April 13, 2022 | Volume 2 • Issue 31
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School Board Approves Questions for August Referendum |
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School Board Members unanimously approved two ballot questions for the bond referendum and capital project levy at the April 12, School Board Meeting. Question one asks voters to renew and expand by $500,000 the Capital Project Levy for Technology and Question two seeks approval for a $136 million bond referendum. If both questions are approved, the owner of a St. Louis Park home valued at $331,800 (the median home value) would pay an additional $18.92 monthly or $227 annually in taxes.
The capital project levy for technology funds the operational needs of technology districtwide - staff, devices, infrastructure maintenance, etc. Absent this levy, these costs would come from the general fund. The current capital project levy for technology was renewed in 2013 for 10 years and will continue through the fall of 2022 levy. District Administration is recommending a renewal at ten years with an increase in tax rates that would approximate a $500,000 increase in the levy to cover growing costs and needs related to student and staff technology.
The $136 million bond referendum will focus on items that enhance the daily lived experience of students, stabilize costs and conserve energy, maintain core operations, and improve safety and security. The bond referendum includes projects that received voter approval in 2017, and were unable to be completed due to pandemic related construction cost increases, supply chain shortages, and regulatory requirements that added millions of dollars to project costs. These projects were important in 2017 and they remain vital to our student experience.
CLICK HERE to view a detailed presentation about the bond referendum projects and the capital project levy for technology.
COMING SOON will be detailed information about the referendum projects, an interactive tax calculator, and opportunities for stakeholders to engage in conversation about the referendum.
Early voting for the referendum begins June 24 and the special election will take place during the August 9 primary election.
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New Board Members Davis and Mancini are Sworn In |
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New school board members Sarah Davis (pictured left) and Virginia Mancini (pictured right) were sworn in and officially seated on the board at the April 12 Study Session.
Davis and Mancini will serve until a special election is held in November 2022 to determine who will serve the remainder of the terms vacated by former board members Laura McClendon and Mary Tomback. The seat formerly held by McClendon has a term that expires December 31, 2023. The seat formerly held by Tomback has a term that expires December 31, 2025. The candidate filing period for the November 2022 special election will be communicated at a later date.
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District Office Staff Members Relocate to District Buildings |
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The District will vacate the current leased space at 6311 Wayzata Blvd. - that has served as the District Office for the past three years - by June 30, 2022. Staff will move in two phases, with Human Resources, Business Services, and the Enrollment Center moving this weekend. Employees in these departments will move to open office space at buildings around the District.
Other administrative departments including Assessment, Research & Evaluation, Communications, Curriculum & Instruction, Facilities & Safety, Multicultural Liaisons, Student Services, and the Superintendent's Office will remain at the 6311 Wayzata Blvd. location until June.
Please note that there will no longer be a receptionist seated at the main door of the 6311 Wayzata Blvd. building. If you have a meeting with a staff member at the building, you will need to make a phone call to be let in the building.
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Middle School Principal Search and Timeline |
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Prior to spring break, Middle School Principal Les Bork announced his plans to retire at the end of the school year after serving in the District for 37 years. Below is a timeline of events/actions connected to the Middle School Principal selection process.
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April 5-15 - Interested stakeholders sign up to participate in the selection process.
- April 11-15 - Stakeholders will have opportunities to provide input. Specifically, stakeholders will have an opportunity to share the attributes they are looking for in the next Middle School Principal.
- May 2 - First round interviews with stakeholder groups will take place virtually via Google Meet.
- May 9 - Second round interviews will take place either virtually or in-person.
- May 16-18 - Final round interview with Superintendent. Final selection decisions will consider information collected throughout the full selection process and be made by the Superintendent.
- May 24 - Superintendent will make an employment recommendation to the Board at the May 24 School Board meeting.
Stakeholder Input Opportunities
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Parent/Guardian and Community Process Overview & Input Session | Wednesday, April 13, 2022 | 6:30-7:15 p.m. | Zoom
- Student Input Sessions | Students will be able to provide input during lunch (11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.) on Monday, April 11, Tuesday, April 12, and Friday, April 15.
Stakeholder Input Forms
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High School Theatre Department to Present Mutually Assured Destruction April 29-May 1
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The St. Louis Park High School Theatre Department will present Mutually Assured Destruction: 10 Plays about Brothers and Sisters, April 29-May 1 in the High School Auditorium. Spanning ten decades, Don Zolidis’ Mutually Assured Destruction highlights the tensions and touchstones of sibling relationships. Each vignette features brothers and sisters tackling the issues of their era (and at times, each other) as family conflicts build to a humorous breaking point.
Performances of Mutually Assured Destruction are Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, May 1 at 2:00 p.m. All performances will be held in the High School auditorium, located along the West 33rd Street entrance. Tickets are free with an SLPHS student ID, $5 for all other students and senior citizens, and $7 for adults. Click here to purchase advance tickets online at purchase at the box office 30 minutes prior to the performance. Though not required, patrons are strongly encourage to wear masks while in the building.
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Echo Receives Prestigious Pacemaker Award
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Echo, the student-led newspaper and online news site at St. Louis Park High School, was recently one of 20 student news organizations awarded with an Online Pacemaker Award by the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA).
The NSPA Pacemaker, one of the oldest awards for scholastic journalism, has a rich tradition. The association started presenting the prestigious award to high school newspapers soon after the organization was founded in 1921. To select the Pacemaker finalists, judges carefully studied approximately 140 sites submitted from 31 states and three countries. The 20 winners were then selected from a group of 47 finalists.
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Enrollment News for 2022-23 School Year! |
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