Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools approve temporary elementary boundary changes

Prior Lake American

The Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board has approved temporary boundary changes to address overcrowding ahead of the construction of a new elementary school, set to open in fall 2020.

The board voted 6-1 during a regular meeting on Monday to move 60 Redtail Ridge Elementary School students and 16 WestWood Elementary School students to Glendale Elementary for the 2018-19 school year.

Board member Melissa Enger dissented.

Both Enger and board member Mary Frantz had expressed concern at past board meetings and work sessions that open enrolled students would not be affected by the change.

The Redtail Ridge students who will be moved live in the northern portion of the school's boundary, north of South Park Drive to County Road 42. For WestWood, it would be students north of County Road 42 near Virginia Avenue in Savage.

The board is hoping to minimize the number of times a family will change schools, make each elementary school equally crowded and keep neighborhood students together in the move to Glendale.

"The more we moved away from these two areas, the less likely we could hold to that guideline from the board of 'minimize families moving twice,'" Assistant Superintendent Jeff Holmberg said during a board work session on Feb. 26.

Holmberg also said that moving open enrolled students from Redtail Ridge Elementary and WestWood Elementary would not have helped address overcrowding as no open enrolled students have been allowed at Redtail Ridge for the last three years.

"If we're looking at open enrolled students at Redtail Ridge moving, we'd be predominantly looking at students in grades three, four, five," Holmberg said. "I'm not sure it would alleviate any student seats in the primary level."

Redtail Ridge Elementary Principal Barb Yetzer emailed parents after a school board study session on Jan. 25, when the changes were suggested.

“This news has already been communicated with the Redtail Ridge families who live in the northern portion of our school boundaries and may be directly affected by the potential boundary change,” Yetzer wrote. “In the interest of clear communication, I want to be sure our larger Redtail Ridge community is also aware of this potential change.”

Savage resident Crystal Jacobson, whose child attends Glendale Elementary, said her son is excited about having new friends join him.

“I think as a community, we need to do what’s best for our children,” Jacobson said. “If that means a year of a few extra kids in the classroom, then so be it. The outcome of having a new school for these children is amazing.”

The overcrowding issue was the momentum behind a successful referendum initiative in November, which asked voters for $109.3 million to build the elementary school, construct a new building for the Bridges Area Learning Center and add on to the Prior Lake High School and six other schools.

“During the referendum information campaign, all stakeholders were notified that some boundary adjustments will be needed, even if question one is approved, to even out enrollment across schools,” District Communications Director Kristi Mussman said.

The boundary changes are one of a few ways the board is hoping to create extra space for students before the construction of the school. Other methods include constructing additional classrooms or utilizing existing spaces as classrooms.

The board also voted to maintain five pre-K classrooms in neighborhood schools for 2018-19 and to assign students in the upcoming Madelyn Pointe and D.R. Horton development to Redtail Ridge Elementary.

In other action at the March 26 regular meeting, the board:

• Approved a request to seek bids for the project at Five Hawks Elementary School. The project will include brick replacement, tuck-pointing and window replacements at the school.

• Approved the meeting dates for the board for 2018-19.

• Read for the second time and approved district policies, including student sex nondiscrimination, student parental, family and marital status nondiscrimination, student medication, palliative care and do not attempt resuscitation, student disability nondiscrimination, grievance procedure, reporting form, immunization requirements, educational and medical needs and more.

• Recognized the Prior Lake High School "Anthem Team."

• Work session

• The school board also had a work session on Monday that had been rescheduled due to snowy weather on March 5.

Business Services Executive Director Julie Cink gave a preliminary presentation on the upcoming budget.

"As you recall, we are in a great financial place with our budget," Cink said. "Our budget is in a good spot."

Cink did mention that a number of students are leaving the district — the staff is looking at why that is.

The fund balance is currently at 13 percent, but Cink said the district plans to spend the fund balance down by more than $1 million with all the construction projects in the district.

"We want to make sure we keep our fund balance between 8 and 12 percent," Cink said.

Right now, the district is working to make sure there is enough money to construct the new elementary school by 2020, open it and staff it when the time comes, Cink said.

A representative from the Morris Leatherman Company also gave a presentation on survey results for the district during the work session. The company randomly selected and called 400 residents, 40 percent of which had children in the district.

Consultant Peter Leatherman said that while most school districts experience a drop in confidence in district administration after a referendum, Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools did not experience the same.

About 78 percent of respondents said district money is spent effectively and efficiently, 92 percent said they trust the district to do what's right for the children and 94 percent said they're proud of the district and would recommend it.

About 58 percent of respondents said superintendent and administration did a good job, with 23 percent saying excellent and 15 percent saying only fair.

For the district itself, 28 percent of respondents said good teachers set the district's school apart from others, while 24 percent said better academics and 19 percent said nothing sets it apart.

About 93 percent rated the quality of education favorably, with 49 percent saying the quality is excellent, 44 percent saying it's good and 4 percent saying it's only fair.

A majority, 62 percent, said the district met all learning needs, while 32 percent said most learning needs were met and 2 percent said only some needs were met.