Park Rapids faces cuts in school activities

PARK RAPIDS (AP) School officials in Park Rapids said theyll be forced to eliminate all extra activities if voters reject a school referendum for the fifth straight year.

That means no sports, fine arts, National Honor Society and other after-school activities. Park Rapids would be the first district in the state to take such a drastic step.

This is not a bluff or to scare anyone. This is reality. For three years, Ive been saying at some point in time, we would run out of options and now weve run out of options, said Superintendent Glenn Chiodo.

While the cuts would save about $300,000, another estimated $400,000 to $450,000 would still need to be trimmed from the 2007-08 budget. Chiodo said the district would also have to cut six to eight teachers, which would mean larger class sizes.

Voters in November will be asked to approve a $600 per pupil unit levy thats expected to generate an estimated $900,000 next year, and could be levied for four more years.

This referendum comes down to what do we want the school to look like, Chiodo told the Park Rapids School Board this week. We have gotten publicity that Im not sure we really want.

Fifty-six school districts will try to get operating levies for this fall, according to the Minnesota School Boards Association. Among the 56, two are asking voters for more than $1,500 per pupil unit. Among districts seeking less, proposals start at $138 per pupil unit.