Parents and teachers told the Osseo Area Schools Board on Sept. 23 that promises tied to the Building a Better Future referendum are not yet visible in classrooms and asked for an action plan to address overcrowding, declining test scores and growing mental‑health needs.

Sarah Hemmon, a district resident, parent and former teacher, said the community voted for the referendum with expectations of enhanced individualized learning, smaller class sizes and more mental‑health support. Hemmon told the board that some west‑side elementary classrooms are “overcrowded with some elementary schools having 30 or more students without the support of an aid,” exceeding what she described as a state recommended average of 17 students per class; she also cited national averages from the National Center for Education Statistics and said 75% of the district’s elementary schools saw declining test scores in reading and math last year.

The nut graf: speakers asked the board to provide specifics — what interventions are being deployed to reverse declining achievement, whether class size targets will be reconsidered, and whether the district will increase counselors and social‑work staff now rather than wait for long‑term construction solutions.

Hemmon raised behavior‑and‑safety concerns, saying student behavior incidents and aggressive outbursts have increased since the pandemic and are affecting teacher morale and retention. She asked the district for immediate actions and for parents and teachers to be partners in solutions.

Board members did not take action during public comment but received the requests; the superintendent’s earlier remarks and building projects were referenced in the meeting’s superintendent report and construction update materials.

Ending: the comment concluded with a request that the board describe specific interventions and staffing plans to fulfill referendum commitments and reverse recent downward trends in test scores.