District News: 2011-2012
January 2012
Edina Public Schools Seeking Applicants for Committees and
Task Forces
Edina Public Schools is seeking applicants for 2012 appointments to the District’s various committees and task forces. Staff and community members of the committees and task forces serve in an advisory function by providing input, advice, direction and insight to District leadership. The School District uses the advisory model to help shape the District’s policies, procedures and practices. The advisory positions include membership on various Teaching & Learning, Finance, and Leadership committees, councils, teams and task forces. The appointments will be made by District administration and the School Board to ensure a balanced representation of community and staff. Most terms are for one year and begin with the start of the 2012-13 school year.
To receive an application or for more information, click on the links below or contact Julie Deitte at 952-848-4000. Applications must be received by Tuesday, February 21st. Appointments will be made in the spring of 2012.
List of District Committees, Councils and Teams
Science Extravaganza Brings Community Partners to Countryside
Last Friday, over 30 community scientists converged on Countryside to mount a sort of elementary science conference. In the morning, students had an opportunity to attend two 40-minute seminars. (Media specialist Jason Banks scheduled each of the 500 students in grades 1-5 for a “First Choice” class and a “Surprise” class geared to the science curriculum in their grade level.) For first graders studying insects, animals and rocks, options included learning about mosquitos from a Metropolitan Mosquito Control officer, animal tracks from a Fort Snelling State Park Ranger, and rocks and fossils from a Senior Hydrogeologist working for the State of Minnesota. Fourth graders studying magnetism, electricity and body systems had the opportunity to learn from a speaker from Xcel Energy and a Pacemaker engineer from Medtronic. Among many other presenters were scientists from University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Space Grant Program, Honeywell, 3M, Dow Chemical, and the Minnesota Herpetological Society. In the afternoon, an all-school assembly focused on earthquakes.
Planning for the annual Science Extravaganza at Countryside Elementary School began in early October. Marcia Friedman, Curriculum Resources and Programs Supervisor, met with Marlys Granlund, Countryside’s Science and Math Paraprofessional, to go over the science curriculum units for each grade. After that initial meeting, Friedman began to identify experts from our community who could bring the science learning to life, helping students connect what they are learning in school to what is occurring in their world. Friedman and Granlund worked together to coordinate many additional details involving specialists, custodians, staff, parent volunteers and presenters to ensure that everything would proceed smoothly.
“It is such a joyful, productive day,” said Granlund. “Our engaging speakers really help students broaden their knowledge in many areas of scientific studies.”
Friedman enjoys making the connections and building relationships with the volunteer presenters. “The Science Extravaganza is a great example of what Curriculum Resources and Programs (CRP) does best. We strengthen partnerships between our schools and the community. The experts we bring into the classrooms share their expertise, enthusiasm and relevance to enrich our curriculum.”
CRP logs more than 1,000 hours of presentations and 2,300 hours of volunteering in Edina Public Schools each year.
Bruce Locklear Poised to Make National Impact
Congratulations to Bruce Locklear, principal of Edina High School, who was chosen by colleagues in a statewide election to serve on the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Board of Directors. Members have a significant presence on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., lobbying congress for effective educational policy and K-12 school reform. In addition, the NASSP Board works with state leaders nationally to provide cutting-edge professional development to approximately 30,000 principals who are members of NASSP, enabling them to be visionary school leaders.
Dr. Locklear will attend quarterly national meetings of the NASSP and serve as a liaison between the national board and the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals. He will represent secondary school principals not only from Minnesota, but also from Wisconsin, Michigan, North and South Dakota and Wyoming. It has been over a decade since a principal from Minnesota has served on the NASSP Board.
“Needless to say, I am honored to represent the Edina school district and the Midwest in the journey that lies ahead,” said Dr. Locklear. “I am humbled by this opportunity to serve, and I hope to assist in shaping the next generation of school leaders to support our teachers and students.”
Just Launched: Digital Libraries
Let’s say you are an Edina student who wants to read The Maze Runner, a popular young adult science fiction title, on your computer or mobile device. You might join the wait list to download it from Hennepin County Libraries, where there are 52 patrons on the wait list for the seven available copies (expected wait time: 22 weeks, so you might begin reading by June 15th). Or, you could download it today from the Edina Public Schools’ new digital Library.
