Osseo area schools introduce new principal at Maple Grove site; community to pick school name July 1

Dr. Kim Heil introduced Patrick Smith as the incoming principal at the Osseo Public School District’s new elementary site in Maple Grove, saying the district is "holding space" at the location while work begins on the school.

Principal Patrick Smith described his elementary-school background, saying, "Actually, my career started as a third grade teacher." He said he worked in the Robbinsdale School District as a teacher and instructional assistant, had four years of experience as an elementary principal before joining Osseo, and served as principal at Basswood Elementary for six years, totaling about 10 years in elementary school leadership.

Smith said community participation will be an early priority when the school moves toward opening. "Starting July 1, we gotta name the school," he said, adding that selecting colors and a mascot will also be part of a community-driven process. "Naming the school, picking colors, picking a mascot, those are things that we wanna involve our community in and ... a collective effort to create, really the foundation of what's to come," he said.

The conversation ended with brief expressions of enthusiasm from those on site and a closing line referencing the district's community focus: "1 community for all, Osseo area schools." No formal appointment vote or board action was recorded in the transcript; the exchange was an on-site introduction and planning remark about community engagement for the new school.