ByTheresa Bourke
Today at 5:45 AM
Schools cannot be everything, but Brainerd’s new superintendent has a plan to help improve the safety and well-being of students and staff
During an emergency crisis response meeting Wednesday, July 22, Superintendent Chip Rankin and Forestview Middle School Principal Sheila Eller outlined procedures for the rest of the summer and the coming school year to address community concerns after
two middle school students took their own lives
this summer
The meeting started with a moment of silence for the students —
Ava Starr and Alexis Thornton
— followed by a prayer led by Pastor Erika Nilsen
The conference room at Forestview was filled with principals from all schools, administrators at the district level, middle school counselors and assistant principals, church representatives, other school staffers and community partners from organizations like Northern Pines, Lions Club International
Rankin, who took over as superintendent on July 1, thanked everyone for coming together
“I think it’s really important to say that we probably will never know fully why,” he said. “Suicide is very complex, and no one holds the whole story. But I think what’s important right now is we’re not going to place blame. Right now, this room is full of compassion. We’re checking in on each other and listening and making sure the people around us know that you’re loved and you’re supported.”
Forestview was open last week with counselors and other staff for those in the community who needed it, and there will be additional days next week as well. Rankin said a message will be going out to families this week with a list of reor text 24/7 at 988, along with the Northern Pines crisis line at 218-828-HELP (4357)
Confidential support is also available for district staff, who Eller reminded people are also grieving these losses. Support, she said, needs to be ongoing for families, for staff, for the community as a whole and for students — especially those who were friends of the girls who died
Committed to doing better
The problem facing Brainerd, Rankin said, is not unique to Brainerd. Especially in the age of technology and social media, kids are all interconnected, he said, seeing things that are happening all over the world. That being said, Rankin committed himself to seeing what the district can do better
The first step is conducting an internal review of the last school year. Rankin said he contacted a firm to do an independent review of the district’s processes, procedures and policies over the last year to determine any gaps and what can be done better
His next plan of action includes hiring two new staff members. Forestview currently has three counselors for 1,500 kids. Rankin wants to hire a social worker to help lessen the burden at the middle school, along with a safety and compliance coordinator for the district. The latter position would be dedicated to leading safety, security, emergency preparedness and prevention efforts, working with building leadership on best practices and keeping students safety and well-being central to district decisions. That well-being include bullying and cyberbullying prevention.
While the district continues to operate in a budget deficit, Rankin said he plans to ask the School Board to dip into reserve funds for these positions
“There’s a reason there’s a crisis,” he said. “We are not funded to provide mental health.”
Additionally, cuts proposed to special education funding at the state level this year, Rankin said, are forcing school districts to make difficult choices when it comes to staffing
“We have to make decisions — do we want a math teacher, or do we want a mental health person?” he said, adding the community needs to come alongside the district if these changes are to be sustainable
The School Board is expected to put an operating levy on the election ballot in November, requesting voter-approved funds for operational costs
Technology is another area Rankin said needs to be addressed, with cyberbullying creating a whole new form of bullying that was not around decades ago, and one that can be subtle, under the table and hard to police
“I can see a zero cellphone policy coming forward,” he said. “… Most of us — I’m 51 — somehow survived school without a device.”
He also plans to work on a policy that would not allow any school-issued devices going home with students without principal approval
“I’m not here to restrict what we’re going to do, but I think we need to rethink because a lot of people think (devices) are doing great stuff, but they also have to understand how much it costs,” Rankin said
Cyberbullying is a crime, he reminded the public. Rankin said he’s meeting with local law enforcement agencies and wants people to know if they don’t want to be part of a healthy culture, they’ll be held accountable
“As adults, we need to think about how we engage,” he said. “We’re not always going to agree, but it seems to be what’s going on in our culture is we go right to the jugular, and we say things that we know are going to get to people.”
From a Forestview standpoint, Eller — who just took over this year as Forestview principal — plans to work with her team to reach out to every Forestview family before the school year begins with a check-in on them and welcome them to a new year. It’s a practice Eller said she did previously as a middle school principal in the Twin Cities
“The powerful thing about it is learning about the child before they come,” she said. “What are their interests? How do they best learn? What are their hobbies? What are some things that you would like us to know prior to them coming to school to make them feel connected to the school in a very positive way day one?”
While this is a practice Rankin wished could be implemented across the district, he said the time and ret Forestview alone, the initiative will cost about $32,000
“I know there’s a cost,” Eller said, “but I think it’s valuable that we make these connections with our families. I want them to know this is an amazing school with an incredible staff.”
Additionally, Eller said she will start a group for students new to Forestview to meet with and check in on those students
Call to the public
The measures Rankin laid out Wednesday are not, he said, an exhaustive list of everything the district plans to do in the coming months and years. He added a call to the public, asking those in the community who might be retired professionals with expertise in certain fields to come volunteer in the schools and work alongside staff
“Moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas — I need your help because I’ve got two (assistant principals) for 1,500 kids. We have 1.5 million square feet of property. We’ll never be able to hire enough people,” Rankin said, adding it takes a whole community to raise healthy children
One of his focal points Wednesday was a community approach to addressing the issues at hand, as he said the school is a reissue that arises in a community.“That’d be like relying on the district nurse to take care of my child’s medical needs,” he said, emphasizing his support for his staff, who have been the subject of many public comments that he said are below the line
Moving forward
Eller plans to organize a listening session in August for Forestview families as a way to bring the school community together and share re
A couple staff members at Wednesday’s meeting spoke of the need for a reor who to call when they have specific concerns or questions
Rankin ended the meeting by again stating his commitment to the students and staff of Brainerd Public Schools
“There is one thing I’m committed to, and that’s the safety and well-being of every student and staff member. And there is no No. 2,” he said. “My principals will deal with student achievement; I’ll focus on being sure every kid and staff member that comes here is safe and well taken care of.”
By
Theresa Bourke
Theresa Bourke started working at the Dispatch in July 2018, covering Brainerd city government and area education, including Brainerd Public Schools and Central Lakes College. She can be reached at theresa.bourke@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5860.
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