Launched just before winter break in December 2011, the digital library is a partnership between the media centers at South View, Valley View and Edina High Schools and their technology partner, OverDrive. The catalog so far includes about 250 e-books and 10 audio books purchased by media specialists at each of the schools. In addition, students have access to over 34,000 public domain titles. (Browse the full catalog here.) Just a few short weeks into the project, over 100 e-books have already been downloaded by Edina students.
“I wanted a book to read on vacation over winter break, but had to pack light. I downloaded a book from the Edina school library to my phone, and it was perfect. Plus, I didn’t have to worry about losing the book,” said Rebekah Barnes, an 8th grader at South View.
“I personally love a paper book,” says South View media specialist Cathy Heller, “but to get kids hooked on reading—so important for academic and lifelong success—we have to meet them where they are. For many students, but especially sixth graders, the novelty of the technology is what’s intriguing. It’s what launches them into the world of reading at South View.”
Some commonly recognized benefits of e-books include the idea that they are available anytime, anywhere, they are often less expensive for libraries to purchase, they save trees, and they don’t fall apart. E-books can be searchable, annotated without harming the original book, and often include interactive multi-media components including still and moving images, sound, and built-in dictionaries. Digital books can also be personalized: readers can change the font size, style and color. An accessibility program is available for print disabled Edina Public Schools patrons.
Cathy Heller appreciates that e-readers offer something for a wide range of students. English Language Learners can listen to an audio version of a book while visually following along an electronic version of the text. Students in middle school read at all reading levels, and reading on electronic devices lets them select an appropriate book without making them feel self-conscious. Advanced 9th grade readers now have access to the high school’s digital library.
Students are able to check out one e-book at a time, and to keep the title for three weeks before it is automatically returned to the library. “Our biggest question,” says Heller, “is students asking how they can return their book early so they can download a new one.”
Get started downloading e-books and audio books from the Edina Public Schools digital library here. Have your Edina student login handy, and be ready to install free software.
School Board Organizational Meeting
At the January 9, 2012 School Board Meeting, the School Board kicked off the year with their annual organizational meeting and a new sense of energy with their incoming members. The meeting focused on the election of School Board officers and a discussion of committee appointments throughout the District. Following the organizational meeting, the School Board also held a workshop to discuss the District’s strategic planning and communications.
Board Positions (determined through election):
- Chair - Randy Meyer
- Vice Chair - Idith Almog
- Clerk - Regina Neville
- Treasurer - Cathy Cella
Additional Board Positions (determined by the chair):
- Assistant Clerk - Lonni Skrentner
- Assistant Clerk - Sarah Patzloff
- Assistant Treasuer - Leny Wallen-Friedman
The School Board will hold a regular meeting later this month on Monday, January 23
at 7:00 p.m.
Legislative Dialogue Recap
Over 60 community members and students attended Edina’s Legislative Dialogue last Thursday evening. Giving school districts greater flexibility in determining the school calendar, including the possibility of starting school before Labor Day, was just one of the Edina Public Schools Legislative Priorities Superintendent Ric Dressen presented. Learn more about the District’s legislative priorities here.
Senator Geoff Michel and Representatives Keith Downey and Pat Mazorol shared conversation and perspectives on the upcoming session. All three legislators indicated a willingness to reduce mandates and increase independence for school districts when the session begins on January 24th.
Other topics of conversation included:
- What can be done about the state’s long-term structural deficit?
- What can be done at the state level to reduce achievement gaps?
- What is the future of early education and all-day Kindergarten in Edina?
In addition, a group of students from Edina High School presented a petition, signed by over 600 students, asking legislators to support a “Safe Schools for All” bill that will be introduced in 2012.
Superintendent Dressen expressed relief that the current state budget forecast is less dire than in the past two years. The legislators expressed similar perspectives, looking forward to focusing on student learning, teacher effectiveness, and a more coherent P-20 (preschool – age 20) vision for the State.
Edina collaborates with 36 other school districts in advocating for state education policy that enables metropolitan school districts to improve student learning. You can read more about the Association of Metropolitan School District’s 2012 Legislative Platform here.
Missed the conversation last week? You have another opportunity for dialogue with Senator Michel, Representative Downey and Dr. Dressen this week: they will attend the Concord PTO general meeting this Thursday, January 12th at 6:00pm.
December 2011
Countryside Adopts Four Families for the Holidays
Some third-graders organized a walk-a-thon. Some students shoveled the deck for their parents and neighbors. Others paired the socks in the laundry, took the dog for an extra walk, vacuumed the basement and packed their own lunches for a week. All of these Countryside Elementary students were earning money to buy holiday gifts and grocery store gift cards for low-income families in Minnesota.
