Articles written by Ted Lammi
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Carlton votes for four-day school week
Carlton students will have classes only four days a week next year, provided the district's proposal is approved by the state. Nearly 30 members of the public were present Monday for the last of...
Carlton schools explore four-day week
Carlton superintendent Donita Stepan created a stir last week, when she announced April 3 to school district staff that a plan was being drafted that would move Carlton schools to a four-day school... Full story
Financial picture holds steady in Esko schools
Esko superintendent Aaron Fischer told the school board Monday that he was cautiously optimistic the district would not have to face any retrenchment as a proposed budget for 2025 is being...
District sees rare increase in students
Carlton school board members got some healthy news this week: enrollment numbers in the district are on the rise, and the American Indian Parent Advisor Committee gave the school district a passing grade, both things that haven’t happened in r...
Partnership fuels driving program
Senior Isaac Hill sat in the auto shop building at Cloquet High School Friday morning, parking an 18-wheeler over and over again, a different scenario popping up on the video screen in front of him... Full story
Carlton board 'slightly discouraged' by tone
The Carlton school board met Monday in a working session devoted mostly toward preparing for the next night’s consolidation committee meeting with Wrenshall. Carlton was still smarting from a set of emails exchanged primarily between the board c...
Carlton school board cuts staff, band program for next year
Superintendent Donita Stepan asked the Carlton school board to downsize staff by more than four full-time positions, including three teachers, during Tuesday’s school board meeting. Included in the cuts were one full-time position at South Terrace E...
Carlton mulls the finances of consolidation
Public finance advisers Ehlers told the Carlton school board on Monday that a consolidation with Wrenshall would be close to revenue-neutral with only a slight decrease in state aid for the new combined school district. Aaron Bushberger, Ehlers’ m...
District audit reveals mixed results
The Carlton school board received the results of the annual audit on Monday night and learned that this year’s deficit is lower than expected. Janel Bitzan of the accounting firm BerganKDV outlined the results via remote video presentation. “The ame...
Carlton School Board gets organized; poll access questioned
Carlton school board filled its leadership positions at its organizational meeting Monday. Julianne Emerson was re-elected to her position as chair. This will be her fourth consecutive year in the role. To date, she has served on the board 11 years...
Carlton looks to hire elementary principal
Carlton schools superintendent Donita Stepan plans to relinquish her role as elementary principal at South Terrace Elementary and focus solely on her superintendent duties. Stepan wears two hats now, part of an arrangement conceived earlier this...
Boards lean toward consolidation
A new dawn for Carlton and Wrenshall schools appears closer than ever before, after Carlton school board members on Monday talked about moving ahead with consolidation. Carlton board members softened their position on a one-site-only plan Monday,...
Teachers negotiate a two-year pay raise
Carlton teachers will receive a pay increase of 4.25 percent for the 2023-24 school year and an additional 2 percent for the 2024-25 school year, according to a new contract approved by the Carlton school board at its meeting Monday, Nov. 20. Other...
Cloquet grads make waves in gaming world
Stormhaven Studios, maker of the "Embers Adrift" online video game, is operated by three members of the Cloquet High School Class of 2005: John Gust, Seth Anderson and Wade Larson. "North of the... Full story
Board members to visit 3 buildings
At their respective meetings Monday, the Carlton and Wrenshall school boards converged on a date to tour each district’s facilities. The boards will walk through three school properties beginning a... Full story
Carlton accepts Wrenshall invite to tour buildings
At the committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday, Carlton school board members again took up the issue of consolidation with Wrenshall. Consensus formed around having superintendent Donita Stepan contact Wrenshall and arrange for both boards to tour...
Costs for new fitness center creep up
Esko Schools superintendent Aaron Fischer told school board members Monday the construction of the new fitness center was progressing, but with unexpected costs. Previous work when the school was...
New Indian education coordinator appointed
The Carlton school board officially and unanimously appointed Graciana Studier as Indian Education coordinator Monday, replacing Kevin Kot, who was dismissed in June. Superintendent Donita Stepan was excited about Studier’s performance so far. ...
Board agrees to take on lacrosse programs
Esko school board members voted Monday to add both boys and girls lacrosse to its slate of available sports starting in spring of 2024, following the same vote by the partnering Cloquet school board in August. The girls lacrosse team will be a... Full story
Board sticks to one-site demand with Wrenshall
After considerable debate and public input, the Carlton School Board resolved to begin talks with Wrenshall about consolidation, with the condition a new district would have only one location — at the South Terrace Elementary School site in C...
Carlton School Board lukewarm to Wrenshall appeal
The Carlton school board discussed a new letter from the Wrenshall school board regarding a merger between the districts during Monday’s committee of the whole meeting. Consolidation ideas have been on again, off again for decades, with this being t...
Carlton School Board member needed ASAP
The Carlton School District needs to find a replacement for Tim Hagenah, who resigned in June, to serve until formal elections can be held in November. Anyone chosen would hold the seat until the winner of November’s special election takes over. S... Full story
Carlton hires former Wrenshall business manager
The Carlton school district hired Angela Lind to fill the open business manager position, after the previous business manager, Norm Nelis, took a job at the Hermantown school district. Lind formerly worked just up the road at Wrenshall, but was laid...
Esko breaks ground on new fitness center
Work should begin on the Esko fitness center next week. The project is behind schedule by more than a fortnight, school board members heard Monday night. The permitting process was the first snag to overcome, according to John Erickson and Ian...
Carlton district fires Indian education coordinator
In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the Carlton school board ratified a letter from superintendent John Engstrom the ended with the firing of American Indian Education coordinator Kevin Kot, who had been with the district for close to three years....
