Prior Lake‑Savage board debates $4.1M in budget cuts and whether to close Twin Oaks pool

The Prior Lake‑Savage Area Schools Board of Education and district staff on Feb. 24 reviewed a package of proposed program and staffing reductions that administrators said would reduce roughly $4.1 million from the 2025‑26 general fund, and separately discussed mothballing or closing the Twin Oaks pool while exploring whether Community Education or outside partners could cover operating costs.

Administrators told the board the package includes personnel changes already authorized to proceed, program eliminations and contract reductions. Director of Finance/operations presentation materials and staff outlined these proposals in three phases: immediate staffing targets, program reductions under consideration now, and structural/operational changes for later years.

The proposals noted by administration include increasing class size targets (with resulting reductions in certified and noncertified positions described by staff), targeted reductions in special education paraprofessional hours ("reduce 3 elementary special ed paras, a half‑time high school special ed para, and adjust some special ed para hours"), elimination of the district's online program, and the elimination of certain contracts (EduCLIMBER, BrainPOP) and hardware reductions (fewer iPads for K‑1, fewer staff desktop computers). The board was told the district will close a leased Lakeville site and move some programming, including MinCAPS, into the high school to save transportation and facility costs.

Administration said a set of changes already authorized to move forward included reducing 6 FTEs (certified and noncertified combined,…