For over twenty years, Countryside has conducted an annual, school-wide service learning project in December. This is the second year in a row that the Countryside Kid's Council and parents chose to work with the Volunteers of America "Adopt a Family MN" program. The school sponsored four families identified by Volunteers of America-Minnesota as most in need of extra support. Each of these families had six members, but each had its own family structure, needs and wants. In November, each classroom at Countryside adopted one of these 24 people and set out to make a positive impact on their lives. With the money students earned, they purchased items from wish lists written by the recipients. The wrapped packages were dropped off last week. They will be delivered to the families by Volunteers of America staff, who expect to deliver packages to about 3000 families in Minnesota this year.
Kindergarten teacher Margie Galvin helped organize the project at Countryside. "The kids really get into it," she said. "They take time to learn about the families and individuals they are helping. Students have an opportunity to focus on compassion, one of our ICCAR ethical values. And best of all, students learn that they have the power to make a tangible difference in our community."
Read more about it on The Mill Blog.
Concord and Valley View teachers honored as TIES Exceptional Teachers for best practices in technology
Edina Public Schools is pleased to announce that Concord Elementary Gifted Education Services teacher, Erin Plasch and Valley View Middle School 9th grade Mathematics teacher, Mark Carlson were honored as Exceptional Teachers at the 2011 TIES Annual Conference on Tuesday, December 13, 2011. The award recognizes teachers in TIES (technology education collaboration) member districts who model best practices in using technology in their classroom and engage students in learning.
Erin Plasch continually seeks to expand her expertise in the use of technology to enhance, personalize and differentiate instruction. She is innovative, creative and always pushing the envelope in integrating technology into her classroom. Her students participate in online learning using Moodle and use a variety of tools for digital storytelling, including iMovie to create videos and Scratch to animate stories. Plasch received an innovation grant in our district to implement e-readers into her classroom, and saw an increase in engagement in student reading in all of her students. She recently received a Teaching and Technology Certificate through Hamline University, where she was one of 29 Edina Teachers participating in the cohort. Because of her work with the cohort, she has inspired staff to use Moodle at the elementary level and begin screencasting lessons for anywhere and anytime learning.
Mark Carlson began "flipping" his instruction in the spring of 2009. Creating "screencasts" of his lessons, he embedded the videos into Moodle for easier student access. Always working to improve his practice, Carlson added formative assessment to the videos last year via Moodle Quizzes as a way to gauge student understanding and plan differentiated instruction the following day. Using LaTeX, he has written questions for each section, and students have access to each video while taking the formative assessment. Carlson now has embedded three levels of differentiated, standards-based instruction into his daily teaching. He is one of the big reasons why Edina is recognized for excellence in mathematics instruction!
Legislative Dialogue - January 5, 2012
A legislative forum for understanding the upcoming 2012 session
This is your opportunity to learn about the District’s current priorities, and voice your questions and concerns to area legislators and District administrators.
Thursday, January 5th, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Edina Community Center, Room 350
(Light snacks provided)
Agenda
- Welcome
- Edina Public Schools Update and Legislative Priorities – Ric Dressen, Superintendent
- Working with your Legislator - Representative Keith Downey, Representative Pat Mazorol, and State Senator Geoff Michel
- Legislative priorities
- Education issues from a legislative perspective
- Communicating effectively with your legislators
- Community Dialogue
- Closing Remarks – Ric Dressen
Learn more about the 2012 legislative platform
18 Writing Cohort teachers complete Writing and Critical Literacy Certification Program
Congratulations to the Writing and Critical Literacy Cohort for completing their Writing and Critical Literacy Certification Program. A dynamic partnership between Edina Public Schools, the Edina Education Fund, the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Writing Project, the cohort has been working toward this certification since 2009. The K-12 teacher-scholars completed several University of Minnesota classes on writing, digital media, and assessment; participated in the Minnesota Writing Project's Summer Invitational Institute; and designed a capstone research project.
The cohort has strengthened collaboration between teachers at all grade levels throughout the District. Cohort members will now work to reevaluate and transform the District's writing curriculum in light of the new CORE standards and 21st century literacy frameworks. They will continue to model best-practice writing instruction in their classrooms and for teachers in all disciplines throughout the District. Their work will invigorate student writing and critical thinking on the 9th grade GRAD Writing Test and beyond.
