. I hope that the board members remember that it is us who vote them in and they can possibly be voted out come next election time. After all they run on a platform of what is best for the communities & its citizens not just what a few people think may be right. I don't believe that there is anger around I feel that it is heartfelt PASSION on what we feel is the best for "our" kids.

Don't forget the work session tonight at Park School. I hope there's a good turnout.

Yes please try to make it to the work session this eving at 5:30 p.m. - the school board meeting is following the work session at 7 p.m. and they will begin discussing the upcoming budget - which may or may not include creating another combo class at Hilltop for budget reasons -

I'm wondering how the meetings Monday night went? Where are things at relative to reconfiguration and the effort to keep the schools localized?

I thought the session was productive; the board discussed the process/charge for the task force studying the multiage concept.

[quote=Todd Redmann] Although I can sympathize with parents of a Kindergartener or 1st grader that may have a longer bus ride to a school that is not the nearest to his or her home,

I don't mean to be a jerk, but that is one of the reasons why it is not a good idea. No one with kids will buy a lot or house next to Hilltop (much less in Henderson) because of that if it goes through. With that said, the district will be losing potential students because of that reason. To me, the option 3 is a short term solution, with no thought to the long term effect.

I can agree on one thing that the esteemed Mayor has written here...this thing does just keep getting more and more bizarre!

Now we have the suggestion that this was all part of some "underhanded" Machiavellian plot...years in the planning...all aimed at closing Hilltop. This is a public forum, I understand that. People are free to say what they want, that's cool. What disappoints me is when I FAIL to see more "rational" voices stepping forward to challenge the viewpoints of a vocal few on the fringe.

(kudos to Eileen Brandt on her level-headed post...I repect her viewpoint and am far more likely to be convinced by such arguments)

However, the "they're out to close Hilltop" rant rings so hollow after one hears it so frequently...and always from the mouths of the same few people. Someone should have the courage to tell the "chicken littles" that the sky isn't falling everytime an acorn hits them on the head!

--Todd

It isn't just small communities that are facing this issue. How about Minneapolis which is closing 6 elementary schools, 5 of which are on the north side.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/04/13/schoolclose/?rsssource=1

The Hopkins school district, which I work in, is closing an elementary school.
The reality is that there is still an elementary school in Henderson and the door is not completely closed on the issue.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING THE WAS POSTED ON APRIL 16TH AND GIVE FEEDBACK IF POSSIBLE - I HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY INTEREST OR FEEDBACK TO BE A PART OF THE TASK FORCE TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION FOR HILLTOP ELEMENTARY REMAINING k-5

Good afternoon -

After several work sessions, and board meetings, the Le-Sueur Henderson School Board voted to approve the creation of another task force to research/discuss & ultimately recommend a solution to keeping Hilltop Elementary a preK-5 Elementary School.

They have created a charge statement for this group, and have asked the HMT and PMT members to "find" the member's in each community - 6 from Henderson and 6 from LeSueur. At the HMT meeting, it was suggested that it be the parent volunteers of HMT that find the community members from Henderson to be on this task force.

The School Board is requesting that the group begin meeting in May 2007 and have a report of their findings back to the board by October 2007. With this having been said, I am asking if there are any community members that have the time, the passion and the ability to serve on such a task force. The commitment would be approximately 9 meetings between now and October 2007.

PLEASE CONTACT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER TO BE A PART OF THIS TASK FORCE - MONICA MEYER JAVENS (507-248-3791 OR 952-221-0209); CHERI YOUNGREN (507-248-3794) OR ROSANN TESCH (NOT SURE OF HER NUMBER) - OR YOU COULD CONTACT HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT 507-248-3701.


Thank you - Monica