Superintendent Keith Dixon reflected on the busy year the Duluth school district endured in 2008 and warned of the hard financial challenges that wait in 2009 during his annual State of the Schools address tonight.
In the past year, the district has seen work begin on its long-range facilities plan. Construction on two elementary schools, Lakewood and Stowe, wrapped up this summer, and design phases are under way for many of the other projects. The district also fought a lengthy campaign that ultimately resulted in passage of an operating levy to fund school programs.
With his address landing on the same day as the inauguration of President Barack Obama, Dixon said in dealing with the district's challenges he has tried to emulate some of the leadership skills of people such as Obama and Martin Luther King Jr.
"It's about trying to do the right things for the right reasons in the right way," he said. "Even though communities may not always agree ... that is the way we are working."
He pointed out that the long-range plan has created hundreds of jobs in the construction industry for people in Duluth, and students have already begun to capitalize on the technology enhancements made at Lakewood and Stowe.
ADVERTISEMENT
Community criticism of the plan also dominated much of 2008 for the district and shows no signs of stopping in 2009. Several people from the community stood up at Tuesday's meetings to speak against pieces of it and asked the district to consider changing course.
"Barack Obama won his election by promising change and promising more power to the people," said Brenda Anderson, a spokeswoman for Let Duluth Vote. "That is what we are looking for ... change in our own little corner of the world ... change with this plan."
Dixon also touched on the academic achievements of students in his address and pointed out that 10 schools ranked in the top 25 percent for their performance on statewide reading tests last year and seven for statewide math tests. Despite those successes, he said an achievement gap still exists in the district.
"This is a good district. ... I am not suggesting tonight that we have arrived but certainly this is a good school district trying to get better," Dixon said.
That goal will be challenging as the district continues to fight budget deficits. The Duluth School Board faces the task of digging out of a $4.5 million deficit this year and talk is already under way about the tough choices that could involve, including consolidating schools earlier than expected in the long-range facilities plan, moving to a four-day school week and cutting back on the middle school day.
"Those kinds of options ... are simply considerations on a long list, but the choice is to start looking at those kinds of options or increase class size, which is already very large," Dixon said. "This is a tough one and it has been for years and years ... and there is no light at the end of the tunnel."
Despite some of those harsh realities, Dixon said good things are happening in the district and more will come.
"We have made significant progress in this school district," he said. "I am really proud of where we are headed."
