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.