Action of the School Board Action of the School Board 05/26/15 | Page 3

• Juniors Emerson Badio, Alayna Baetke and Gabe Hill became international qualifiers
for their DECA gold chapter projects.
• Junior Samantha Danielson finished first in the HOSA state competition in extemporaneous health poster, and juniors Allison McDonald and Michelle Onyekaba finished
second in researched persuasive speaking.
• Seniors Amy Callahan, Danielle Frazee, Elise Weimholt, Hannah Davis and Lindsay
Konsor were named 2014 AP scholars.
• Bobby Yang won an Urban Leadership Award and scholarship from Act Six.
• Senior Kassie Kremer won a gold key at the 2015 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
Seniors Katelynn Sher and Kierann Elliot, and juniors Sumaya Abshir and Linnea Groscost won silver keys.
• Freshmen Camika Hurdle and Hannah Grosse placed second in the song division at the
state French speaking contest, A Vous La Parole. Freshmen Lindsey Marquez, Mikaylah
Nash and Viktorie Menna finished first place in the song division.
• Sophomore Dang Pham won first place in Minnesota for the Grand Concours National
French contest, and placed 20th in the nation.
• Junior Julie Bittner was named to the Minnesota State High School Mathematics
League All State Team.
• Heidi Hannula was named Coon Rapids High School’s Athena Award winner.
• Freshman Allison Birr was named to the 2015 Minnesota String and Orchestra Teacher’s Association Middle Level Honors Orchestra.
• Junior Amelia Hausker was named to the 2014-15 Minnesota Music Educator’s Association All State Orchestra.
• Junior Emerson Badio was named to the All State Concert Band.
• Senior Timothy Sloneker was named to the All State Symphonic Band.
• Junior T.J. Nordby and seniors Austin Holland, Isaac Stivers and Kayli McIntyre were
named to the 2015 All State Choir.
• Freshmen Haddy Bayo, Angela Twumasi, Alfreda Twumasi, and Damola AdemolaGreen, sophomores Yinglin Sun and Deangela Huddleson, and junior Courtney Cardinal earned first place awards at the Future Educator’s Leadership Conference competition.

Finance

Legislative update presented

Michelle Vargas, chief financial officer, provided an overview of the education funding bill
approved by the legislature but vetoed by the governor.
As it stands, the bill provides a 1.5 percent increase on the basic formula the first year of
the biennium, the 2015-16 school year, and 2 percent the second year, but it eliminates the
$3.2 million in compensatory aid revenue the district has been receiving for a number of
years. The basic formula is the most significant portion of state funding that school districts
receive; it provides the same amount per student to all school districts. This would result in
a $5.1 million deficit for the next school year and a $12.2 million deficit the following year.
Vargas indicated the loss of the compensatory aid pilot is significant.
Steve Kerr, director of community and governmental relations, said the speaker of the
house and the governor have identified a one-day special session but need to come to
agreement on the bill. He noted that Superintendent David Law and School Board Chair
Tom Heidemann plan to sign off on a letter to the governor outlining the district’s needs.
Heidemann asked what the deficit would be if compensatory aid pilot revenue were
included in a new bill along with a 2 percent increase each year of the biennium. Vargas
indicated the deficit would then drop to about $780,000 the first year and $7.8 million the
second year.

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ACTION

Heidemann thanked Senator Brandon Peterson for speaking out very strongly at the capitol
in favor of the compensatory aid pilot and what it means for Anoka-Hennepin students.