© Forest Lake Area Schools, 2016

Election Edition

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November, 2016

Budget information

Construction Update

Election Information

Taking a closer look at Forest Lake Area Schools:

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Voter information for election day and early (absentee) voting Prior to Election Day

Voters who have not registered to vote in their current precinct may do so online or through the mail. Registration forms and information are available at www.mnvotes.org. Prior to Election Day, early (absentee) voting is also available. Voters can request, receive and cast an absentee ballot in one visit to the county election office (county-specific information can be found below).

On Election DayOn Election Day, every voter will have a designated polling place. Voters who have not registered prior to Election

Day may register in-person, with proof of residency, at their polling place. Polling locations are not permanent and locations may change from one election to another, so voters are encouraged to check their polling location for early voting and Election Day voting here:

Minnesota Secretary of State’s Voting Assistance Sitewww.mnvotes.org651-201-1339 Washington County Election Information:651-430-6175https://www.co.washington.mn.us/667/ElectionsAnoka County Election Information:(763) 323-5275http://www.anokacounty.us/220/Elections-Voter-Registration Chisago County Election Information:651-257-1300 http://www.co.chisago.mn.us/139/Voting-Election-Information

Voter Information: School Board Elections are Nov. 8

Four of the seven seats on the Forest Lake Area school board are up for election in November, with only three of the four incumbent candidates seeking to remain on the board. Dan Kieger, whose term expires in January, has chosen not to run for re-election.

Seven candidates are vying for four seats on the board. All board members of Forest Lake Area Schools serve at-large, so the four candidates who receive the highest numbers of votes overall will be elected.

School board elections will be held on November 8 as part of the general election. Sources for voter information, including where to vote and how to register, can be found below.

Candidates for school board in 2016:

Colleen Barksdale, Forest Lake

Jeremiah Boe, Lino Lakes

Julie Ann Corcoran, incumbent, Forest Lake

Julie La Fleur, Forest Lake

Jeff Peterson, Wyoming

Rob Rapheal, incumbent, Scandia

Gail Theisen, incumbent, Forest Lake

Seven candidates seek election to school board

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Bullying is a serious issue that impacts all school districts. As part of Forest Lake Area Schools’ ongoing commitment to creating safe and supportive learning environments for all students, the district is taking several steps to strengthen its work to prevent and reduce bullying behavior.

An important part of this work is clearly defining bullying. Bullying is behavior by an individual student or group of students that is intimidating, threatening, abusive or harmful and involves an actual or perceived imbalance of power in which the student being bullied has difficulty defending him or herself. Bullying

is also behavior that materially and substantially interferes with a student’s educational opportunities or performance, ability to participate in school functions or activities or ability to receive school benefits, services, or privileges.

Building on a strong foundation of anti-bullying work, including the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and Peaceful School Bus Program, the district is now working to implement a more consistent and comprehensive approach to bullying prevention. This approach aligns with the Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools Act and guidance from the Minnesota Department of

Education’s School Safety Technical Assistance Center.

Specific strategies include:• Adopting a new Bullying

Prohibition Policy (#541) available on the district’s website

• Developing a new district-wide Bullying Reporting Form

• Designating a staff person in each building as the primary contact for bullying reports and follow up

• Providing training for all staff on the district policy and best practices for responding to bullying.

Anyone interested in more information can visit the district website or contact the school or program their student attends.

Strengthening a positive climate for learning

Great District, Great Staff: High-quality programs for our families

Linwood students learn in nature’s classroomKindergarten students at Linwood

Elementary have a very large classroom – 210 acres large. In addition to time spent in a traditional classroom, the students in Amber Pearl’s class have been studying their lessons in the school’s forest. At least two hours of every week Pearl takes her students to the outdoor classroom where they learn and practice a variety of academic subjects.

The academic, emotional and behavioral benefits of outdoor learning have been well documented by groups like Children in Nature Network, but Pearl also has her own personal experience to rely on.

“A half-day once a week can

make a huge impact on students academics and outlook on learning,” Pearl said. “It’s their time to show what they have learned in the classroom and use it outside.”

Pearl takes her students into their forest classroom all throughout the year. She even uses the forest learning environment in the winter, as long as the temperatures aren’t bitterly cold.

Pearl’s kindergarten class is the only one so far that uses the school forest regularly each week, but many other teachers and classes at Linwood also use the forest for occasional projects and outdoor learning experiences.

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Classroom and field house additions begin at High School

New secure entrances installed at Forest View Elementary

After spending much of the past year working on soil and utility preparations, crews at the high school are ready for construction above ground. Two separate additions are planned to update learning space at Forest Lake Area High School and create space for all 9th through 12th grade students.

A classroom addition, planned for the east side of the building, will provide modern science labs and space for new classrooms. An addition to the field house, on the southwest side of the high school, will provide more gym space for physical education classes. These projects not only provide updated learning spaces, but will also accommodate ninth grade students at the high school.

