By Keighla Schmidt, Staff Writer

The possibility of a performing arts magnet school in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District may have walked away, literally.

At Thursday night’s (Nov. 20) meeting, Vice Chairman Ron Hill and Board Member Nancy Banyard both left the table when a motion they didn’t agree with was presented. With them, they took a quorum.

Board members Dan Luth and Todd Johnson were both absent from the meeting. Then, with Hill and Banyard gone, just three Board members remained: Chairwoman Vicki Roy, and Board members Sue Martin and Gail Morrison.

The drama happened after Martin made a motion to bring back the topic for a vote on Dec. 11 to create a performing arts magnet school housed in two places – core classes at Burnsville High School (BHS) and arts classes in the Burnsville Performing Arts Center in the Heart of the City area.

Following some banter, Hill and Banyard left the room. So, with Martin’s motion unapproved, the next step is unclear.

“There are no next steps … The (integration) staff has no direction at this point to do anything,” Superintendent Randy Clegg said after the meeting. “Until the board agenda committee gets direction from the board, no action can be taken.”

The next Board meeting is scheduled for Dec. 11. Hill, Roy and Martin serve on the agenda committee and determine what items come before the Board.

When asked if she would like to see the topic appear on the next agenda, Roy said she thinks the Board still has a lot of thinking and talking to do.

What happened?

The departure of Hill and Banyard from the discussion came about after a continued discussion on the development of the performing arts magnet.

Board members have been at odds as to where core academic courses will be housed -- either BHS or an outside facility. Board members agree that arts classes would be housed at the Performing Arts Center, which is set to open in January.

There are two different camps in regards to how to create the magnet school. Hill and Banyard have said they would like to create a standalone school. In past meetings, Luth said he would not support the arts magnet program unless it was a standalone school.

Johnson has been absent from meetings since September while undergoing treatment for cancer. And Luth was absent at this week’s meeting due to a death in the family.

Roy, Morrison and Martin have said they are eager to start the school next year and feel the best option is to house the core courses in the high school.

“I don’t feel as though that would be fiscally responsible choice,” Morrison said of leasing additional space before demand was established for the art magnet school. “I still feel the original plan is the most responsible choice.”

Hill and Banyard both expressed interest in exploring a brand-new option; leasing space on the first level of Grande Market Place, just down Nicollet Avenue from the Performing Arts Center.

District 191 Business Manager Mark Stotts said no negotiations have taken place with Sherman Associates, the building owners to lease space. But there is 8,000 additional square feet available, which is big enough for nine classrooms.

That space has always been vacant, but the city and Sherman Associates have been holding out for a restaurant, Stotts said. However, given the uncertain state of the economy, the owners are now willing to offer the space to other types of establishments, including the school district.

“Yes, these are trying economic times, but sometimes they present great opportunities – this may be one of those,” he said.

“I think it’s fate that Grande Market Place opened,” Banyard said.

Hill agreed. “There’s a great deal of financial risk in not launching a product properly. It can ultimately lead to its failure,” he said. “No one on this Board is fiscally irresponsible … Build it right and they will come.”

The lease fees, Banyard noted, could be partially funded by the additional revenue potential open-enrollment students would bring to the district.

Roy countered the space has never been occupied since Grande Market Place was built; and would likely still be available next year for consideration, when the demand and additional revenue was more certain.

The Board and administrators also discussed creating space at Diamondhead Educational Center to house the core academic classes. That would cost approximately $846,700 to start; as opposed to sending students to BHS.

Integration efforts, including possible magnet schools, were mandated by the state in an effort to balance racial demographics between District 191 and the Lakeville School District.

Keighla Schmidt can be reached at kschmidt@swpub.com