I want to take this moment to express my appreciation for the efforts of Mankato School Board member Kari Pratt and Supt. Paul Peterson in advocating for cell phone bans. While I hold reservations, the advantages of such bans outweigh the drawbacks.

Students often face disturbances and show reduced engagement with teachers and peers when they can access their cell phones. While acknowledging my concerns, I’ve also encountered instances where students record lessons, capturing problematic curriculum. This highlights the challenge of relying on a system that needs more transparency, which is, unfortunately, the case with our district.

Nevertheless, it’s important to note that most educators are dedicated, and we must actively involve ourselves with students, pose detailed inquiries, and accumulate information through diligent record-keeping.

I also found the perspective shared by The Free Press in “Our View” enlightening, particularly concerning our troubling attendance rates. The statistics reveal that Washington and Rosa Parks elementary schools and our high schools and middle schools have more than 40% of students missing over 10% of school days. Considering that Minnesota’s minimum school year length is 165 days, this translates to over 16 days of absence for 40% of students.

Lastly, our district is pursuing a combined tax referendum of $120 million. As we consider the needs of our schools, we must act as conscientious caretakers of our community’s tax funds. The recent upsurge in taxes stemming from property value increases and decisions made at the city, county and school district levels has resulted in a substantial property tax increase of more than 26%. This information comes from an insightful perspective by a Free Press December “Our View.”

Early voting will commence on Sept. 22.

Elizabeth Hanke