Currently, the district’s freshmen attend classes at Southwest or Century Junior High. But beginning in the fall of 2018, 9th grade students will be included with their high school peers at Forest Lake Area High School.

The additions are part of an overall secondary campus plan, that will accommodate all district 7th through 12th grade students in two buildings located across the street from one another (see story at right for more details).

As part of the Reshaping Opportunities for Success project, all district elementary schools will be refurbished with new safety features and building upgrades.

The first of those projects, at Forest View Elementary, was completed this summer. New doors and security access devices were installed at main entrances throughout the building and a new vestibule area at the main entrance can be secured during school hours to require all visitors to check in with the office before they gain access to the school.

In addition, the heating, cooling and ventilating system was updated for better air quality in the building. The north classroom area was re-roofed. Refurbishment projects

were also started at Forest Lake Elementary this past summer, and work at that site will resume again this winter.

The summer of 2017 will also see construction and refurbishment

projects at Columbus and Lino Lakes elementary schools.

Projects at Scandia, Linwood and Wyoming elementary schools are planned for 2018 and 2019.

Champion Partners:Anderson-Ladd Anoka Hennepin Credit Union Carney Insurance Cub Foods Johnson & Turner MidwestOne Bank Roberts Family Life Celebration Home

Gold Partners: Anoka-Ramsey CC Century CC Tim Garry Corporate Health Systems Farmer’s InsuranceNathan Kerkow KOMALandmark Insurance Martin Pevzner Noah Insurance Pine Tech Twin Cities Orthopedic Splitrocks U.S. Army Reserves

Maroon Partners: Anoka TechBill’s Auto BodyDLR GroupFairviewFLEAICS ConsultingLifetouchMattson Funeral HomeMcCarron’s

Thank You Ranger United Partners!Ranger UP establishes partnerships between community supporters and the Forest Lake Area High School Activities Department. The financial contributions of Ranger United Partners help strengthen programs for more than 1,500 Forest Lake student-athletes.

ranger united partners

RANGER

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Part of the overall vision for the Reshaping Opportunities for Success project is to bring all district secondary students together into a two-building campus. By the fall of 2018, all district 9th through 12th grade students will attend classes at Forest Lake Area High, and all district 7th and 8th grade students

will attend classes in the building currently known as Century Junior High. The Southwest Junior High building will be re-purposed to house the programs currently located at the Central Learning Center.

At the current Century building, the design process is just wrapping up for the renovations and additions

needed to accommodate additional students. Bidding for that project is expected to take place in January with excavation and site preparation beginning in the late spring.

Planning is underway at the current Southwest building to create superior learning spaces for each program that will be moving to the facility. By 2020, Early Childhood Education, the Area Learning Center, Central Montessori and Community Education will all be contained within the current Southwest building. Plans call for each of those programs to have individualized spaces, with specific building entrances for each program.

Detailed design documents for this project are planned to be completed in time for bidding in late 2017 or early 2018.

Reshaping Opportunities for Success 2015-2020 is a district-

wide facility renovation and refurbishment project that was

made possible by voter approval in November of 2015. Since that time, planning, preparation and some construction has already taken place, with more to come. For the most current updates,

visit www.flaschools.org.

Planning and design continues for junior high transition

Julie Corcoran 651-324-8009 jcorcoran@flaschools.org

Dan Kieger 651-276-8571 dkieger@flaschools.org

Karen Morehead 651-464-3577 kmorehead@flaschools.org

Luke Odegaard 651-375-5889 lodegaard@flaschools.org

Jill Olson 651-785-9374 jmolson@flaschools.org Robert Rapheal 651-433-5847 rrapheal@flaschools.org

Gail Theisen 651-592-6901 gtheisen@flaschools.org

SCHOOL

BOARD

Great District, Great Staff: High-quality programs for our families

Newby takes the helm at Forest Lake Elementary

Kenny Newby, who most recently served as assistant principal of Southwest Junior High, has been hired as the new principal at Forest Lake Elementary School.

Prior to taking on this role, Newby served as assistant principal at Southwest since July of 2014. Previously he worked as an elementary school principal in the Garfield and Park County RE-2 school districts, both in Colorado.

Newby holds both a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Masters Degree in Elementary Education, both from Bemidji State University. He earned his Educational Administration and Leadership Degree from St. Cloud State University.

Lang is new assistant principal at Southwest

Hayley Lang is the new assistant principal at Southwest Junior High. She joined the staff there after a year as dean of students at the

high school. Prior to working in Forest Lake,

Lang worked as a social studies teacher, and later an instructional coach at North Branch Area Public Schools. Lang began her career as an educator in Willmar, where she taught social studies for two years.

