Schools open doors to flood-displaced students

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

April 23, 1997

By Devlyn Brooks

Staff Writer

In an effort to return some normalcy to the lives of elementary and high school students evacuated from wester Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, and now living in the Bemidji area, the Bemidji School District opened its doors this week, allowing the students the opportunity to enroll here.

Superintendent Rollie Morud said Tuesday the school district has been accepting both elementary through high school students during the early part of this week, and he expects more to be enrolling throughout the week as word spreads of the opportunity.

However, as of Tuesday, he did not have an approximate number of evacuee students that have already enrolled.

"All people do well in routines, and education is a routine kids are used to," Morud said, while he was visiting the Evangelical Covenant Church -- the first checkpoint for flood evacuees entering Bemidji.

"We're trying to keep their minds busy and also keep them productive. In addition, sometimes the parents just need some time to sort things out, and they like to have a safe place where kids will be supervised and doing something productive."

Morud said, that with the announcement of the cancellation of school for at least East Grand Forks for the rest of the year, some parents may want their children to at least stay enrolled in the Bemidji district until some normalcy returns to lives, which is perfectly fine.

"I really expect (that some kids) will be here until the end of the year, but that is a decision the parents need to make," he said. "There's a difference between the time they can go back and the time they will be able to live there again."

Gov. Arne Carlson announced Tuesday that Minnesota students displaced by floods may attend school for the remainder of the school year in another public school district, and the student's new temporary school district will receive appropriate funding and resources to accommodate the student.

"Priority No. 1 is safety, and priority No. 2 is providing as much financial and other help for victims of this disaster as possible," Carlson said. "We want to ensure that no child misses school, and no district turns any student away."

Funding for the student's new district will be pro-rated, based on the number of school days the student attends school there. Districts that have closed for the year due to flooding will receive full funding for the year, he said.

For evacuee parents interested in enrolling their children in the Bemidji district, Morud said to just bring the children to any school, and the school's staff will help the parents sort out where they need to go.

Morud said his staff has been reporting that many of the evacuee students enrolling the last two days have been in shock and are dazed, but he said he hopes the school routine, even though it is different, will help to restore some order in their lives.

"There's no question we'll take them, and do the best we can to serve," he said.

Also, the Beltrami County Emergency Operations Center announced Tuesday that the Cass Lake-Bena School District is also offering evacuee enrollment in grades K-12. Those wishing to enroll can call 335-2204 for information.

Late Tuesday, the Minnesota State High School League issued rules for students displaced because of flooding, adding that East Grand Forks High School and Sacred Heart High School in EGF will be closed for the remainder of the year.

In brief, student athletes in boys and girls golf, boys tennis and boys and girls track and field may practice with athletes at their "new" school without limitation, but they must compete as a student from their "original" school. The displaced student will be allowed to compete, but as an individual.

In girls softball and in baseball, displaced students will be eligible to participate on the "new" school's junior varsity team but will not be eligible for varsity competition, said the MSHSL.

(Staff Writer Brad Swenson contributed to this story.)