Fridley board hears fall activities, early-childhood gains and a $573,000 teacher-pipeline effort

At its November meeting the Fridley Public School District board heard reports on student activities, community engagement and a multi-pronged teacher-recruitment effort that district leaders said is designed to recruit and retain classroom staff.

Superintendent Dr. Lewis reported the district’s middle-school participation has risen substantially — particularly in winter sports — and attributed the gains to eliminating activity fees and providing transportation for students. Staff also highlighted a range of fall accomplishments: adapted soccer athletes earning varsity letters, a football team reaching section finals, a boys-soccer postseason run, a girls goalkeeper (Addison Alshire) setting an MSHSL career saves record with 1,117 saves and a successful blood drive that collected 58 pints against a 44-pint target.

Afilavi Ranjue, principal of the Fridley Community Center, reviewed fall events including a senior kickoff (more than 100 seniors), a fall festival for early-childhood families and Tiger Club family night (about 150 attendees), and noted translated materials and a one-page calendar are available in English, Hmong, Somali and Spanish.

Dr. Lewis described the district’s ‘Grow Your Own’ teacher pipeline in detail, saying the district has set aside $573,000 for the program. She explained the district leverages intermediate-district funds first and then supplements with district funds; the program directly pays tuition for participants pursuing licensure (rather than reimbursing them) and supports paraeducators, substitutes and international candidates through training and mentorship. The superintendent said there is no financial penalty or post-license service commitment required for participants, and she emphasized retention through supportive mentoring rather than punitive measures.

Dr. Lewis also criticized what she described as politically driven interventions that put students at the center of disputes, saying the situation “was yet another exercise in nonsense where our children were placed in the center of a political warfare and everyone that’s responsible for this should be ashamed of themselves.” A district leader responded in agreement that the comment “pretty much said it all.”

What’s next: Staff said they will provide Grow Your Own participation numbers and outcomes in the district’s upcoming SEWP update and will continue outreach and communications with families about events and supports.