Category Archives: Uncategorized

EMID Board to consider planning timeline

The EMID School Board will meet on Wednesday (11/16) to consider a strategic planning timeline proposed by Jerry Robicheau. The board meeting begins with an open forum at 5:30pm at the Harambee Elementary School.

Robicheau proposes (PDF) that the EMID Board hire Dr. Melissa Krull (recently the superintendent in Eden Prarie who suffered setbacks after shifting the boundaries to improve integration there) as a consultant to help EMID conduct a “Strengths, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threats (SWOT) analysis” and create a work group to build a “road map” for the district. The board will discuss and probably approve the process at its meeting Wednesday.

Also on the agenda will be Dr. Robicheau’s report, including a review of the members appointed to the new Integration Revenue Task Force. The board will also have a rare “closed meeting to discuss negotiations with employee groups” toward the end of the meeting.

The agenda (PDF), and full board packet for the November meeting is available at EMID.

The board meeting is (mostly) open to the public and anyone can share input with the board during the open forum at the start of the meeting.

Pioneer Press: Harambee, Crosswinds magnet schools won’t close

The Pioneer Press ran a story by Megan Boldt about last night’s EMID board vote:

Two east metro magnet schools that opened to address racial segregation will stay open – at least for the next few years.

…

Robert Roston, 24, a former Crosswinds student, was among more than 100 people who came out for the vote. Roston said he and his sister were the only nonwhite kids in their Maplewood neighborhood and his time at Crosswinds – being around other students who looked like him – helped him blossom.

Roston graduated from North High School in North St. Paul and is now an EMT volunteer with the American Red Cross.

“You keep hearing people talk about producing productive members of society. I’m proof,” said Roston. “Thanks for giving other children like me the opportunity.”

Star Tribune: Board opts to keep integration schools open around the metro

The Star Tribune published a story by Daarel Burnette that described tonight’s board meeting:

Wednesday’s vote, taken unexpectedly before parents were allowed to speak, allows the two schools to stay open indefinitely, thanks to a compromise plan offered by several superintendents, who proposed the board keep the schools open but reduce the districts’ contributions by up to 43 percent.

…

With the cut in funding the board will have to cut several programs over the next several months, board members said.

“We need to realize things aren’t going to look the same next year,” said board member Lori Swanson.

That didn’t dissuade parents.

“The energy you see here tonight is not going to go away and leave you holding the bag,” parent Michael Boguszewski told board members. “We’ll help in any way we can to reach that long-term sustainability. Let’s keep pulling together for this common cause.”

EMID Board Votes to Keep Crosswinds and Harambee Open!

The EMID board rearranged its agenda this evening and voted to keep Harambee and Crosswinds open even before they allowed any public testimony. Of course, being who we are, the community testified anyway, but most testimony included sincere thanks to the board for letting our schools remain as an option for all the kinds in their districts. Thanks for all the hard work on the part of EMID families for making this happen!

Of course, this is only the beginning. Now the board, administration, and all of us have to figure out how to live under a new and much more restricted budget. A lot of work remains ahead, but for this evening at least, we can all celebrate what our joint action has accomplished: the thread of imminent closure has been lifted.

MPR: Fate of EMID’s schools to be decided tonight

Tom Weber filed a story with Minnesota Public Radio this morning: “Fate of East Metro Integration District’s schools to be decided tonight.” Indeed, that is so! We hope you can join us at the board meeting this evening, Wednesday 10/19, 5:30pm at Crosswinds.

Board members face two choices Wednesday night: close its schools in Woodbury and Maplewood, or keep them open under a new financial arrangement in which member districts send less of their state integration funding to EMID.

Roseville School Board Member Gogins a Likely Vote for “Option Two”

A report from tonight’s Roseville school board meeting suggests that Kitty Gogins, Roseville board member and their representative on the EMID board, will support “option two” to keep the EMID schools open at tomorrow’s EMID board meeting. She noted that a vote for “option two” does not “kick the can down the road” and that Roseville superintendent Thein wants to maintain the two schools as labs for innovation. Roseville’s school board chair and other members supported this direction.

Remember, the EMID board meeting is tomorrow, Wednesday 10/19, at 5:30pm at Crosswinds School. Come and show your support for keeping our schools open!

South Washington County Bulletin: Decision on future of Crosswinds School could come Wednesday

The South Washington County Bulletin ran a story by Judy Spooner today: “Decision on future of Crosswinds School could come Wednesday.”

Before last week’s meeting, most of the member superintendents supported closing the schools and retaining but changing the role of EMID, according to Gelbmann.

While EMID board members seemed to support closing the schools, after hearing of a second option that would keep them open but with funding changes, resolve to close them appeared to wane.

“I don’t think there are six votes here to close the schools,” Gelbmann said.

The article makes it sound like this shift came about by magic. We all know the hard work that was involved, though, don’t we?

EMID Board Meeting, 10/19, this is it!

The East Metro Integration District (EMID) School Board will meet on Wednesday, October 19, at 5:30pm at Crosswinds School, 600 Weir Drive, Woodbury, MN. Please join us at this meeting!

Last week the EMID School Board decided it would hold two votes at the meeting on 10/19. One vote, for what they call “option one” will be a vote on whether to close Harambee and Crosswinds at the end of this school year. The other vote, for what they call “option two” will be to reduce the funding for the schools, but allow them to stay open and serving the children of our ten member school districts. There will be a chance for public testimony at the meeting this Wednesday. Raise your voice for our schools!

The full board packet (PDF) is available at EMID’s website.

Children are also welcome at the school board meeting. Those who can sit through the meeting will learn a lot about how their schools are governed. There will be child care provided during the school board meeting at Crosswinds for those kids who are potty trained but don’t have the patience for sitting through the meeting.

Translators will also be available.

Woodbury Bulletin: Crosswinds to close?

We learned today that the Woodbury Bulletin had published a story called “Crosswinds to close?” on 10/13.

This week, 833 Superintendent Mark Porter will be speaking to the EMID board in support of closing the schools because they are “not performing as intended” and arguing the money could better be used for integration projects that would serve all District 833 students.

The information in this story clearly pre-dated the 10/12 EMID board work session, even though the story was dated later. A number of the facts cited in the story were also not well explained. Two parents have since had conversations with another reporter at the Woodbury Bulletin, and we expect them to publish a new EMID story on Wednesday.

Stillwater School Board Director Hoeppner Supports “Option Two”  

According to EMID families at the Stillwater School Board work session last night, George Hoeppner, Stillwater’s representative on the EMID board, provided an overview of the two options presented by the superintendents this week. He discussed the financials of “option two” quite a bit. Stillwater board members asked questions about per pupil funding and why it’s higher in EMID than in Stillwater. George explained that “option two” came along because the EMID board wasn’t comfortable with closing the schools although the member district superintendents clearly support “option one” (closure). Hoeppner complimented the EMID families for speaking up, sharing their feelings, and telling their stories. The equity director from Stillwater said it was very impressive that people rallied for their school and made an impact on policy decisions.

Hoeppner affirmed that he will be voting for “option two.” So that is our first confirmed vote to keep the EMID schools open!