[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6209455,"mediaKeyId","3734323-151bb49214fd38965957dc4ee985c29c","parentId",3734323,"title","Edina honors staff behind LETRS rollout; 270 staff have completed training","audioSeconds",544,"startMs",77000,"endMs",621000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3734323-151bb49214fd38965957dc4ee985c29c&start=77&end=621","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3734323-151bb49214fd38965957dc4ee985c29c/thumbnail_77000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6209455/Minnesota/Edina-honors-staff-behind-LETRS-rollout-270-staff-have-completed-training","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209455-e2518df773ca242c0dda1bc2f95d899c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773699007&Signature=QCLWDCstcxHKvB2wJITWQOgusbo5ji6xQPksQ1jZWGgib07PvOqJm9PHyUFGIWaqYP6P~mIxGrgAqJMe7xlZmw3p7jQ2JPrYfxlxCh5ZsB4cDpm-VMrrlAJtoocww7vBnSBMYUiG59kgzRsu2JcoodJ9yteVofIvN2Kqrkt78oiG4xmNXjXNGEEePTIq9h9nnGWkQmMSbZBX7AqUmK2~sW95Io4Rj7rqP1UH5OfM1T7SFTQnSuV~v~ISek8MJCIOUL3hJGJioSaEoXSmRDRU-JLPWAFgO6mHpjn2nCeVQODp67Rwoz1WgVRYlOKdyK9nSFqSJgyK8emqb9Qrav7f9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Edina Public School District","date","2025-06-10T09:15:46.763Z","article","The Edina Public Schools Board of Education on Monday recognized staff responsible for the district’s implementation of LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) professional development, praising the trainers and support staff who organized districtwide training.

Why it matters: LETRS is a research‑based, graduate‑level professional development program centered on the science of reading. District officials said the work supports teachers’ reading instruction and has contributed to year‑over‑year student growth.

Bethany Van Osdall, assistant director of teaching and learning, introduced the group and thanked the “small but mighty” team of trainers, coaches and administrators who organized and tracked training for more than 300 staff. Van Osdall said: “It is my true privilege and honor to sit before you with these fine educators … The Science of Reading has been an initiative that we've been working on for years and since this time started our student growth has increased every single year.”

Presenters named several staff who led training and logistics: Alyssa Barnes and Sue Johnson (trainers and classroom teachers), Sandra Harley (literacy coach and trainer), Pam Burling (systems and recordkeeping), Liz Den (pre‑K literacy coach), Joanne Karch and Jen Fralick (special education coordinators supporting rollout), plus additional cross‑department collaborators. The presenters described tasks that included scheduling, materials distribution, individualized communications for 300+ staff and managing trainer cohorts.

Board members praised the work and noted community support. A board member asked how many staff had completed training; staff answered, “270.” Another board member thanked the Edina Education Fund for providing most of the early funding that enabled district adoption before the state legislature provided additional support.

What the district said: Presenters emphasized that LETRS implementation is ongoing professional development, not a one‑time event, and highlighted a structure of internal facilitators, cross‑department support and celebration practices to sustain the work.

Next steps: District presenters said they will continue LETRS training and support and acknowledged additional staff who will continue to facilitate the program across the district.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Edina Public Schools - School Board Regular Meeting June 9th, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Edina Public Schools board recognized the district team that implemented LETRS professional development, noting 270 staff members have completed the training supported early on by the Edina Education Fund.","taxTitle","EDINA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Boards, Minnesota","taxId",38366,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6209458,"Edina board briefs community on operating‑referendum renewal window; approves preliminary FY2026 budget",3695,2847000,6542000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3734323-151bb49214fd38965957dc4ee985c29c&start=2847&end=6542","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3734323-151bb49214fd38965957dc4ee985c29c/thumbnail_2847000.jpg","/articles/6209458/Minnesota/Edina-board-briefs-community-on-operatingreferendum-renewal-window-approves-preliminary-FY2026-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209458-a35cae53f54474bc497817d0efa36aad/orig.mp4?Expires=1773699008&Signature=nzs3nQ1EsCA8A14L7Q5IGwkeAAl0eSAW4r0gs7gtClNr0f~ted~JFKqRV4Z6CM4DXdzCYr8dLkJxNUHoXUpmzUF~7pzcla4b~p61zv7nNla6~j0ZBTgCbGH22~pDSt-iB97aDPDHheZ0IBrwbxPwIeG7EDP43rvJKixoqF2CKSfHAqVmBkN~43BNp~oe~FQbFfZ6ENuURiJ0CPR2IY8Mjcj-3VrinVLKywoUCz0cWaCQyVIH-p5W~7o2kIkLcQufXGVd0VlNhPDyGx7V8RlsMWsqBpjMky7Z5Olkya1j6YBYtzJOa2SzCdASQzF7KuC2tRqqi7Rm~TNPRoWtjNL8Dg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Edina Public Schools Board of Education on Monday heard a presentation on the district’s operating‑referendum authority and then approved the administration’s preliminary budget for fiscal year 2026.

