The Spring Lake Park School District is going through some of the most exciting times in its 50 year history. Thanks in large part to the tremendous public and staff support, the District has produced a dramatic turnaround in its financial stability, and its budgeted expenditures are aligned with its Strategic Directions.

This, taken together with a moderate but steady growth in student population, has resulted in two consecutive annual upgrades by Moody’s in the District’s bond ratings, a significant reflection of their confidence in the district’s financial decisions.

The District’s professional training opportunities provided to its staff are done as well as any school district in the state. Even more important are the many exciting initiatives being implemented to improve student achievement.

Still, the most visible examples of these exciting times are the facilities construction and renovation projects that have already begun, thanks once again to our very supportive community. The four-year facilities improvement program will benefit this—and future—generations of students in major and exciting ways.

This has been a busy summer filled with lots of meetings and lots of progress. And, based on the many discussions that I have had throughout the school district, it has also been an exciting time for members of the community as well.

For those who aren’t aware, the school construction this summer occurred at Park Terrace Elementary School, located in Spring Lake Park, where four elementary and three kindergarten classrooms were added, and at Westwood Intermediate School, located in Blaine, where a new media center was added, and where the old media center was converted into two regular education classrooms and a special education area for offices and group instruction.

These projects will provide additional learning spaces for our increasing student population.

A New School Design Team, consisting of school and community members, completed its study this summer and has already made recommendations to the School Board for the new elementary school. Land has been purchased for the new K-3 elementary school, to open in the fall of 2008, just south of 125th street on Cloud Drive in Blaine.

In August, architects unveiled preliminary drawings based upon input from the school and community team. These drawings are available for viewing on our website.

At Spring Lake Park High School, Panther Stadium has benefited from significant drainage and track improvements, as well as an all-purpose, all-weather artificial turf. The addition of the artificial turf will provide the opportunity for at least ten times as much usage for a variety of activities, most notably, additional time for physical education throughout the school day.

In addition, a community-based volunteer committee, named the Construction Oversight Group, has been meeting regularly to receive information and to offer questions and suggestions regarding the district’s facilities improvement projects.

This summer, the district also purchased the HealthPartners building, located east of Highway 65 on 81st Avenue NE.

The original plan was to use the facility as a staging area for high school students, early childhood programs, and district-wide services personnel when parts of the high school complex are torn down. However, one of the primary recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Education was to remove from the high school site any programs that are not related to the high school.

Therefore, the School Board is going to consider not just a temporary relocation for its district-wide services, but a permanent move after this facility is used for staging purposes. The Board will discuss that option at a future School Board meeting.

Another reason that this is such an exciting year is that this is the 50th anniversary of the very first graduating class of Spring Lake Park High School. The first Spring Lake Park class to graduate did so at the end of the 1956-57 school year, so the district and its alumni hope to celebrate key events throughout the school year. One of those activities will occur at Homecoming, to be held on Friday, September 29 and the other major activity, a 1957-2007 All-Class Reunion, will occur on August 18, 2007, as the culminating event.

This year will be one that is filled with fun historical facts.

Interestingly, from 1957 through 1965, some of District 16’s elementary students were actually taught at the Twin Cities Arsenal, located just off County Road 10 on the east side of Interstate 35W. This was necessary due to space limitations during that time. The original lease was $15,000/year, eventually negotiated down to $15/year. Ross Johnson was its principal, and he later served this district as a School Board member.

It’s important to celebrate milestones and highlights, and, with the construction of a new track and football field, I was told of how the first Spring Lake Park High School track was built. Legend has it that Superintendent Ed Knalson and high school physical education instructor Don Watson actually took it upon themselves to create the original track, using a World War II bulldozer! I guess you just can’t get help like that nowadays….

This is a special time for our school district and for our community. Please feel free to check out the new construction, watch for our School Board meetings on cable TV, and check us out on our website at www.springlakeparkschools.org. You can also sign up for E-news Updates by going to our website.

I know you’ll continue to feel proud of this tremendous school community during these exciting times.

Here’s to a successful 2006-07 school year