Decorah School Board continues to look at future building needs

All five members of the Decorah School Board have now toured North Winneshiek School, so the board got together Wednesday night to continue its discussion of long-range facilities needs in the district.

But the tour of North Winn by five school officials recently just added to the list of questions the school board wants to explore.  Superintendent Mike Haluska said those questions could include whether North Winneshiek could be used to permanently or temporarily house kindergarten through 2nd grade students if John Cline School is torn down and whether it would be better to send older students to North Winn, instead of the youngest students.

School board member Cindy Schissel described the North Winn building as "a bit of the old and a bit of the new."  Likewise, Brian Petersburg said while the "new addition is very nice," there are "a lot of small rooms."

Superintendent Haluska spoke of the growing need for space to accommodate Decorah students.  He told board members that now that North Winneshiek has announced 7th and 8th graders will attend school in Decorah in 2017, some parents have found open enrollment into the Decorah school district more attractive for their younger children.  Haluska says this school year there an now more North Winneshiek School District children being educated in Decorah than there are at North Winn School.

While School Board President Ron Fadness repeated his conclusion that "We have to do something," school board member John Hjelle cautioned that "This is the second meeting of what seems to be a protracted process."

Members of the school district's Shareholders Committee will meet February 22nd to discuss the facilities issue.