Why it matters: The operating referendum provides a substantial portion of local operating revenue. Under 2023 state legislation described by Finance Director Mert Woodard, boards may renew an existing operating referendum in the same amount and duration without a voter referendum during a limited window. The district’s current referendum generates roughly $21.5 million annually and is a major funding source for staffing and operations.

Operating referendum: Finance Director Mert Woodard told the board the district’s operating referendum was approved by voters in 2017 and is set to expire in fiscal 2028. He described a statutory renewal window that opens July 1, 2025, and closes June 15, 2027, during which the board may, by resolution, renew the same amount and term without a public election. Woodard said the district certified a levy of $2,261 per adjusted pupil (closer to the state cap of $2,288 after adjustments) and that next year the referendum will generate roughly $21.5 million in revenue. He said, “The $21,500,000 of revenue would equate to about 174 teachers,” underscoring the size of the levy’s effect on staffing capacity.

Preliminary FY2026 budget: The board voted to approve the administration’s preliminary general‑fund budget for fiscal 2026. Director Woodard summarized major assumptions: basic education aid increase of about $200 per adjusted pupil, continued referendum revenue tied to inflation, and no new material cost containment measures. The administration presented preliminary general‑fund figures of $167,614,828 in revenue and $165,331,168 in expenditures, with a projected unassigned fund balance of about 8.9% at year end — inside the board policy target of 6–10%.

Woodard noted the district’s short‑term stability stemmed from prior cost containments and some favorable revenue performance; he also warned of structural pressures further out. The forecast presented to the board shows potential deficits beginning in fiscal 2027 and growing in later years unless revenue or expenditure assumptions change. He said the administration plans to return with a recommendation on renewing the operating referendum at the July 14 meeting.

Board response and next steps: Board members asked procedural and fiscal questions about voter outreach, tax impacts and contingency options if the state changes caps. Director Woodard said that if the board elects not to act in the renewal window, the district would need to seek voter approval to reestablish the authority. The board approved the preliminary budget by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript.

What to watch: The board is expected to consider a resolution on the referendum renewal at a coming meeting; if it approves renewal by resolution in the statutory window, no special election would be required. If the board declines to act, the district would need to pursue a voter referendum to continue the authority beyond 2028.","Finance staff described a state law change allowing boards to renew an operating referendum without a public vote and outlined the district’s renewal window; the board approved a preliminary FY2026 budget projecting $167.6 million in general‑fund revenue and an 8.9% unassigned fund balance.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6209459,"Parents, staff urge pause to pilot that would split Southview Unified special‑education facilitator",1807,736000,2543000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3734323-151bb49214fd38965957dc4ee985c29c&start=736&end=2543","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3734323-151bb49214fd38965957dc4ee985c29c/thumbnail_736000.jpg","/articles/6209459/Minnesota/Parents-staff-urge-pause-to-pilot-that-would-split-Southview-Unified-specialeducation-facilitator","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209459-c5d214c7d3d831c410b919dc37bf786d/orig.mp4?Expires=1773699008&Signature=CZSrZ920Pv-uboaDBE0ZiBWiq~31Gfc1OpPf9DuUXMB4D~WSa4R0uaKqnVdN9mRJMhs975Py7Cb1pNaZDA4DaX-mVl4OuiMmXlM1ewHPi4qI-VMm9seJjoOxJI5mmGq4Dy2vSZbp0r1Y46Ug0n7jjthOAo3l08XXH1RSTDK~gdECt2BSD6fwRM5Z10W-uvWV4J12HZ6ZocSZvjKWfhPrv3QT8tf2V2Z0uViUARIRtxwENZlyA47Lry59BFkQd7~k~hA38A-346A6rG8XkbLa1TPu26tNpqkILlI3saXMPtHUwTDshrloXAh1fBmM9d-oiewKbnAxiJOxAOA650ufzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","More than a dozen parents, students and special‑education staff asked the Edina Public Schools Board of Education on Monday night to pause a district pilot that would split a full‑time special‑education facilitator between Southview and Valley View schools.