Writing and Critical Literacy Cohort Members 2009-2012
- Kimberly Jo Moore, Concord Grade 1
- Maria Theissen, Concord Grade 3
- Janice Laven, Cornelia Grade 4
- Paul Beverage, Countryside Grade 5
- Kristin Davis, Countryside Continuous Progress Grades 1 and 2
- Michelle Shaw, Countryside Grade 5
- JoAnn Blatchley, Creek Valley ESL
- Zach Prowell, Highlands Grade 5
- Molly Swiderski, Normandale Grade 4
- Kelsey Wolf, Normandale Kindergarten
- Theresa Bademan, South View Grade 8
- Natalia Wegner, Valley View ESL
- Elizabeth Barniskis, EHS Grades 10-12 LA
- Patricia Corcoran, EHS Grades 11-12 Biology
- Mary Kirchhof, Literacy Coordinator
- Deborah Krengel, Special Education K-5
- Isabelle Punchard, Elementary Curriculum Coordinator
- Debra Stortz, Response to Intervention Specialist
November 2011
Edina Middle School teachers honored as Teachers of the Year
Michelle Terry named Middle Level Educator of the Year
The Minnesota Middle School Association (MMSA) has recognized Michelle Terry, South View Middle School mathematics teacher, as the Middle Level Educator of the Year. Michelle will receive her award on Thursday, December 1 at a luncheon held in her honor at the MMSA annual conference. South View Principal, Beth Russell, Ed.D., says, “Michelle is student-centered and passionate about teaching adolescents math, by using the energy and their unique needs to plan and deliver lessons.”
The award is presented annually in honor of Coleen Yatchoske, an exemplary middle level teacher who tragically lost her life. The person chosen as Minnesota Middle Level Educator of the Year will represent many educators who daily touch the lives of young adolescents and demonstrate outstanding service and commitment to quality education.
Mary Howe named 2011 Latin Teacher of the Year
The Classical Association of Minnesota has recognized Mary Howe, South View and Valley View Latin teacher, as 2011 Latin Teacher of the Year. Mary is an innovative educator, who creates exciting, scholarly student-centered lessons that motivate and inspire students, making Latin relevant to the student’s daily lives. One of her former students writes, “Although the course was a challenge to me, it led me to appreciate the understanding and sincerity that make a teacher like Mrs. Howe outstanding.”
Founded in 1981, the Classical Association of Minnesota promotes the study of both the classical languages and other aspects of Greco-Roman antiquity in the schools, colleges, and universities of the region and, through an active organization of teachers, to help students of the Classics obtain the maximum benefit from their studies.
2011 Election Results
The two referendum proposals on the ballot for Edina Public Schools were approved by Voters on November 8.
Question 1: Renew the current operating levy, which provides approximately $3 million or $400 per pupil annually. PASSED
Question 2: Renew and increase the capital levy from $1 million to $4.5 million annually. This funding would expand and integrate technology infrastructure, hardware, software, support and training. PASSED
Congratulations to Cathy Cella (incumbent), Sarah Patzloff and Leny K. Wallen-Friedman who have been elected to the Edina Public Schools Board of Education and will serve four-year terms beginning January 1, 2012.
VEAP Holiday Toy Program 2011
This holiday season, Edina Public Schools is once again partnering with VEAP (Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People) to provide toys for parents in low-income families to give to their children. VEAP is expecting to serve more than 5,000 children over the holidays.
You can help by donating new and unwrapped toys to VEAP’s donation box located the Edina Resource Center, Room 171 at the Edina Community Center from Tuesday, Nov. 15 through Wednesday, Dec. 14. Cash donations can be mailed directly to VEAP at 9728 Irving Ave. So., Bloomington 55431.
Click here to see VEAP’s wish list. Contact Lana at 952-848-3934 with any questions.
October 2011
Three School Board seats will be decided in this year’s election.
The school board is the policy-making body responsible for setting the district’s long-term direction in the areas of leadership, budget and educational expectations. Board members are elected to serve four-year terms.
Three candidates are running:
- Cathy Cella (incumbent), active
- Sarah Patzloff, active
- Leny K. Wallen-Friedman, active
- Jason Berger, inactive
- Ben Rider, inactive
Inactive candidates Ben Rider and Jason Berger will appear on the ballot, but have withdrawn from the election. Since their withdrawals were received after the August 18th deadline, their names will still appear on the ballot.
