Issue 3, Tuesday, October 27, 2026

School board agenda: 5,106 students and five crowded grades

Monday's school board agenda, the 911 center's new number, library numbers, and Halloween week.

If your kid is in first grade at Lincoln or McKinley, or fifth grade at McKinley, their class is bigger than the school board wants. That is from the enrollment report on Monday night's board agenda. Minutes are not posted yet, so this is what the agenda and reports say.

The district counted 5,106 students as of Oct 19: 1,838 in the four elementary schools (McKinley 494, Washington 473, Lincoln 466, Wilson 405), 1,076 at the middle school, 1,412 at the high school, 72 at the Area Learning Center, 470 in Owatonna Online and 238 in preschool and early childhood special education. The online count includes 161 tuition students. The report gives no last-year comparison.

Elementary classes average 23.27 students, but five grade averages run 3 or more above the board's targets: kindergarten at Washington (22, target 19), first grade at Lincoln (23.3) and McKinley (24), target 20, third grade at Lincoln (26.7, target 23) and fifth grade at McKinley (31, target 28).

The board was scheduled to vote on 10 policy updates, most catching up with 2026 state law: a "grooming" prohibition in the employee-student relationships policy, a reasonable accommodation process for people with disabilities, a "nudification" statute in the device use policy, diplomas for veterans and an updated cardiac emergency plan. Two resolutions would let the high school apply for Minnesota State High School League Foundation grants, one to offset activity fees for students who qualify for educational benefits, one for AEDs, concussion training and transportation.

In brief

$5.1 million out the door. The September payment report on the consent agenda totals $5,079,933.82, including $2.03 million in payroll liabilities. The biggest payments were wires to the US Treasury, $468,097 and $429,651; the biggest paper checks were two $174,000 payments to Owatonna Bus Co. The personnel report lists nine hires, mostly long-term substitutes and paraprofessionals, and eight resignations.

Harder budget ahead. Superintendent Tammy Champa's report says that once the audit wraps up, staff will spend "considerable time" on budget adjustments for 2027-28, citing legislative changes to compensatory funding, summer unemployment costs and rising diesel prices. The board canvasses election results Nov 9 at 5:30 pm at the district office.

911 center's number changes Nov 4. The county says its non-emergency phone number changes when the 911 Center moves on Nov 4. The posting does not give the new number yet, so watch for it.

$7,100 for traffic overtime. On Oct 6 the council made Patrol Captain Tracy DuChene the signer on a state Toward Zero Deaths grant that pays overtime for enforcement on impaired, speeding, unbelted and distracted driving through Sept 30, 2027. Chief Josh Sorensen said staffing limits how much overtime they can fill.

HRA reviews its audit. The Housing and Redevelopment Authority's Oct 26 agenda had a review of the 2025 audit plus administrative and annual plan votes. The monthly report shows 45 households on Bridges vouchers, 10 on the AMHI housing subsidy and 17 of 30 Bring It Home vouchers in use, averaging $689.94 a month.

Library, by the numbers. Owatonna Public Library checked out 16,132 items in September, about even with 16,268 a year earlier, while visits fell to 10,453 from 11,407. Interlibrary loans jumped to 2,121 from 1,639 and eAudiobook checkouts rose to 1,636 from 1,296. Summer program attendance was up 17.3 percent.

Airport roof, rates and leases. The Airport Commission's Oct 15 agenda had a terminal roof update. Staff said in September the state offered a roof grant, budgeted at $200,000 with 70 percent state money, but probably not for 2026. New hangar, fuel and lease rates are aimed at January 2027.

Around town

Bixby Road roundabout is open. The county lists the CSAH 48 and 18th Street roundabout as complete and open to traffic; the last piece is the east leg across the restored railroad crossing. On CSAH 43, pavement is down from US 14 to Kenyon Road, with striping the week of Nov 3.

New chamber members. The chamber's Business Brief welcomes Mad Dog Dumpsters LLC (1770 State Ave), Health Track Physical Therapy (328 N Cedar Ave), Black Bear Dispensary (209 W Bridge St), Ziegler CAT, the Steele County DFL, Syverson Pressure Washing of Rochester and Sanco Enterprises of Albert Lea.

Coming up

Tue Oct 27, 4:30 to 6:30 pm: County flu shot clinic, Trinity Lutheran Church, 609 Lincoln Ave. Not a drive-thru; sign up in advance on the county website. Tue Oct 27, 5 to 6:30 pm: Red Ribbon Week kickoff, Owatonna High School. Free snacks, poster contest winners. Tue Oct 27, 5:30 to 7 pm: Business After Hours, Community Bank, 640 West Bridge St. Early voting runs until 7 pm tonight, Room 40, county Administration Center. Wed Oct 28: Woof or Treat at Lake Chase Park and Trunk or Treat at Trinity Lutheran Church. Both have city permits; times were not posted. Fri Oct 30, 8:30 am: Coffee and Conversation with Superintendent Champa, District Office, 333 E School St. Also end of first quarter. Sat Oct 31, 7 am to noon: Last farmers market of the season, Central Park. 11 am to 1 pm: Downtown Trick or Treat, same park. Mon Nov 2, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm: Chamber candidate forum, county commissioner Districts 1 and 2, Owatonna Country Club, 1991 Lemond Road. Free without lunch; lunch is $16. No school that day. Tue Nov 3, 7 am to 8 pm: Election Day at the city's 10 polling sites. Find yours at pollfinder.sos.mn.gov.

One more thing

The school board's gift resolution Monday night was scheduled to accept $2,936.88 from Music Boosters of Owatonna for elementary music xylophone carts, $250 from KOWZ-KRUE-KFOW for the Homecoming parade, $250 from the Boys Soccer Boosters for the Hudl subscription, cheer uniforms paid for by the Owatonna Cheer Association, school supplies from St. Paul Lutheran Church, and $100 from an anonymous donor for classroom snacks at Lincoln Elementary.

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