More yard signs: Elections and schools in Sartell and Sauk Rapids

So it's the season for yard signs.  As a newcomer to this country, I'm perennially perplexed at the democratic process here.  Surely, I ask myself, judges are not elected? (Yes.)  But the sources of funding should be the same for all school districts?  (No.)  Being one of those nosy foreigners, I have to at least try and find out what's going on here, particularly where it affects my kids directly, ECFE and schools.  Follow me.

Sauk Rapids-Rice are voting on the levy for schools again

Nothing is certain in life but death and taxes, Danes say.  Well, apparently people in Sauk Rapids are not so sure about that levy for schools.  They turned it down last year but the school district can't wait around for the money it's owed by the State of Minnesota (apparently the kids can't just stop going to school while we wait).  So it is putting it back on the ballot this year.

The Sauk Rapids-Rice school have made an estimate of how the referendum will affect your household and your elementary student, depending on whether the levy is passed or not. The school district has cut back during the last five years and now they claim there will be further cuts and higher fees for sports if the levy isn't passed. 

School funding is incredibly complicated: Some funding is federal, some (in Minnesota, most) comes from various state programs and some from local property taxes.  The local tax allocation, the levy or referenda revenue, must be put to a public vote and that's when the people of Sauk Rapids turn out to be different from most other school districts. 

Read more about the Levy for Learning at the school district's website.

Sartell-St. Stephen and Sauk Rapids-Rice districts both have new candidates for school board

But who?  If you weren't one of the dozen people present at a debate (Sartell-St Stephen have more scheduled for October) or happen to know one of the candidates, you may be as confused about their names as I am. 

In Sauk Rapids-Rice, four seats for four-year terms are up for election and the candidates are:
Tracey Fiereck, Mark Hauck, Jon Hull, Tracy Morse and Jan Solarz.  Hauck, Morse and Solarz are incumbents while Fiereck and Hull are running for the first time.

To my knowledge, all candidates support the levy.

In Sartell-St Stephens, 10 candidates are running for the board’s four seats. Eight candidates are running for three, four-year terms. They are Krista Laurich Durrwachter, Chris Gross, Pam Raden, Jason Nies, Molly Vogt, Keith Yapp, Dan Goetz and Christopher Condon. Two candidates are running for one, two-year term. They are Michelle Meyer and Gary Schnellert.

Most currently, the School Board voted to keep contested superintendent Hill with a 4-2 vote:  Board members Chris Gross, Gary Schnellert (both up for election), Dan Riordan, and Greg Asfeld voted to extend the contract, with board members Mary McCabe and Lesa Kramer voting against the approval.

Do you know more about the candidates?  Please tell us in the comments!

Mom, what does the president do?

Do you try to get the kids to bed before a presidential debate and can you not explain on the spot why you want to skip story time for two guys arguing on TV?

Would you not mind playing a kids game to be reminded what exactly the president does for a living?

PBS Kids' online Democracy Project has games, fun facts, interactive exploration of the role of of government and more - and your humble webmaster has tested some of the more fun features.  The educational content is intended for third to seven-graders, but in my opinion activities like Meet the Candidates and My Government is a fun and easy way of introducing pre-schoolers to names and terms that are swirling around their heads these days anyway.

Guided by the presidential time manager and White House staffers you go through a grueling day in the life of a president.

Select an issue and candidate (or put 'em both on there) to create a sticker that expresses your ideas of what's important.

Clicking through an interactive map you can find facts and talk about how government plays a role in the everyday lives of kids.