Check local media for additional information on the candidates.
Edina Thespians to Perform Urinetown: The Musical for Fall Season
Urinetown: The Musical is a hilarious tale of greed, corruption, love and revolution in as time when water is worth its weight in gold. In a dark, futuristic metropolis, a terrible water shortage has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizenry must use public, pay-per-use amenities owned and operated by Urine Good Company, a malevolent corporation run by the corrupt Caldwell B. Cladwell. The seriously silly show includes a
romance, a revolution, and laughs.
Performance Schedule:
Friday, October 28, 7:30
Saturday, October 29, 7:30
Thursday, November 3, 7:30
Friday, November 4, 7:30
Saturday, November 5, 1:30
Saturday, November 5, 7:30
Performances will be held at Edina Center for Performing Arts (EPAC) 6754 Valley View Road. Click here for more information.
Edina High School is the only Minnesota High School to Make U.S. News’ “Best High Schools for Math and Science” List
U.S. News & World Report has named Edina High School one of the "Best High Schools for Math and Science" in the nation. Edina was ranked 187 out of 207 qualifying high schools and is the only school in Minnesota to make the list.
"We're deeply honored to be part of the list, especially as U.S. News now uses a myriad of data points to establish the ranking. It's about performance rather than just emphasizing the number of tests taken," says Bruce Locklear, Ed.D., EHS principal. "But at the end of the day it's about the great job that our teachers are doing in the classroom to establish rigor, rapport, and relationships with our students." More
September 2011
District Refinances School Building Bonds
The Board also approved a resolution to refinance its school building bonds, which will result in $5.7 million in interest savings over the next ten years. The $523,000 in annual District savings will begin with taxes payable in 2013 and result in a decrease of approximately $26 per year on a median-priced $400,000 Edina home.
"We're doing our best to continue to provide students with what they need to be competitive in a global world while not overburdening our local taxpayers," noted Margo Nash, Director of Business Services for Edina Public Schools. "While the proposed levy approval may be routine Board business, we'll look very carefully for opportunities to reduce it between now and December." More
47 Edina High School Seniors recognized by National Merit
14 Edina seniors named National Merit Semi-Finalists
Edina Public Schools is pleased to announce that 14 Edina High School seniors are among the 16,000 students chosen nationwide to compete for the reputable National Merit Scholarship. Nearly 1.5 million students entered the Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as the initial screening process.
The following Edina students were named National Merit Semifinalists: Alyson Beveridge, Ekaterina Botchkareva, Rebecca Brookes, Sophia Charan, Allen Fang, Tyler Gieseke, Molly Little, Anne Schulberg, Miriam Sergent-Leventh, Krzysztof Stankiewicz, Nora Steinhagen, Meghana Vasireddy, Zhonghao Wang and Xue Zhang. More
33 Edina seniors named National Merit Commended Scholars
About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2012 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2012 competition by taking the 2100 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).
The following Edina students were named National Merit Commended Scholars: Dominic Adams, Alexandra Austin, Natalie Bentley, Matthew Berntson, Matthew Bonello
Anne Cavanagh, Elaine Chestler, Carly Crist, Ellen Eastaugh, Rahaf Ebbini, Jack Ellenberger, Will Freeman, Davis Gustafson, Hannah Harris, Sara Jennings, David Kakalios, Fumitaka Kikyo, John Lagorio, Mitchell Lentz, James Lettow, Dustin Meyers-Levy, Joel Morton, Margalo Mullaney, Michael Murney, Matthew Nisi, Erik Rehnberg
Matthew Rock, Peter Sakaguchi, Erin Sielaff, Sarah Steffen, Hannah Stephan, Kathleen Vogt, Adeline Zvosec
Edina Public Schools Leads State in Performance on Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments
Results of the 2010-2011 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments released today by the Minnesota Department of Education show that Edina Public Schools continues to lead the state in reading and math proficiency rates.
Edina's overall reading proficiency rate was 91.5 percent, increasing from 90.3 percent last year and compared to the state average of 74 percent. Proficiency in math was 79.6 percent, falling 7.3 percentage points from 86.9 in 2009-10 and compared to the state average of 56 percent. Statewide math performance in grades three through eight fell 8.7 percentage points as this was the first year of the new MCA-III math exam aligned to more rigorous state standards.
