Column by Joe Nathan

What to do! Last week state officials announced that Minnesota faces another major budget problem next year. Here’s how schools and educators can respond to the situation.

1. Share facilities with other appropriate organizations. This provides students and families access to better facilities, and can help schools pay the cost of heat, light and security.

* Perham, Minnesota Secondary School shares space with a fantastic physical fitness facility to which local citizens pay a modest membership fee to join. Because it was created by the school district, city and local businesses, far more was created and is being done than if any of them did this by themselves.

Photo: Perham Public Schools.
Youngsters and families of all ages enjoy the various physical fitness facilities at Perham's Area Community Center. Pictured here the wading and swimming pools.

* A St. Paul charter public school shares space with a city recreation facility. They did not have to pay to build a gymnasium because it was already there. But almost no one used the building during the day because young people are in school. The charter school, which President Bill Clinton visited and praised, uses the facility during the day.

* Colleges and universities in several states (including New York and Arizona) have high schools on their campuses. This allows the sharing of facilities and faculty (see below for more examples of that).

* Some Minnesota school districts share space with Head Start programs.

For examples from all over the country, check the shared facilities section at www.edfacilities.org

2. Look for new ways to generate revenue. This can be delicate, because local businesses justifiably do not want non-profits competing again them. However

• After no local businesses responded to a post-office request for people who would maintain their vehicles, a southern Minnesota high school received the contract and had its students do the work. Students and the school shared the revenue.

• A St. Paul charter public school has created an excellent recording studio, which students are allowed to use if they complete assignments, have good attendance and are well behaved. The school has received contracts from various businesses and government agencies for student created songs/public service announcements on topics like use of seat belt or the importance of continuing education after high school.

• Rothsay, a northwestern Minnesota public high school operates the only hardware store in town to help local citizens and provide excellent learning opportunities for its students.

3. Share staff with other organizations

• For some years, the Blue Earth Public Schools shared a technology coordinator with several small local businesses. None of the businesses could afford an individual who worked with them on computers and other emerging technology. But by working together, they were able to afford an excellent person (who also was able to write some grants, which brought additional money into the community).

• Some small Minnesota districts are sharing superintendents.

• Many districts and some charters cooperate to share expertise of people in fields such as special education or curriculum. This sometimes can be expanded.

The budget crisis is difficult. But it also can also lead to creative cooperation and even more effective public schools.