Board Bulletin

October 23, 2023

Facility Referendum Rumors

Residents may have recently seen materials distributed by a special interest group based in Minneapolis on the proposed facilities referendum. Unfortunately, some of this information has been inaccurate or misleading. Our school district will continue to address inaccuracies by sharing information, like what you see below, that is factual and relevant to the question voters face on November 7.

School Security

Commitment to Academics

Comprehensive Planning

The Minneapolis-based group has questioned the District’s planning process and transparency and raised a concern about unchecked spending.

Truth:

School Board members, district staff, facility experts and community members have been working through a long-range facility planning process for several years, with an intensive process beginning in 2019. This work has been reported on regularly and publicly at MAPS school board meetings.
The school district conducted three public surveys to get the perspective of our community on both their prioritization of projects and their tolerance for overall cost/tax impact. These surveys showed greater than 60% public support for each of the projects proposed in the referendum.
The School Board relied heavily on that public feedback and had to significantly trim down the list of potential projects to arrive at the proposed investment that we unanimously approved. While it is a significant investment, our school district operates 19 schools and the reality is they do need to be remodeled/replaced and reinvested in to ensure we can have safe and modern schools for our kids.
The proposed projects were submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education through the required Review and Comment process and received a favorable review. This legislative requirement ensures the District followed an appropriate planning process and the funds requested align with the proposed project. This process ensures accountability of all bond funds.
The public have from the beginning always had access to a detailed breakdown of proposed projects and associated costs on our website.

Quality of Building Updates

The Minneapolis political action group has claimed that the proposed projects are “luxurious” and “fancy.”

Truth:

With the property tax impact of our district being lower than the state average and Big 9 conference districts, MAPS’ track record has shown we are good stewards of taxpayers’ dollars.
The referendum focuses on ensuring all of our schools have modern secure entrances, expanding our early childhood capacity, and updating our 70+ year old Mankato West to have facilities comparable to what is currently offered at Mankato East. The referendum does not propose anything outside the norm of what you’d expect a school district of our size to have.
The State’s Review and Comment process also serves as a check and balance for the costs associated with the projects. No concerns were raised in our proposed plan by the Minnesota Department of Education in their review.

Hear from Our Board Members on the Facility Referendum

Our School Board spent years hearing from experts and community members on the priority needs for our school buildings. Below are thoughts from our board members on why we voted unanimously to place two questions in front of voters on November 7.

zoom_out_map

Liz Ratcliff

“A successful school district is reflective of a flourishing community. Communities that invest in their schools and their children are investing in themselves. To prepare our students for successful futures, we must first ensure their safety and security. Expanding their learning spaces and opportunities with up-to-date facilities promotes optimal education and development for our kids and the community at large. Dedicated and thoughtful stewardship of our schools leads to thriving local economies, rising property values, and most importantly happy and successful kids who will be contributing citizens and future leaders! This facility referendum positions Mankato Area Public Schools to meet the challenges of our changing society and remain committed to future focused learning.”

zoom_out_map

Shannon Sinning

“The School Board moved forward with the referendum vote because the community requested it. Taking care of our facilities has always been a priority, and this referendum has been many years in the making. Over the past 18 months, our district has done three community surveys to do our due diligence on the topic. Those surveys told us the projects our citizens support and at what cost they were willing to pay through their taxes. The community created this referendum through those comprehensive surveys and our School Board acted on those recommendations by the citizens we were elected to represent.”

zoom_out_map

Kari Pratt

“The referendum on November 7th is so important for our schools and community. As a former teacher, I know that security on site as well as online are of the utmost importance for our students and staff. While providing that safety, it will also modernize our learning spaces, create dedicated special education classrooms, and update multiple spaces at West High School that directly impact student learning. We also know that early childhood education is a great predictor for success in school, and this referendum allows us to continue to expand our Early Learning Center to meet the needs of our community.”

zoom_out_map

Patrick Baker

“I was proud to attend Mankato Area Public Schools as a kid. Now with my daughters about to enter kindergarten, I want them to have the same high-quality experience I received in safe and modern buildings. Mankato is a great community in no small measure because we have great schools. This referendum is about keeping our school buildings in good repair so that they can better serve the teachers, staff and students who use them each day.”

Facility Referendum Videos

Our district has produced five videos explaining our referendum and the importance of each major component - Safety + Security, Early Childhood, Mankato West, and outdoor co-curricular improvements. Check them out!

Referendum Voting Information

Early voting is available now through November 6. On November 7, polling places will be open 7AM - 8PM. You can get more information and find your polling place for November 7 here: https://www.isd77.org/vote2023

Current COVID-19 Protocols

We’re grateful that the pandemic is over and that all MAPS schools have returned to normal operations. When COVID cases do occur, parents are doing a good job of keeping their kids out of school for five days to minimize its spread. Here is the flow chart distributed by the Minnesota Department of Health. Thankfully we haven’t had any significant outbreaks in MAPS!

If you have any questions about specific situations involving your student, please contact the health office at school.

Mankato West & Dakota Meadows Updates

The School Board at last week’s meeting heard reports from our leaders at Mankato West High School and Dakota Meadows Middle School related to what the start of the year has looked like for staff and students and key initiatives they are pursuing to advance learning and the student experience in their schools. The board was glad to hear that enrollment is up at both schools over their projections, absences are decreasing, suspensions are down significantly, and the school year is off to a great start. Links to each school’s presentation are below.

Dakota Meadows Middle School Presentation

Mankato West High School Presentation

MAPS Student Spotlight

The School Board was pleased to celebrate Annika Olivio, a school counselor at Jefferson and Bridges elementaries, at our October Staff Spotlight. Said Principal Jody Rittmiller, “Annika's talent for effective communication and building partnerships within the school community, as well as strengthening connections with families, is invaluable. This holistic approach to student support ensures that there is a strong network of care in place to help students thrive academically and emotionally.” Said students of Annika, “Mrs. Olivo always knows what to do when I am having big feelings.” “She has the best fidgets, teaches me breathing exercises and has all kinds of tools that help me to calm down…besides that she is the nicest!!” And another student shared, “Mrs. Olivo is always calm and shows me how to respond as well as how to just be a good person.”

Thank you, Annika, for your outstanding work and dedication to our #MAPSready community!

Out and About

Our School Board members have been busy “out and about” among our school community. Here are some snapshots of what we’ve been up to!

School Board member Kari Pratt and district communications coordinator Mel Helling attended homecoming at Mankato East.

School Board Vice Chair Kristi Schuck (who’s daughter was on the court!) caught up with Principal Blasing at Mankato West.

School Board Member Patrick Baker attended the Franklin Fall Festival. Thanks to the Franklin PTO and the Minnesota State University College of Education for their great work to host!

School Board Member Patrick Baker visited the students and staff at Central High School. What impressed him most was the amazing student artwork all throughout the school. Amazing talent!

School Board Member Patrick Baker, district technology director Angie Potts, district communications coordinator Mel Helling, and DMMS teacher Laura Bemel cheered on runners at the Mankato Marathon.