January 22, 2025 | Stories and News from St. Louis Park Public Schools

St. Louis Park Public Schools is pleased to share the 2025-26 Calendar-At-A- Glance. This year, the district brought together a Calendar Committee to carefully review key dates, recognitions, and holidays. The committee included district staff, principals, teachers, community members, and multiple representatives from racial and faith-based communities.

As part of their discussions, the committee considered state requirements, including:

• The earliest possible start date for the school year
• The required number of instructional days and hours for students
• Recognized state and federal holidays
• Prominent Jewish and Muslim religious holidays and celebrations
• Professional development and planning time for staff

On Saturday, January 18, St. Louis Park Middle School hosted its inaugural SAPPHIRE Middle School Quiz Bowl Tournament (Students At Park Performing High Intel Recall Exercises), sanctioned by the National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT).

This exciting event brought together 24 teams from 10 middle schools to compete in a fast-paced game of knowledge and strategy.

Quiz Bowl challenges students to answer questions across a wide range of topics – history, literature, science, fine arts, current events and more. Using a buzzer system, players showcase their confidence and rapid recall on “tossup” questions, earning opportunities for their team to tackle more complex “bonus” questions collaboratively.

Two of our own St. Louis Park teams advanced to the playoff rounds and made us very proud!

January 20-26 is Paraprofessional Week, as proclaimed by Governor Tim Walz, and St. Louis Park Public Schools proudly recognizes the incredible contributions of our paraprofessionals.

Thank you for your dedication, care, and unwavering support for our students and staff. You are essential to creating a brilliant learning environment!

We are committed to providing a rigorous and equitable education for every student. As we navigate a projected $2 million budget reduction for FY26, we aim to ensure transparency and keep our community informed about the challenges and opportunities ahead.

The January 14, 2025 School Board Study Session included a presentation from the Director of Business Services Patricia Magnuson on SLP's current financial standing. There was an issue with audio recording in the presentation. However, you can access a recording of her presentation.

For more information on SLP's budget and finances, please visit our website.

You are invited to attend the St. Louis Park School Board Listening Session on February 10 from 5-7 p.m. During this session, members of the School Board will be engaging in discussion about the district technology and cell phone policy.

Up to three school board members will attend to listen to stakeholders. It is not an official meeting and no official action will be taken. Please be aware that the school board members will end the listening session 30 minutes after the posted start time if there are no stakeholders in attendance.

We are moving forward with our strategic planning and we warmly invite you to share your feedback by taking the strategic plan survey. We ask that you provide your thoughts on the mission and vision of St. Louis Park Public Schools. 

Your input is a crucial part of the process, and we want to ensure that every family's voice is heard.

Community and families are also invited to participate in the upcoming in-person community engagement session on Monday, January 27 from 5-7 p.m. at the District Office (6300 Walker Street). This is a place where you can verbally share your thoughts on the district's mission and vision.

Can't make the in-person session? Attend virtual office hours (link on our website) and ask questions about the strategic plan on:

• Tuesday, February, 4: 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, February, 12: 11:30 – 12:30 p.m.

On January 7, 2025, St. Louis Park Public Schools was informed by PowerSchool, the district's staff and student information system, of a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to certain information within the PowerSchool system.

Staff and student logins to PowerSchool were not compromised, and we have been reassured that the incident has been contained. PowerSchool has stated that there is no evidence of malware or ongoing unauthorized activity. Furthermore, they believe the compromised data has been deleted and will not be made public or further disseminated.

Learn more about the incident and access past communication.

Discover what's in store for your 6th grader! Join us on January 30 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. for our virtual 6th Grade Information Night. Meet the principal, interact with teachers, and explore the 6th-grade curriculum. 

Don't miss this chance to get a comprehensive overview of the upcoming academic year.

Find out more at ms.slpschools.org/incoming-6th-grade-families. We look forward to seeing you!

• Park and Learn Video Series:
• Preparing Early Learners for a Lifelong Journey with Educator Travis Newell
• Crafting Personal Identity and Purpose Through Keystone Design
• Byte by Byte, Building Brilliant K-2 Minds
• Mehgan Setten Ignites a Love for Science
• Progress Reports Revamped: A Comprehensive View of Student Development
• Get to know Superintendent Dr. Carlondrea Hines
• St. Louis Park Public Schools: Been, Being, Becoming