News & Information Center

Your one-stop shop for all the news and information related to St. Louis Park Public Schools.

Headlines

Community Meetings Regarding Special Election Announced

St. Louis Park Public Schools will host a series of informational meetings related to the August 9 Special Election. Dates, times and locations are listed below:

Wednesday, May 18 | 6:00 p.m. | St. Louis Park High School - Room C350
Thursday, May 26 | 7:30 p.m. | St. Louis Park High School - Room C350
Monday, June 6 | 7:00 p.m. | Virtual via Zoom | Zoom Link

At least one of the meetings will be recorded and posted on the District's YouTube channel.

Park Virtual Now Enrolling Students

Students and families interested in pursuing a virtual learning experience for the 2022-23 school year can now enroll in St. Louis Park's new Park Virtual program. Park Virtual will provide a rigorous academic experience that is aligned to state standards while flexible to meet the unique needs of every student and family situation. To learn more about Park Virtual and to enroll your student, visit the Park Virtual website.

K-5 Summer Learning Academy Details Announced

St. Louis Park Public Schools and St. Louis Park Community Education is excited to announce a number of summer program opportunities for families with K-5 students. The K-5 Summer Learning Academy provides enrichment in the areas of literacy, math, wellness, global & social justice, and arts. This year's Summer Learning Academy will take place from June 20 through August 4 at Peter Hobart Elementary School. Learn More.

April 27 Update on Middle School Principal Search

On April 27, Superintendent Osei announced that he has made the decision to suspend the Middle School Principal selection process at this time and will instead name current Middle School Assistant Principal Jason Boll as Interim Principal for the 2022-23 school year. "Jason is a knowledgeable and caring school leader with extensive experience at the Middle School. Jason has served as the assistant principal at the Middle School for 13 years. Prior to serving as assistant principal, he served as a dean of students and math teacher," Superintendent Osei said. "During all of these experiences at the Middle School, he has demonstrated the ability to implement effective strategies to elevate student voice, engage stakeholders, and foster a supportive learning environment."

School Board Approves Questions for August Referendum

School Board Members unanimously approved two ballot questions for the bond referendum and capital project levy at the April 12, School Board Meeting. Question one asks voters to renew and expand by $500,000 the Capital Project Levy for Technology and Question two seeks approval for a $136 million bond referendum. Early voting for the referendum begins June 24 and the special election will take place during the August 9 primary election. Read More.

District Office Staff Relocate to District Buildings

Staff in the departments of Human Resources, Business Services, and the Enrollment Center vacated their office space at the District Office (6311 Wayzata Blvd.) last week. Employees in these departments have moved to open office space at buildings around the District. The new locations of these departments is as follows:

Enrollment Center - St. Louis Park High School circle entrance (6425 West 33rd Street)
Business Services - Lenox Community Center (6715 Minnetonka Blvd.)
Human Resources - Lenox Community Center (6715 Minnetonka Blvd.)

Echo Receives Prestigious Pacemaker Award

Echo, the student-led newspaper and online news site at St. Louis Park High School, was recently one of 20 student news organizations awarded with an Online Pacemaker Award by the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA). The NSPA Pacemaker, one of the oldest awards for scholastic journalism, has a rich tradition. The association started presenting the prestigious award to high school newspapers soon after the organization was founded in 1921.

Online Kindergarten Enrollment Now Open

Families looking to enroll a student into St. Louis Park Public Schools for the 2022-23 school year should visit the Enrollment Center website to start the online process. To be eligible for Kindergarten in the Fall of 2022, your student needs to turn 5 by September 1, 2022.

E-Newsletters

St. Louis Park Public Schools and the District's six schools regularly send communication to families via e-newsletters. Reading these newsletters is a great way to stay up-to-date on news and events happening in your child's school.

SLP Communicator (weekly districtwide parent/guardian e-newsletter)

6425 News (weekly High School e-newsletter)

Aquila Communicator (weekly Aquila Elementary School e-newsletter)

¡LaPrensa! (weekly Park Spanish Immersion Elementary School e-newsletter)

Oriole Times (weekly Middle School e-newsletter)

Peter Hobart Communicator (bi-weekly Peter Hobart Elementary School e-newsletter)

Susan Lindgren Communicator (weekly Susan Lindgren Elementary School e-newsletter)

Social Media Channels

Following St. Louis Park Public Schools is another great way to obtain news and information from the School District. You can find us on a number of platforms by using the links below.

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
YouTube | Flickr | LinkedIn

Submit a Story Idea

We want to hear what's happening in our schools and district! Share your story ideas with the Communications team for consideration to be published on our website and social media. Email your story ideas to communications@slpschools.org.

Video Library

We Are St. Louis Park Public Schools

Welcome to St. Louis Park High School

Early Learning Programs Overview

Using Restorative Practices in St. Louis Park Public Schools

Work for St. Louis Park Public Schools

Access additional video content on the District's YouTube channel.

Superintendent's Corner

May 11, 2022 (This message appeared in the 5/11/22 edition of the SLP Communicator)

Last night at the School Board study session, teacher leaders shared Curriculum and Program Review recommendations in the areas of Science, Language Arts and Literacy, and Multilingual education. I have a great deal of appreciation for the work of these teacher leaders and the investment they have made to enhance the academic experience for all students. These teams have spent countless hours over the past two years researching best practices, engaging local and national content experts, and understanding the needs of students and educators in the district.

If you would like to learn more about the recommendations in the areas of Science, Language Arts and Literacy, and Multilingual education, please click here to view the School Board presentation.

Over the past couple of months, I have engaged in conversations with students, staff, and families about the future of Honors, International Baccalaureate (IB), and Advanced Placement (AP) programming in the district. Most of the conversations I have had regarding these topics have centered around concerns about the elimination of these programs. Please know that as we move into the future, St. Louis Park Public Schools will not only continue to offer Honors, IB, and AP opportunities for students, but we will be expanding opportunities for students by adding additional IB, AP, and concurrent college enrollment courses.

While we will continue to offer these rigorous course options for students, we will be updating the manner in which we offer Honors for students in 6th-9th grade starting in the 2023-24 school year. We will be switching to a model currently being used in multiple neighboring districts where the Honors experience is embedded in core content grade level courses. This model will give us more flexibility with balancing class sizes and it will ensure that all students have access to foundational experiences that will prepare them to excel in IB, AP, and concurrent college enrollment courses.

With this change, students will still be able to select Honors during the registration process and will have an honors designation on their transcript. We will be preparing for this change next school year and providing professional development to ensure that staff are prepared to enrich and support the needs of our students in this model. Additionally, we will spend time next year preparing students with the information and support they need to take advantage of the opportunities that will be available to them.

Again, I would like to thank all of our teacher leaders who have developed these recommendations and have invested in the process to improve learning experiences and increase academic rigor for students. I continue to be thankful to work in a district that strives to see, inspire, and empower each learner to live their brilliance in an environment that centers student voice and experience to create racially equitable learning that energizes and enhances the spirit of our community.

With much appreciation,

Astein