Next up in education:

For those of you who simply can't get enough education reporting (hello? hello?), I thought I might give a little preview of what awaits after the holiday season:

- Several area superintendents are retiring, including John Rokke in Waseca and Willis Schoeb in Maple River. Both districts have records of strong achievement; but Waseca is facing a $2 million budget adjustment and Maple River closed a school last year. A consultant has already told the Waseca School Board that this year is not a particularly good one to be looking for a superintendent.

- There is a Dec. 31 deadline to apply for contract arbitration between school districts and their teachers unions. Mankato Area Public Schools appear headed in that direction after a recent contract offering was rejected by 97 percent of teachers. For many districts, contract settlements will be a deciding factor in how deep this spring's budget cuts will go.

- Education Minnesota, the state's teacher union, has publicly stated its opposition to the federal Race to the Top Funds. A story in the Star Tribune last week stated that Ed Minnesota has complaints about the application, which places a high priority on merit-pay initiatives. Could be bad news for local districts hoping for a bit of extra cash.

Updating a special birthday wish ...

Keely Schuck, the 9-year-old girl who asked for donations to Heifer International instead of gifts on her birthday, has now raised more than $1,900. Her original goal was $500.

Since posting this video on YouTube, Keely has raised enough money to purchase at least three dairy cows for an organization devoted to sustainable solutions to world hunger. 

Along the way, she's received donations from complete strangers; was able to meet local hunger activist Tim Strommer with Kids Against Hunger; and has been lauded by people across the community.

But most importantly, she fulfilled her birthday wish of doing "something meaningful in the world."

Well done, Keely.

Sign of things to come?

The Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial School Board formally approved its new two-year teacher contract about two weeks ago. According to numbers compiled by the Minnesota School Boards Association, LCWM's two-year increase of 2.7 percent is among the lowest in the state.

But the question is whether LCWM will be a bellwether for surrounding districts.

The negotiating table is a complicated place this year. Union negotiators know that pushing too hard for raises may result in deeper staff cuts when the budget axe falls in a few months; plus, Gov. Pawlenty has already warned that schools may be the first in line when the state deals with its own $1 billion shortfall in the next session.

The Mankato Area School District is still negotiating its teacher contract. Officials have given no indication of how deep this year's cuts might go (last year's amounted to $3 million), but they have been candid in saying another round is highly likely this year. 

One thing, however, is for sure: the depth and breadth of upcoming budget cuts are likely to hinge, at least in large part, on teachers contracts.

And I'd be willing to bet there are a lot of district's hoping for contracts like LCWM's.