The safety and security of our students, staff and community is the highest priority of the district. Last year’s community-approved technology levy funded the technology needed for safety and security improvements at district schools. The Building a Better Future, Phase II plan, if approved by voters, would address safety and security needs in relation to the physical school buildings. This includes improvements to the entrances at Maple Grove, Osseo and Park Center Senior High Schools and additional safety/security enhancements at all schools in order to meet district standards as well as the latest safety/security best practices.
I thought the 2022 levies addressed safety/security. What are the current needs?
If approved by voters, the tax increase would be less than $7/month for the average-value home in our district ($300,000). Use the tax calculator page to find out the impact to you.
If approved by voters, the Phase II plan would enable the district to have similarly-sized classes throughout the district, especially for our elementary classes and core class at middle and high schools like English, math and science. In other words classes that are reaching the higher end of the class size targets will not be hitting these limits quite so much.
More students are a part of our specialized learning programs. A study determined that additional space is needed to accommodate this growth and any existing spaces need to be adjusted to accommodate unique learning needs. Right now there are many instances where dedicated space doesn’t exist so students are moved from room to room throughout the day. Additionally, spaces created in the 1950s and ‘60s aren’t equipped to handle the unique learning needs of our students.
Our district has been committed to investing in our school buildings in an equitable manner. Investments by city from 2018 to today, including proposed Building a Better Future, Phase II projects, shows that Brooklyn Park will receive about $2 million more than Maple Grove if voters approve (Maple Grove 41.6% of dollars, Brooklyn Park 42.5% of dollars).
The majority of construction would be completed in three to four years. A detailed timeline will be shared soon.
Building a Better Future, Phase II, builds upon the work already started in Phase I and the district’s new strategic plan. These are the school building improvements that would continue that forward movement. Note: These proposed projects were determined through a multi-year research process that involved students, staff, families and community members.