School Board Work Session April 7, 2026 Audio Only

Tuesday, April 7, 2026

Cedar Island Elementary school tour and media center update

Special education programming and funding challenges

School boundary changes and impact on student enrollment

Community survey results from Morris Leatherman Company

District performance metrics and public trust indicators

Financial stewardship and funding referendum sentiment analysis

Areas of Interest (5)

District bucks statewide trend of dissatisfaction: 91% of residents trust the school district despite pandemic-era declines elsewhere.
Cedar Island Elementary faces significant upheaval: impending loss of 100 students and staff due to boundary changes.
Financial health check: High public trust in tax management would likely yield an easy passage for future funding referendums.
Parental satisfaction gap: Parents rate the school district significantly higher than the general community on quality and trust metrics.
The 'empty nester' demographic: A significant portion of the district's constituency lacks direct contact with schools, impacting survey results.

Notable Quotes (3)

Cedar Island is poised to lose just over a 100 students which is about a quarter of all students and 24. So um and that that comes along with equivalent declines in staffing.
— Alex Bird

Boundary changesDiscussing boundary change impacts.

You're in a position that moving forward you don't have to change people's minds. You have to make them more enthusiastic about what's happening in the schools.
— Peter Leatherman

District reputationInterpreting survey results for the board.

The school board is 25 points higher than the department. The administration is 82-6. It's better than a 5:1 ratio.
— Peter Leatherman

Governance performanceComparing public perception of board and administration.

People (5)

Thomas BrooksVice Chair

Chairing the work session and facilitating board discussion.

Tanya PrinceChair

Leading the meeting and board introductions.

Alex BirdPrincipal

Principal of Cedar Island Elementary hosting the meeting and presenting school culture.

1 quote

“Cedar Island is poised to lose just over a 100 students... equivalent declines in staffing... it's been a bit of a cloud.”

Discussing the impact of boundary changes on his school.

Peter LeathermanConsultant

Representative from Morris Leatherman Company presenting community survey data.

1 quote

“You're the only district that doesn't have lack of funding above 25% in 2026.”

Noting the district's positive standing compared to state trends.

KalaExecutive Director

Introduced the survey consultant and community relations oversight.

Places Mentioned

Cedar Island Elementary SchoolMaple GroveBrooklyn ParkClementBrooklyn Center

Events & Meetings (1)

Tuesday, April 7th, 2026 - School board work session at Cedar Island Elementary media center

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