District 518 School Board has decided that students from Worthington St. Mary’s School and Worthington Christian School who participate in District 518 activities will pay the same fees as children in District 518, but their schools will not be charged additional operating costs. Meanwhile, students from Round Lake Brewster who want to participate in District 518 activities are required to pay not only an entry fee but an operating fee that varies depending on the activity. In some cases, these costs are charged to the student’s family.
Over the past decade, St. Mary’s and WCS students have been allowed to participate in extracurricular activities at Worthington Middle School, and St. Mary’s has recently opened a school for grade 7 students, with plans to possibly add a grade 8 class in the future. Approximately 95% of WCS and St. Mary’s students attend Worthington High School after graduating from private schools, which Superintendent John Landgard points to as evidence of their involvement.
School Commissioner Matt Widboom, who enrolls children in both WCS and WHS, believes that allowing private school students to participate could also help increase participation in WMS activities and build positive relationships with private school students, thereby making them more likely to continue their education at WHS.
During the discussion, the school board raised concerns that children from Worthington Christian backgrounds may get twice as much time playing, which is a significant advantage over children in public schools. This issue may be revisited later.
The board approved an employee’s pregnancy sick leave application and a leave of absence for Eric Parrish as Director of Musicals and Fall Theater for the 2023-34 school year. Additionally, the student council donated to the Worthington High School Health Room, AAA Scholarship HE WAMBO, Nickel & Associates in Trojan Video Record Exhibit, and donations to the Trojan Legacy Wall are accepted.
The board also discussed a slightly different school calendar for the VIBE school for the 2023-2024 school year, which features more parent-teacher contact and enhanced staff development. It starts on August 7th, and students’ first school day is on September 5th, with 173 teacher days and 186 contract days.
Lastly, the Board accepted a $298,000 bid from DRC for the West Learning Center demolition, which is $100,000 cheaper than the original bid. Kari Ruthin is currently the Community Editor for The Globe of Worthington, having written for Minnesota and North Dakota newspapers since 2006.