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As we bring this school year to a close starting Tuesday, May 28, students will not be able to charge lunch. If a student’s account is at $0.00 or a negative balance they will be offered a sandwich and a carton of milk. Lunch account balances and transactions may be viewed on the “Ties School View” section of the district’s website. Any student's negative lunch balances need to be reconciled. Deposits must be received before 9:00 a.m. to be recorded that day.
Also, if there is a positive balance in your student's lunch account and they are a graduating senior or do not plan to return to District 885 schools in the fall, please notify us. We will either transfer the balance to a sibling's account for the following year or issue a refund. Please call Dolores at 763-497-6537.
Eli Guillou, STMA senior, is a finalist for the MN DOT / AAA "Buckle Up and Pay Attention, Teens!" video commercial challenge. Here is the link to view his video (30-seconds) and to cast your vote for Eli's "Nightmare" video. (I’ve been told you don't have to fill out the short survey. Just go to the bottom to cast your vote.)
What happens if a family in one community pays $3.50 for a gallon of milk while another family in a neighboring community pays $10.50? What if the family pays three times as much for most of their everyday necessities? Obviously, the quality of life for that family is greatly diminished. This scenario plays out today in schools all across Minnesota.
Back in the 1980s, many school districts struggled to provide a quality education for their students. The state funding per student was inadequate, and schools were forced to rely on voter-approved school levies just to provide the very basics. Because the taxpayer cost per levy dollar was based on the individual property wealth of a school district, those districts with significant commercial or industrial development held a distinct advantage. The larger tax base lowered the cost for all. Taxpayers in districts with mostly residential development paid two or three times as much for each levy dollar, and were unable to support sufficient levy revenue for their schools. As a result, Minnesota’s education system became one of “haves” and “have-nots,” with the quality of a child’s education dependent mainly upon their zip code.
Please view the full press release for more information.
Jeanette Aanerud, Principal Fieldstone Elementary
At Fieldstone Elementary, the staff and families are working together to help our students be successful. Everyone has high standards and we are striving to reach “Every child, every day, every opportunity” (Anonymous).
Please view the full article for more information.
The St. Michael-Albertville School District has the following Minnesota Reading Corps positions available for the 2013-2014 school year beginning August 1st: Applications are submitted online to Minnesota Reading Corps.
As a Reading Corps Member, you’ll receive extensive training, support, and professional development opportunities. In addition, you’ll receive a modest living stipend, an education award, and may be eligible to receive other benefits. It is your chance to serve in your community, connect with students, and create lasting change – both in your life and a young child's life.
To read more about the program, including full position descriptions and to apply, visit www.MinnesotaReadingCorps.org - click on Become a Tutor.
Questions? Contact recruitment@mnedc.org or 866-859-2825
Increasing state equalization aid is among the top legislative priorities for STMA for the 2013 legislative session that begins January 8. The state established equalization aid to make taxpayer costs for school levies whether referendum levies that support teaching and learning or bond levies for building and remodeling schools the same across the state, regardless of the amount of commercial and industrial property in their districts. It works but the formula used to equalization calculations has not been adjusted since 1993. As a result of this outdated formula, taxpayers in low property wealth school districts like STMA have to pay more than homeowners in districts with high commercial property wealth to raise the same amount of school levy dollars. This is not only an unfair and unequal property tax system for taxpayers but results in the ability of some school districts to raise more money for their schools than those who live in low property wealth school districts and more educational opportunities for students in high property wealth school districts.
If you wish to learn more about equalization aid and how it affects STMA, click on the links below.
How Does Minnesota’s Educational Opportunity Gap Affect STMA?
The Pizza Video – All Students Must Have Equal Access To a High Quality Education
Parents/guardians can sign their children up for excess student accident insurance coverage for covered injuries related to school accidents. Several options are available including school time accident coverage, 24 hour accident coverage, football coverage, and dental coverage. The cost of the premium paid by the parents/guardians is based upon the coverage and benefit level. Parents/guardians can get information by going to the school or district web site, clicking on http://goo.gl/qhWpE. Insurance may be purchased by entering the student and contact information and selecting the payment method. The insurance site provides insurance plan coverage details and lists an insurance agent for questions.
STMA school district does not provide medical coverage for school related injuries due to an accident or for out of pocket expenses from family health insurance coverage. This accident insurance coverage is provided through Sentry Insurance Company as an option for parents/guardians to purchase.
STMA students outperformed their Minnesota counterparts on reading and math MCA tests. STMA averaged 9.1 percentage points higher than the state average of proficient students and 2.0 percentage points higher on math. STMA recorded 85.1% of students proficient in reading compared to the state average of 76%. The percentage of district students proficient in math was 67.4% compared to 65.4% for the state.
Superintendent Jim Behle reported several highlights. STMA’s reading scores showed an increase in the percentage of proficient students in reading for the sixth year in a row. Another first is that every grade recorded more than 80 percent of its students proficient ranging from 81.6% in seventh grade to 89.1% in tenth grade. State averages ranged from 71.4% in seventh grade to 80.4% in third and tenth grades.
View the full article for more details.
St. Michael-Albertville School District qualified as Top Workplaces according to a StarTribune survey of key factors that make up top workplaces. STMA joined 60 other Minnesota companies that met national work place standards based upon a confidential survey of employees conducted by Workplace Dynamics in partnership with the StarTribune. The results represent the third year the StarTribune conducted the research of Minnesota places to work.
Jim Behle, Superintendent said that STMA was invited to participate after an employee nominated the district. Employees could voluntarily agree to complete a survey rating the district on factors that are determined to contribute to a desirable place to work. There was no charge to the district or employees, nor were they compensated. Employees respond to question around six areas that cover factors such as career, pay and leadership as well as factors associated with the company heading in the right direction, communication and employees’ feelings of making a difference.
View the full release for more information.
Starting on Monday, April 9th, 2012 there will be a new look and feel for parents when they access our Parent Portal. Parents have been notified of the change through the district's Blackboard Connect system.
Check out our SchoolView Changes page to see what the difference will be!