Is there any information yet on what Northeast K-8 will be if they close Waite Park Elementary? Will they make it a community school?

I think community schools add to everyone's home value in the neighborhood.

I've heard that the plan is to consolidate Waite Park Elementary, and one other elementary school in the Northeast Middle School building, to make one large K-8 institution.

I just returned from the November 17th meeting with more questions than before attending! I don’t think it would be wrong for me to say many others feel the same way. It was our chance to be heard, but I feel we also need our concerns addressed. It seems to me there is not enough supported information or structure to even consider beginning the proposed "steps" to restructuring our schools.

I believe this meeting was a start, however, was it set up just to make us "feel" like we can make a difference? Has the decision already been made?

As a member of Waite Park Community, a resident of Minneapolis, a taxpayer, a parent of children attending Waite Park (a Minneapolis public school), a PTA member, an employee of a Northeast area business, the wife of a Hennepin County employee, the great-great granddaughter (many times removed) of a pioneer of our great city who fought in the civil war, and came back and died helping build the city we call home, I think I have a say in what our elected officials decide to do.

My children are excited to one day go to Northeast Middle School. That time is when they are mature enough to make the right decisions when peer pressure is all around them to do something inappropriate. Take a second to revisit your childhood. It’s hard enough just going through the changes your body is going through let alone developing relationships with peers. To top it off, you are now expected to learn a mountain of information (and yes, this information will be on the test that will tell you if you are the genius your parents expect you to be). There is already so much pressure growing up that I think it is a mistake to expose our children to having to “impress” upperclassmen so as not to be teased, bullied, or ignored when they don’t “fit in”.

It's up to us, the people in our community, to stand up and fight for our right to choose! Yes, in recent years there has been a decline in enrollment. Let’s consider for a moment that the totals given to us also reflect a decision to give everyone the right to choose where their children attend school. Prior to that opportunity, children had to go to the school designated by boundaries set up by the district. Of course our enrollment was higher then. It was a choice between paying for a private school and attending the public school in the community in which you lived. My parents had no choices, but we as parents do. I think instead of closing down schools ((making people believe that Minneapolis is not a strong district because of the "decreasing enrollment" we are hearing about (Waite Park's enrollment is increasing by the way)) will ultimately send people running to other districts with a "stronger" record of success and stability. On my block alone there are children who go to St. Anthony, St. Charles, are home schooled, or go elsewhere. There are only 2 children who go to Waite Park that I know of. The other parents want to start their children elsewhere so they can develop friendships early on so it will be easier when the send them to St. Anthony or Columbia Heights Schools. They have no confidence that their children can get the best education in Minneapolis. THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED!!! Why would enrollment increase if our children are going to be sent to the one school they are trying to avoid? They are not avoiding the elementary schools they are avoiding the middle schools & high schools. Let’s start there! We have a great middle school program in place, now we need to get our families to come back and benefit from it.

Another option would be to strengthen the entire district. There are ways to cut costs yet retain stability and growth. Working to make Minneapolis Schools all team together. We have the tools and the combined intelligence, creativity and experience of many gifted teachers, staff, parents and students as well as concerned citizens to make a new proposal. Let’s make our schools a family of learning opportunities. Let’s share our strengths and our weaknesses so everyone can learn from them. Let’s restructure without losing any schools.

Our funding is also an issue. Technology is all around us and yet we are trying to recreate the wheel. Our children as well as every one of us are living in a time where nothing is impossible. We just saw a jet go 10 times the speed of sound. Ten Times...Wow! How will our children get the education they need to be our new leaders? THEY will be the ones taking care of US in no time at all. By taking away from them we are losing as well. The time to act is now! I propose we all get together and volunteer our experience, creativity, and expertise to formulate an even better solution. A win-win solution we can all agree upon.

If more people actually knew what was happening, this situation would have resolved itself long ago. All we need to do is PROVE WE CAN DO IT TOGETHER!!! For that we need more time to consider our options. Many people were at work during the meeting times for the structuring of the three scenarios, and others didn't even know the problem existed. In mere months OTHERS have decided the proposed fate of OUR future. Any rash decisions resulting in errors in judgment could take years to undo. What is the rush? Can this issue be reconsidered and tabled until next year when we've all had a change to digest the information and come to our own conclusions?

Waite Park School is a vital part of our community. The Park and Recreation Center, Community Education Classes, After School Programs, Rec Plus, and lets not forget the beautiful school we have just spent millions of dollars to renovate, are all stationed in the one place; OUR Waite Park COMMUNITY School. It will be closed and repurposed without the support of our community!

Everyone in favor of TEAMWORK need to join hands and hearts to fight for the education of our children!

Sincerely,

Lisa Foley