Councilmember Dan Bostrom and other Eastside elected officials present a plaque to longtime Eastside community leader Marj Ebensteiner. From left to right are Conservation District Supervisor Mara Humphrey, Marj Ebensteiner, State Representative Tim Mahoney, Councilmember Bostrom and Councilmember Kathy Lantry.
Articles and News Releases
Mayor, Harrington, Bostrom support school district scramble
By City Hall Scoop on March 8, 2011 6:27 PM
"East Siders, we have a mayor and a half in the city of St. Paul..."
Thus ended Ames / Sheridan Elementary Principal Delores Henderson's vocal introduction to Mayor Chris Coleman's speech this morning, setting the tone for his endorsement of the St. Paul Public Schools' "Strong Schools, Strong Communities" initiative. The controversial plan reorganizes the school district into six zones, boosting "neighborhood schools" over busing.
Proponents such as superintendent Valeria Silva say the plan could cut school district costs by $10 million and boost revenue by $22 million over the next three years. Former St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington, now a state senator for Senate District 67, and City Councilman Dan Bostrom -- another former cop -- also gave the plan their thumbs' up this morning.
"It truly is like the buddy system in my mind," Harrington said. "...I (was) a kid who walked to school. I was a kid who knew the neighbors, and the neighbors knew me. ... That's what a neighborhood school does. It provides a place for parents and kids and all of us to come together."
The School Board will vote on the initiative March 15.
One of the initial sticking points in the plan involved the L'Etoile du Nord French Immersion school, which, in an earlier version of the proposal, would have moved from its East Side building across town to the former Longfellow building. The former L'Etoile building would be used for a new middle school program.
Residents rallied in favor of keeping L'Etoile in its current location, or at least on the East Side. Silva's latest plan is to maintain the school on the East Side by splitting L'Etoile between the former sites of Ames Elementary and Prosperity Heights, allowing her to use the L'Etoile building for a new middle school, just as she hoped.
Other programs would also be closed, relocated or merged. The plan aims to make room for an additional 3,500 students by 2014, a big revenue generator for the district.
Mayor Coleman: Strong Schools, Strong Communities is the Right Plan for Saint Paul Youth
SAINT PAUL – Mayor Chris Coleman was joined by community and civic leaders today as he voiced his support for the proposed Saint Paul Public School strategic plan. The plan, entitled, “Strong Schools, Strong Communities,” seeks to improve achievement for all students in Saint Paul Public Schools by giving every child the opportunity to attend an excellent school right in their own neighborhood by maintaining excellent magnet and community programs and by creating uniform curriculum and standards throughout the district’s schools. The plan will help align services between school and programs offered in the community, ensuring long term sustainability of programs and services and working to close the achievement gap in Saint Paul.
“Today I stand with our community in support of a plan that ensures every child in every neighborhood across Saint Paul can receive a quality education. By better aligning services between the city and the schools we will provide the support needed so our youth can focus on their number one priority: learning. This plan will play a critical role in making sure every child has the tools they need to succeed in school and in life, while closing the achievement gap,” Mayor Chris Coleman said.
Taking place at Ames Sheridan Elementary School on Saint Paul’s East Side, Mayor Coleman stood side-by-side with parents, community leaders, Legislators, city council members and school board members. If adopted, the plan will work to invest in every neighborhood; ensuring every youth has access to an excellent school and quality out-of-school-time programming right in their community.
State Senator John Harrington said, "As a former Police Chief and supervisor of the school resource officers, I have seen first hand the role strong schools play in keeping neighborhoods stable and safe which translates to safer kids and safer communities. The District has crafted a plan that will give all kids real school choices right in their own neighborhoods -where their parents can be active participants in their education. We need to get to work on this now."
“Community schools are the bedrock of a successful neighborhood. When every neighborhood school can teach students as well as the magnet schools, we will truly improve education city-wide. This plan puts us on the road to higher achievement for all students,” Saint Paul City Councilmember Dan Bostrom said.
“This plan is the result of years of study and outreach into our community. We have talked about many of the ideas in the plan before this. It is time for all of us together to focus on helping every student succeed,” Saint Paul School Board Chair Elona Street-Stewart said.
Councilmember Dan Bostrom and other Eastside elected officials present a plaque to longtime Eastside community leader Marj Ebensteiner. From left to right are Conservation District Supervisor Mara Humphrey, Marj Ebensteiner, State Representative Tim Mahoney, Councilmember Bostrom and Councilmember Kathy Lantry.
