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Parents, staff and students urge Anoka‑Hennepin to keep two social workers at Oxbow Creek
Summary
Dozens of parents, teachers and a fourth‑grader told the Anoka‑Hennepin School Board the planned cut from two social workers to one at Oxbow Creek Elementary would remove critical early interventions and leave many students without help. Speakers asked the board to pursue a levy referendum or other funding to preserve positions.
Dozens of community members urged the Anoka‑Hennepin School Board on March 23 to reverse a planned staffing cut that would leave Oxbow Creek Elementary — a school with about 1,100 students — with a single social worker.
Sarah Nelson, a teacher at Oxbow Creek who said she has relied on social workers for more than 20 years, told the board that school social workers are the district’s frontline for students in crisis and that removing one of two positions would make support purely reactive. "Social workers are integral, vital and essential to the work we're doing," she said.
Multiple speakers described concrete examples. Gina Newlander, a social worker at Oxbow Creek since 1999, said the building’s large size makes the proposed cut particularly harmful and described daily duties that include arrival and dismissal supervision, classroom interventions, small groups and family‑resource navigation. Parent Mara Niedermeier asked the board to place a levy referendum on the ballot so voters can decide if they want to restore the positions.
A fourth grader, Nolan Zelski, described how his social worker helped him manage anxiety and improve academically; several parent speakers said small‑group interventions and 504 plan support would disappear without the second social worker. Jessica Plain, a PTO board member, said the two Oxbow social workers already work an extra 20–30 hours a week to meet needs and that cutting a position would remove early supports that help classrooms function.
Board members acknowledged community concern. The chair thanked speakers and said written testimony can be left with staff. The board did not take a formal vote on staffing at the March 23 meeting; budget items that could affect positions were discussed later in the agenda and will return for future action.
The public testimony also included requests for broader community engagement: several speakers encouraged the board to let voters decide on a levy if restoring positions requires additional local funding. The board’s finance presentation noted an amended FY25‑26 budget will return for a vote on April 27 and staff will continue to refine FY27 projections in coming months.
For now, the district has not announced a final decision for Oxbow Creek social‑work allocations; speakers asked the board to prioritize student supports while officials complete budget amendments and fiscal‑year planning.
