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Community speakers urge board to protect arts, extracurriculars and nonpartisan governance amid budget worries
Summary
During the public comment period on July 14, retired teacher Steve Lyons and recent graduate Emily McCuller urged the Anoka‑Hennepin School Board to uphold nonpartisan decision‑making and to avoid cutting arts and athletics programs during budget reductions, arguing those programs support student engagement and graduation.
Two community speakers used the board’s public comment period on July 14 to make personal appeals about the district’s direction and budget priorities.
Steve Lyons, a retired music teacher who said he taught 33 years at Champlin Park High School, praised district educators and called on the board to remain nonpartisan. “The school board is a nonpartisan elected body,” Lyons said, and he urged members to “set aside political motivations and instead focus on what is fair, just, and right for every student in this district.”
Emily McCuller, a member of the district’s class of 2025, told the board she benefited from arts and athletics programs and warned that proposed staffing cuts were already eliminating opportunities at some buildings. McCuller said cutting music and arts removes “pro‑tective factors” that help students stay engaged and graduate. “This budget doesn't affect numbers on paper. It affects the kids who found their voices in choir,” she said, adding that arts participation correlates with higher graduation rates and lower risk behavior.
Both speakers asked the board to consider student supports when shaping budget decisions. No specific budget motion or fiscal action was taken at the July 14 meeting; the board’s truth‑in‑taxation calendar presented later in the meeting will frame fall budget hearings and public input.
