August 11, 2009

Dear St. Louis Park Parents and Students:

The 2009-10 school year is coming soon and there is excitement in the air as we welcome students, parents, staff and community members to our schools and programs! A reminder to all...school begins in St. Louis Park before Labor Day this year! School starts on Tuesday, September 1st for students in Grades 1-12 and Thursday, September 3rd for Kindergarteners. There is no school on Labor Day (Monday, September 7th). Please watch your mailboxes this month for back-to-school information from individual schools.

St. Louis Park Public Schools continues to make changes in curriculum and instruction that will benefit all of our students! In the coming year, we will focus our energies on equity and putting an end to the racial achievement gap in our schools while raising the achievement level of all students. There are multiple district initiatives underway to ensure that all students have access to an equitable and high-quality education.

As a school district, we are committed to maintaining high quality education for our students as they work toward achieving the high academic standards set by the school district as well as by state and federal mandates. Both St. Louis Park Public Schools and Cedar Manor Intermediate Center have been identified as in need of improvement due to not making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) proficiency targets. See the attached letter regarding AYP for detailed information. We acknowledge that additional effort is needed to improve student achievement and we are working diligently to improve the education for all Park students.

Working in partnership with the City of St. Louis Park and Park Nicollet Health Services, the school district is reviewing and recommitting to its strategic plan for the long-term success of the district. The plan will serve as a blueprint for change and a framework for decision making for St. Louis Park Public Schools now and in the future. Work is on-going and it is anticipated that the Revised Strategic Plan will be completed and presented to school board, staff, parents, students and community members Fall 2009.

In conjunction with the Revised Strategic Plan, the school district is currently working on a Districtwide Facilities Plan to determine the needs and best use of district facilities. The study has already revealed that the school district currently operates an excess amount of space creating an opportunity to "right-size" the school district and capture additional budget dollars while providing better educational opportunities for all students. Additional information will be forthcoming this Fall.

Again this year, there is much Good News to share:

• Newsweek has named St. Louis Park Senior High School the top high school in Minnesota in its list of "America's Top Public High Schools," (June 2009). The High School is ranked 105 in the list of the nations top 1,500 high schools.
• In 2009, the district celebrated 12 graduates who received International Baccalaureate Diplomas.
• The City of St. Louis Park is a three-time winner and recipient of the "100 Best Communities for Young People Award" given by the America's Promise Alliance.

This is just a sampling of the good news to be shared about St. Louis Park Public Schools. We look forward to another exciting year working with students, parents, families and communities to achieve success, one student at a time!

Sincerely,

Debra L. Bowers
Superintendent