Bemidji School Board Discusses Reductions to Programs and Positions at Area Schools

The Bemidji Area School Board met on April 20th to discuss potential reductions and additions in the district’s programs and positions. This resulted in the board ultimately voting not to renew 22 positions across the district.

These positions were chosen for a number of factors, such as budgetary restrictions and class sizes. However, the biggest concern when making these decisions was license qualifications. State mandates indicate teaching licensing levels in four tiers, with tier one licenses only being valid for one academic year.

“We cannot renew a Tier 1 license for a teacher at that level until we have posted the position for 60 days in an attempt to find somebody who holds a Tier 3 or 4 license, and we cannot apply for those until after July 1st,” explained Bemidji Area Schools Director of Human Resources Jordan Hickman.

The meeting also found a need to add onto physical education programs within Bemidji High School as well as the addition of a possible French language course.