The speakers said the plan would cut key staff time at Southview, threaten the school’s nationally recognized Unified program and increase legal and safety risk for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). During the public comment period, the board did not answer questions; by board policy, public comments will be referred to the superintendent for follow up.

Why it matters: Southview’s Unified program, speakers said, is regarded statewide and nationally for inclusion and student outcomes. Community members warned that cutting facilitation at Southview to a half‑time role would increase caseloads, reduce crisis response capacity and jeopardize program funding tied to national recognitions and grants.

Marie Johnson, a Southview parent, told the board: “The plan cuts Whitney to halftime at Southview and halftime at Valleyview, doubling her caseload to 2 buildings and 324 IEP students.” She said the change “violates that metric, jeopardizing the banner and the 70,000 plus in Rotary, Edina Ed Fund, and polar plunge grants tied to it.”

Multiple parents and students described the Southview team as essential to safety and student progress. Becky Golden, a parent, said of a named staff member: “Whitney became our lifeline. She didn't just guide us through the red tape. She walked beside us with compassion, clarity, and care.” A student speaker described Unified as “where everyone's differences are celebrated and cherished,” and said the program created lifelong friendships and critical life skills.

Staff and team members directly involved with special education urged the board to preserve a full‑time facilitator at Southview. A representative of the district’s special‑education team said, “We come as United Special Education team to ask the board to reconsider splitting the facilitator position between Southview and Valleyview. We strongly believe this needs to remain a full time position at each school.” The team outlined operational concerns: a single half‑time facilitator would be responsible for dozens of case managers, more than 40 paraprofessionals, and hundreds of students and families across two buildings.

Speakers detailed multiple risks they said make the pilot unsafe or inequitable: compliance with IDEA timelines, increased legal and fiscal exposure, higher staff turnover, reduced crisis‑response capacity and the loss of a program model that the community views as a district asset. Robert Kunde, a parent, raised legal concerns and cited the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, saying, “If there's no education lead in special education at their school, how are you gonna meet that requirement?”

Several speakers also criticized the process and communication around the pilot. Parents and staff said the decision was made without prior consultation with affected staff, the Special Education Advisory Council or families; they asked the board to “press pause” until a collaborative, data‑driven analysis is completed.

What the board did: The public comment period ended without board response; the meeting proceeded to the consent agenda. Under board public‑comment rules, issues raised will be referred to the superintendent for follow up. No formal board vote on the pilot occurred during the meeting.

Clarifying details from speakers: parents and staff repeatedly cited a proposed caseload figure of about 324 IEP students if facilitation time is split; they also named grant funds (Rotary, Edina Education Fund, polar plunge proceeds) they said support the Unified program and could be jeopardized by staffing changes.

Next steps: Speakers asked the district to pause implementation of the pilot and produce a transparent, data‑backed plan that includes staff and parent input. The board did not take formal action during the meeting; any administrative follow‑up would be handled by the superintendent’s office under normal procedures.","Dozens of parents, students and special‑education staff urged the Edina Public Schools board to pause a proposed pilot to split a full‑time Southview facilitator between Southview and Valley View, saying the change would jeopardize a nationally recognized Unified program and create legal, safety and staffing risks.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Edina honors staff behind LETRS rollout; 270 staff have completed training

Edina board briefs community on operating‑referendum renewal window; approves preliminary FY2026 budget

Parents, staff urge pause to pilot that would split Southview Unified special‑education facilitator