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August 15, 2018
ISD 709 School News
Welcome Back!
- Students Grades 1-12 return to school Tuesday September 4, 2018.
- Kindergarten Students start school Thursday September 6, 2018
ISD 709 Back to School Packets arrive in homes in late August or check the links on this page for electronic copy.
School specific information will be sent to families in August, please contact your school for more information.
Need Help with Backpacks, School Supplies? CHUM and Duluth Public Schools will host a Back to School Fair on Thursday, August 23, 9AM - 2PM at three locations: Laura MacArthur, Myers-Wilkins and Congdon Park Elementary. Open to all Duluth children ages K-12. Families with limited resources can receive the school supplies and backpacks they need, please bring an ID for each student.
Many thanks to CHUM for their support, check their website for more information.
The Duluth East Daredevils donated their Third Annual Robotics Camp to the Dave Goldberg Family Boys and Girls Club at the Heritage Center. With a dozen youth participating the Daredevils provided opportunities for participants to build and program robots, many of them for the first time. The Boys and Girls Club Camp is one way for the Daredevils to give back to the community. Thanks to WDIO-TV10 for the coverage: https://bit.ly/2nzSONp
November 6 Education Levy Questions Discussed
At the August Business Committee meeting, district leaders reviewed and discussed a referendum that would ask voters to consider renewing and increasing education funding in Duluth. Click here to review the presentation.
Increasing current local education funding would help support community priorities and goals, including class size, classroom technology and increasing student opportunities through schedule changes. The Board will vote on the ballot questions at their regular meeting Tuesday August 21, 2018.
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Question 1: Renewal
· Maintain current levy investment of 16-18 full-time teacher positions to support class size
· This does not result in a property tax increase
· If Question 1 fails, Questions 2 & 3 automatically fail.
Question 2: Class Size
· Adds approximately 25 teachers district-wide to manage class size, increase site funding for specific supports based on needs
· Increase of $8.64 per month for the average home*
· If Questions 1 and 2 fail, Question 3 automatically fails.
Question 3: 1 to 1 Classroom Technology Across the District
· Provide students and staff with devices, upgrade systems, training and technical support
· Additional Increase of $5.03 per month for the average home*
During the meeting another possibility was discussed for Question 3, that of changing middle and high school schedules to provide secondary students an opportunity to fit additional courses into the school year. That option would be an additional increase of $5.78 per month for the average home.*
*Average Duluth Home $150,000
If the renewal doesn’t pass, schools will lose about $3.3 million in local education funding and class sizes would rise significantly over time. There would be slow or no updates to classroom technology. The proposed referendum revenue authorization would be for ten years.
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New School and District Websites Update
You’ll still find us at www.ISD709.org, it's a different website, designed to be more user friendly and work well with mobile and assistive devices (ADA compliant).
SCHOOL WEBSITE ADDRESSES HAVE CHANGED!
Please change your publications, web and social media links, etc. and let school families know your new school web address. We're pushing out this information via district communication tools, too, thanks for your help.
Congdon Park Elementary - www.isd709.org/congdon-elementary
Homecroft Elementary - www.isd709.org/homecroft-elementary
Lakewood Elementary - www.isd709.org/lakewood-elementary
Laura MacArthur Elementary - www.isd709.org/laura-macarthur
Lester Park Elementary - www.isd709.org/lester-park-elementary
Lowell Elementary - www.isd709.org/lowell-elementary
Myers-Wilkins Elementary - www.isd709.org/myerswilkins-elementary
Piedmont Elementary - www.isd709.org/piedmont-elementary
Stowe Elementary - www.isd709.org/stowe-elementary
Denfeld High School - www.isd709.org/denfeld
Duluth East High School - www.isd709.org/duluth-east
AEO Online High School - www.isd709.org/aeo
Lincoln Park Middle School - www.isd709.org/lincoln-park
Ordean East Middle School - www.isd709.org/ordean-east
Area Learning Center - www.isd709.org/area-learning-center
Residential/Day Treatment - www.isd709.org/rockridge-academy
Early Childhood - www.isd709.org/for-new-families/birth-to-pre-k
Please update your bookmarks. Email kathleen.kaufman@isd709.org if you have questions.
Congdon Park School Resumes Normal Operations
Congdon Park Elementary resumes normal operations this week. The building closed over the summer to facilitate efforts to eliminate an outdoor population of rats living on the Congdon Elementary school grounds.
“Their numbers appear to have dropped substantially from when we started and we will continue efforts to manage, reduce, and eliminate the population,” said Dave Spooner, ISD 709 Facilities Manager.
Congdon Elementary School is open for normal operations. School will resume for students Grades 1-5 September 4, 2018, Kindergarteners start school September 6.
Spooner said rodenticides in tamper-proof bait boxes will be applied until further notice on the Congdon School grounds near the storm water drainage system, burrow entrances and garbage cans at the back of the building. The rodenticides are the safest option for managing rodents at the school.
Minnesota law requires schools to maintain an estimated schedule of pesticide applications and make the schedule available to families and staff for review or copying at each school office. Spooner says notification and how to request a schedule has been sent to Congdon Park families and staff.
Stay Connected
Email: info@ISD709.org
Website: www.ISD709.org
Location: 215 N. 1st Avenue East, Duluth MN
Phone: 218-336-8700
Facebook: www.facebook.com/duluthpublicschools/
Twitter: @ISD709News