Fall Home & Garden Page 13
Fall Recycling Page 17
September 2017 | Volume 25, Issue 2
Randy Gerdin’s final I Hate When That Happens
I’m FREE. Pick me up and READ ME!
Page 21
I have all sorts of community and school news.
www.the-courier.org | news@isd15.org
The Courier
Independent School District 15 Communications Department St. Francis, Minnesota Serving the communities of Andover, Athens Township, Bethel, East Bethel, Linwood Township, Nowthen, Oak Grove, St. Francis and Stanford Township
November Bond Referendum Katrinna Dodge
Staff Writer
The school board of Independent School District 15 (ISD 15) is proposing an $80 million bond to be voted on November 7, an approximate additional $1.74 annually for the current value of a $200,000 home on current tax rates over a 25-year period. On July 24, ISD 15 administration submitted official paperwork to the Commissioner of Education for the state of Minnesota for Review and Comment. On August 14, the school board approved the
election date, ballot, polling places and absentee voting. Residents of ISD 15 can vote on November 7 between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on the following question: Shall the school board of Independent School District 15 (St. Francis), Minnesota, be authorized to issue general obligation school building bonds in an amount not to exceed $80,060,000 for acquisition and betterment of school facilities? Residents can submit absentee ballots starting September 22 at ISD 15’s Central Services Center and at Anoka
Independent School District 15 Community Education Rec Department along with St. Francis High School football players and coaches hosted a Youth Camp for grade K-8 students July 24-27. Junior offensive tackle (pictured left) John Westling mentors a future Saint during an offensive line drill. Submitted photo
County Government Center or vote on November 7 at their precinct polling location: Precinct 1 All territory in ISD 15 located in the Cities of Bethel, St. Francis and Nowthen, and Stanford, Athens and Spencerbrook Townships. Polling Place ISD 15 Central Services Center 4115 Ambassador Blvd. NW St. Francis, MN Precinct 2 All territory in ISD 15 located in Cities of Andover and Oak Grove Polling Place Lifelong Learning Center 18900 Cedar Drive Oak Grove, MN Precinct 3 All territory in ISD 15 located in the City of East Bethel and Linwood Township Polling Place East Bethel Senior Center 2241 221st Avenue NE East Bethel, MN The bond will address deferred maintenance and physical facility needs within existing district facilities; include renovations, additions and site improvements on existing facilities to eliminate portable classrooms, reorganize growing and emerging programs (i.e. special educations), and renovate and update spaces to accommodate 21st Century learning concepts, programmatic and curricular goals; improve security through updating entries to ensure safety and welcoming environments for all district students, staff and community users; and address improvements for onsite Continued On Page 7
Volunteer for an Acne Study! If you or your child has 20 or more pimples on your face, we have a 3-month study that you or your child may qualify for.
Qualified participants will be reimbursed for time and travel Parental (or legal guardian) consent is required for all participants under the age of 18.
Lisa Rahn
ISD 15 Community Education Director
Independent School District (ISD) 15 is now in year three of its strategic plan, and the commitment and accountability continues. This past spring the core planning team, which first developed the strategic plan, reconvened to review progress made this past year and map out future recommendations. These recommendations were brought to the school board and approved in June. Susan Hintz from Transformation Systems Limited guided the team once again through the planning process. This past year the district focused on and completed the following results statements: 1) Every ISD 15 employee understands the strategic plan. 2) ISD 15 employees understand their role, purpose and value in achieving the mission and mission outcomes. The implementation team led by Nancy Wallace, Ryan Johnson and Lisa Rahn have worked closely with planning teams and the core planning results to identify the focus for 201718 results statements: 1) ISD 15 has a recognizable and consistent brand. 2) ISD 15 employees conduct themselves in a manner that promotes the strategic plan. 3) ISD 15 uses established protocols to support transparent communication to foster trust among all ISD 15 stakeholders. 4) A framework is adopted by ISD 15 to support continuous improvement toward aligning all programs and services with the mission. Teams identified to work on these results statements are dedicated as we continue this critical work. As one of our core value states: “Open exchanges of ideas and communicated planning are integral for continuous improvement.”
Inside
All participants are seen by a board certified Dermatologist Minnesota Clinical Study Center 7205 University Avenue NE Fridley, MN 55432
Steven Kempers, M.D. For more information, please call
763-502-2941
V01-123A-302
Volunteers, ages 9 years of age and older are wanted for an investigational drug research study that will compare topical study medications for acne.
Strategic plan continues to move Independent School District 15 forward
Schools in Action..................................... 2 School Board Highlights........................ 8 Community Education......................... 10 Community & Business........................ 19 Meetings, Events & Benefits................. 24 Sports & Outdoors................................ 25 Life........................................................... 28