The five-year trend shows that Edina is consistently 20 percentage points above the statewide average in both reading and math proficiency rates. More
Edina Debate Students to Compete in Top 16 Round Robin
The Edina High School Policy debate team, Mimi Sergent-Leventhal and Erin Sielaff, have been invited to compete in the nationally-renowned Greenhill Round Robin held at Greenhill High School in Addison, Texas on September 15- 16, 2011, preceding the Greenhill Debate Invitational on September 17-19, 2011. The Greenhill Round Robin is one of the most prestigious national Policy debate round robins, open by invitation only to the top 16 ranked Policy teams in the country. More.
August 2011
Creek Valley Teacher Attends Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminar in Greece and Turkey
While some of us spent our summers enjoying Minnesota's heat wave, Creek Valley teacher, Beth Jorgenson, enjoyed her summer on the exotic banks of Greece and Turkey through the Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminar "Building Bridges across the Aegean-Education through Culture."
The six-week long program included a variety of lectures, visits, and field trips, aimed at providing a better understanding of Greece and Turkey's rich histories and cultures as well as their educational systems. The program began in New York City in June and from there, the group of 16 educators travelled to Thessaloniki, Greece and onwards to several Greek Islands, Athens, and Ankara, Turkey.
Jorgenson said, "It was truly a once in a lifetime, unforgettable experience."
Cornelia Playground
This summer, Cornelia Elementary has been hard at work destructing their 16 year-old playground to make way for a new playground designed with accessibility in mind. When Cornelia Principal, Chris Holden, saw that their playground was coming to the end of its life, he wanted to see a safer, more engaging and accessible playground in its place. After over a year in the making, the new playground is ready for Cornelia students to enjoy on their first day of school.
The new playground boasts more than 8,000 square-feet of equipment, optimized for accessibility and constructed from sustainable materials. It features a Spacenet Climber, a Roller Table, an Evos play structure, a Curved Track Ride, a Sway Fun and other equipment to inspire safe and imaginative play for a wide-range of ages and abilities. More.
Habitat for Humanity Summer Trip
Nine Edina High Schools students and two staff traveled to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota to volunteer with Sicangu Tikaga Okiciyapi Habitat for Humanity during the second week of August. In addition to helping build decent and affordable housing for families on the reservation, students also learned about Lakota culture and the history of the area.
The Habitat for Humanity trip is an annual service learning opportunity organized by the Edina High School Youth Serving Youth program. Students on the trip volunteer their time and effort to participate. Hours from the trip can be used towards the completion of the Community Service Letter.
Youth Programs Offers Expanded World Language Courses
Edina Community Education Services has expanded the number of World Language courses offered with the goal to help all students and their families develop a life-long appreciation and proficiency for languages and global culture. Courses include:
Beginning French Beginning Latin |
Chinese Spanish |
Despite funding delay, education bill could benefit Edina Public Schools
Edina Sun Current Op-ed by Ric Dressen, Superintendent
Fitch Ratings Affirms 'AAA' Credit Rating on Edina Public Schools
The 'AAA' rating indicates the highest quality credit and the lowest expectation of default risk. Key factors considered by Fitch when rating the district were excellent educational performance, solid fiscal management, high wealth levels, dependence on operating levy renewals, state pressures, moderate debt burden, adequately funded pensions, and stable and diverse regional economy. Learn more.
July 2011
Board Approves Nov. 8 Operating and Technology Levy
The Edina School Board approved a resolution to place a referendum levy on the upcoming Nov. 8 election ballot. The levy seeks to renew the $400 per pupil portion of the school district's existing referendum revenue for 10 years, and to raise approximately $4.5 million of revenue to advance learning through technology.
The first ballot question regarding revenue renewal asks voters to extend an existing property tax referendum that is scheduled to expire in 2012. The second question asks voters to approve a property tax increase to cover technology costs that would include hardware, software, infrastructure, staffing and training.
South View Middle School Renovation and Construction Scheduled for Fall 2012 Completion
The Edina School Board is moving forward with a renovation and construction project planned to begin this fall at South View Middle School. The plan addresses South View's need to increase capacity after enrollment projections showed the school would exceed its capacity this school year by 168 students.
The $2.3 million project will increase the size of the cafeteria, renovate 4-5 existing classrooms, add an additional 4-5 classrooms, and improve functionality of special services. The project will add an additional 5,750 square feet to the building.
Wold Architects and Engineers of St. Paul, which specialize in public sector spaces, are overseeing the project.
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