Lang holds both a Bachelor of Science Degree from Saint Cloud State University, and a Master’s Degree from Hamline University. She earned her Educational Administration and Leadership Degree from Minnesota State University Mankato.

School closing informationParents will be notified of weather-related or other emergencies by phone through our Blackboard Connect Parent Notification System.

Emergency information will also be broadcast on: WCCO radio; TV channels 4, 5, 9, and 11; our website, www.flaschools.org; and on our Emergency and Weather Hotline at 651-982-8143.

District audits show efficient use of fundsThe budget and spending details

of Forest Lake Area Schools were recently reviewed by MMKR, P.A., an independent auditing firm that specializes in school finance.

The results show that the district operates a lean budget and spends its funds efficiently.

“Despite being one of the lowest funded systems of the 48 school districts in the seven county metro area, Forest Lake Area Schools is an effective, efficiently managed district,” said Mr. Aaron Nielsen, CPA and Partner at MMKR, P.A.

Forest Lake Area Schools maintain

some of the lowest per-pupil spending in the seven-county metro area, and are in the bottom third of per-pupil spending in the state of Minnesota (see chart at right).

For more details about district finances, visit the website at www.flaschools.org.

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School District Budget: Responsible use of tax dollars

According to data from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and Schools for Equity in Education, Forest Lake Area Schools ranks 237th lowest in general education funding out of 331 school districts across the state of Minnesota in the 2016-2017 school year. According to Larry Martini, director of business services, “This lack of funding, coupled with a very small voter approved operating levy has, over time, reduced school district financial resources to a point where annual budget cuts and staffing reductions have become commonplace.”

School funding: 71% of Minnesota school districts are better funded than Forest Lake Area Schools

Voter-approved school levies in the metro-areaWhite Bear Lake $1840.13Burnsville $1772.75West St. Paul $1760.80Stillwater $1422.76Anoka Hennepin $1379.81Eastern Carver County $1279.54Roseville $1091.08South St. Paul $991.10Centennial $939.80North St. Paul $930.83Forest Lake $885.76

With more than 6,200 students in the district, a difference of

just $50 per pupil could add up to more than

$300,000.

There’s plenty of good news to go around regarding the $143 million facilities bond voters approved in November of 2015.

Not only is it making possible a wide array of positive changes for the school district, not the least of which is enhanced security in the schools, but there’s more good news. According to Larry Martini, the district’s director of business services, the bond will actually cost taxpayers less than originally anticipated.

“We had originally estimated that, by the second year of the bond, a homeowner with a $200,000 house would see a $177 total increase in

annual local school property taxes as a result of the passage of the bond,” Martini explained. “Because our district has an outstanding credit rating, and because of the better-than-expected interest rate bids we received for this project, the amount the district will have to pay in interest over the lifespan of the loan will be less - by about $9 million. That means homeowners will not only see all of this tremendous work that is occurring, but they will also see a total increase of only $157 by the second year, not $177.”

Martini explained that the total amount of the bond that the district will be receiving to make the

upgrades and repairs contained in the original bond proposal will not change, but the cost to taxpayers for those changes will be less.

“The district, in terms of our budget for this bond, will not see any extra money or any changes to the work that is occurring,” Martini said. “But for the taxpayers, it means the tax increase is less, by about 11 percent.”

Martini also explained that neither the bond project nor any of the changes in tax rates will have any affect on the school district’s general operating fund, which continues to be a challenge due to insufficient local and state funding.

Good credit + low interest rates = $9 million in savings for taxpayers on bond

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Superintendent Linda Madsen, Ph.D.651-982-8103

Teaching and LearningDiane Giorgi651-982-8115

Business ServicesLawrence Martini651-982-8125

Human ResourcesDonna Friedmann651-982-8124

Community EducationCorey McKinnon651-982-8110

Special EducationKelly Lessman651-982-8129

Attendance boundary questionsJaneen Kasprzak651-982-8106 School mealsKathy Hoff651-982-8395

School bus/transportationJohn Gray651-982-8190

Student health concernsDarla John651-982-8460

Stephanie Kapfer651-982-3133

Family Support AdvocateCarolyn Carr Latady651-982-8350

Questions about our school district?

School connectionS

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Connecting our communities through our

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In order to provide significant advanced notice to parents, the school board recently approved school year calendars for the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years. The 2017-2018 calendar includes significant changes to allow a long summer in 2018, when construction crews can work in school buildings without disturbing student activities.

The construction is part of the Reshaping Opportunities for Success project, which will provide needed

upgrades and repairs to all district buildings over the next several years (see more information about this project on pages 4-5).

Classes will begin two weeks earlier than they normally would going into the 2017-2018 school year, and school will end approximately two weeks earlier than normal in that year. In 2018-2019, the district resumes its typical pattern of starting classes after Labor Day.

The complete school calendars for both 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 can be found on the district’s website at www.flaschools.org.

School calendar changes allow 2018 summer renovations