It is with dismay that we have looked on as the District 241 School Board has been distracted recently from the primary focus of the District 241 mission: Equip learners of all ages to think, to achieve and to care.

We believe that recent distractions, if continued, will have a significant negative impact on the school district and its mission and also on the business community.

As the Albert Lea business community continues to struggle with finding qualified workers, a strong school system is critical not only in preparing our future workforce, but also in our efforts to recruit new industries and employees to the community. The school system is one of the most important factors when a family considers moving to our community. Our relationship with District 241 remains strong, and we have every confidence in their efforts to develop students into productive members of our community.

Under the leadership of Dr. Ciota and others, the district has raised the graduation rate from 69.9 percent in 2009 to 75.7 percent in 2014-15. Even though the 2014-15 graduation rate is down slightly from the previous year, the nearly 6 percent increase is an extremely promising trend. This is especially true when you consider the fact that, of those who didn’t graduate in four years, over half were continuing to work toward their diploma.

We understand that the Minnesota School Board Association has specific guidelines for its members, as outlined in the document, “Role of the School Board — Conduct and Ethics.” The document states that an effective board should set an example of respectful and civil leadership and speak with one voice after reaching a decision.

We would like to encourage the School Board members to refocus their attention on these core expectations of conduct and return attention to the true mission of the district.

This letter is submitted on behalf of the board of directors of the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce.

 

Randy Kehr

executive director

Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce