Edina Public Schools — Transcript
Monday, October 13, 2025
EDINA Resource Night for Multilingual Families
Language Access Plan Approval
EDINA Education Fund Presentation and Support
Policy 606.5 - Selection and Reconsideration of Library Materials
Policy 624 - Online Learning (Complete Revision)
Policy 903 - Visitors to School District Buildings and Property
Approval of Policies 208, 516, 516.5, 524, and 713
Superintendent Search Process
Votes (8)
EDINA Resource Night for Multilingual Families Presentation
Dissent: None - unanimous support expressed
Cultural liaisons Hussein Osman, Blanca DeLeon, and Monzerat Seploveda presented on the expansion of Technology Night into a comprehensive resource event for multilingual families. The event evolved from a platform training initiative into a multi-resource gathering including transportation team members and high school counselors. Discussion focused on outreach mechanisms to ensure broad family participation, with emphasis on personal relationships, phone calls, voice recordings, and text messages as primary communication strategies. Board members praised the work and its alignment with district strategic goals.
EDINA Education Fund Presentation
Dissent: None - unanimous support expressed
Executive Director Kathy Rendleman presented the EDINA Education Fund's mission, funding sources, and programmatic work. The fund has distributed $8.9 million in grants since 1995. Current year funding priorities include $108,000 for literacy/science of reading (lowest in four years), $67,500 for STEAM programming, and $171,000 for mental health and wellness services. The fund manages student board members, tutor centers at middle schools, scholarships, alumni relations, and fiscal sponsorships for student clubs. Discussion highlighted the fund's role in providing 'early entry' funding for initiatives that advance district goals faster than budget cycles allow, with science of reading as a prime example.
Language Access Plan Approval
Dissent: None
Moved by Board Member [Timestamp not specified] · Seconded by Board Member [Timestamp not specified]
Dr. Franny Peak, Director of Achievement Equity and Multilingual Learning Learner Programming, presented the state-mandated Language Access Plan required for 2025-26. The plan establishes family rights to receive information in home language, access to interpreters for important meetings, and full participation in educational experiences. Key components include language identification procedures using the Minnesota Language Survey (with district-added fifth question on preferred contact language), three interpretation methods (over-the-phone, virtual remote, and in-person), and guidance on appropriate AI use for translation. Board discussion focused on ensuring families feel safe providing language information despite current political climate, partnering with PTOs for community building, and ensuring staff training and accessibility of interpretation services. The plan identifies gaps and adds new communication tools including Talking Points texting app and website language translation features.
Policy 606.5 - Selection and Reconsideration of Library Materials
Dissent: None
Director of Teaching and Learning Jod D. St. Hubert presented updates to Policy 606.5 aligning with MSBA model policy and 2024 state legislation. The policy addresses selection and reconsideration of library materials in media centers. Key changes include a formal reconsideration process with clear procedures, mandatory reporting to Minnesota Department of Education regardless of reconsideration outcome, and clarification that the policy applies to media centers only, not classroom libraries. Section 8 was added to implement 2024 legislation requiring MDE reporting. The appendix was revised to align policy language with implementation procedures. Board discussion clarified that classroom libraries fall under a different policy (606) addressing curriculum resources, and that library material review committees would operate on a district-wide basis when convened by the superintendent.
Policy 624 - Online Learning (Complete Revision)
Dissent: None
Assistant Superintendent Swinson presented a completely new Policy 624 to replace outdated provisions. The 2023 rewrite of Minnesota's online learning statute necessitated comprehensive policy revision. The new MSBA-aligned policy expands scope from supplemental online providers only to cover digital instruction, blended learning, online instructional sites, and supplemental online courses. The policy includes 10 defined terms (compared to 3 in the old policy), clear enrollment and credit procedures, appointment of an online learning liaison (Steven Cullison), and ensures PSO students receive equivalent supports to traditional classroom students. Board discussion focused on whether the district is obligated to provide online education options at elementary and middle school levels if students request them, given that the district currently does not offer such programs below high school. Assistant Superintendent Swinson clarified that the district would not be obligated to provide such services but could do so through MDE accreditation processes if desired.
Policy 903 - Visitors to School District Buildings and Property
Dissent: None
Assistant Superintendent Swinson presented Policy 903 with minor substantive changes focused primarily on appendix clarifications. Changes include revised PSO technology access language for clarity, slightly revised visitor conduct provisions allowing same discretion but more accurate language, improved photographing and filming language, and expansion of recreational vehicle prohibitions to include electric-assisted bicycles. The policy maintains district discretion in addressing visitor conduct issues while improving clarity and specificity.
Approval of Policies 208, 516, 516.5, 524, and 713
Dissent: None
Moved by Board Member [Timestamp not specified] · Seconded by Board Member Alenberg [Timestamp not specified]
The board voted to approve five policies that had been reviewed at the previous meeting with no changes since that discussion. Policy Chair Alenberg confirmed no substantive modifications had occurred and indicated readiness to proceed with approval. No questions or concerns were raised by board members.
Superintendent Search Process and MSBA Contract Approval
Dissent: Director Ellenburgg abstained due to her work with MSBA
Moved by Board Member [Timestamp not specified] · Seconded by Board Member [Timestamp not specified]
Chairperson Gabler announced that the board had previously voted on September 23rd to approve the Minnesota School Board Association (MSBA) as the preferred search firm for the permanent superintendent search. The consent agenda approved the contract with MSBA. A special meeting was scheduled for the following evening (October 14, 2025) at 6:30 PM to begin collaborative work with MSBA. The special meeting will include a board workshop titled 'Hiring the Right Superintendent' and discussion of search timeline, stakeholder surveys, and other beginning-of-search topics.
Notable Quotes (25)
Our work is based on the strategic plan B, strategy B.3. This event helped address cultural barriers to success for our Somali and Latino families.
When we switched the platform, we thought that it was a good idea to provide training for parents and students on how to use it, especially for parents who don't speak the language and don't have the computer skills to handle the new system.
With my community I reach out to them in multiple avenues like for example email will not work most of the time. It's either I have to phone call each one by one or do a voice recording and sometimes I get a lot of calls back or a text message or friends and families be like hey we have a meeting.
I see the impact that each of you have on our families and our students on a day-to-day basis and their eyes just light up and they're so grateful for the work that you do each and every day.
Our vision as EDINA Education Fund is to ensure educational excellence in the Edina public schools for all students and staff. We are here only to serve the Edina public schools.
We believe in serving every Hornet every day, 365 days a year in all 10 buildings from the early learning and family center all the way through grade 12.
Fundraising efforts are what can be done. That's not work that is worked into our budget, but it's really work that can do two things. It can either add extras to the classrooms after the budget is balanced or it can provide what we like to call at the ED fund early entry.
Since 1995, which is the year that we were established, the ED fund has put forward $8.9 million in grants to Edina public schools. That number is fairly conservative. It's the amount of money that I'm actually able to track down to the penny.
Edina public schools could not do what it needs to do for all of its students without the assistance of the ED fund. Constant support for the ed fund is one of the best ways possible for us to give us the flexibility at the school district level to address the different needs that we might have.
The family has a right to receive information about their child's education in their home language. If a family asks for that, they have a right to that. Families have a right to have an interpreter for important meetings about their child.
We come from the best intentions that we know all of our families want to be active participants in their child's educational career and our job in the education system is to help remove barriers for them. Language access plan is one way that we remove barriers for our families.
We don't look at a family and say, 'Oh, I heard you speaking with an accent' and make assumptions about a family's language and start contacting them in that language. We make no assumptions. We strictly go by what the family has shared with us on how they want to be communicated.
Our cultural liaisons are not interpreters. They do not interpret. Our cultural liaisons are there to be cultural support or affinity support for a family when they're in a meeting in a difficult time. We ask that if it is a challenging meeting that needs an interpreter that an interpreter is called.
Given the current state of certain things in our country right now, I could see families being leery about putting their language on forms when they register their students. I was just wondering if we communicate the purpose of why we're asking that and what we actually do with the information to ensure that families are comfortable giving us information.
I want to make sure that not only is this plan clearly approved and in place, but it's only as valuable to where we then have it accessible, authorized and encouraged to be used where it'll be most effective.
The purpose of this policy is the selection of and reconsideration of library materials. The area where the most changes occurred in alignment with MSBA wording is in the reconsideration section.
Section 8 was enacted in 2024 by legislation. If a person has a challenge of materials, they go to the principal and the media specialist at a building. If things are not resolved there, they take that to a more formal process using the appendix forms. If that happens, it has to also be reported to MDE, no matter the result of that reconsideration.
A lot of our teachers have classroom libraries. I truly believe our teachers are professionals who curate their classroom libraries with care and expertise. Would this policy apply to those libraries as well or just the media centers?
Our current policy 624 addressed online supplemental providers only. What is being recommended is that we pivot to the MSBA policy 624 that is far more comprehensive in nature.
The MSBA model policy expands the scope to cover digital instruction, blended learning, online instructional sites, and supplemental online courses. It ensures full compliance with the Minnesota online instruction act.
Given the fact that we don't offer online education opportunities below high school, the policy doesn't explicitly say where we're obligated or where these rules apply. Would we be obligated under the law to provide that if a student needed some sort of online or supplementary online education component?
We would not be obligated to do that but the policy would allow should we go through the MDE process to provide additional programming and accreditation we certainly could and the same guidance would apply.
There is a slightly revised PSO portion that was just rewritten for clarity so it's easier to understand what that portion of the policy was referring to regarding access to technology that PSO students have during the school day.
In appendix one for traffic and parking, we expanded the prohibition of recreational vehicles to include electric assisted bicycles. That is a new part of this policy.
On September 23rd, the board voted to approve the Minnesota School Board Association or MSBA as our preferred search firm in helping us with the permanent superintendent search. In tonight's consent agenda, the board approved the contract with MSBA and tomorrow evening at 6:30, we will be holding a special meeting with MSBA to begin our work together.
Ordinances & Resolutions (13)
State-mandated plan for 2025-26 school year establishing family rights to information in home language, interpreter access, and procedures for language identification and interpretation services
Organization of the School Calendar and School Day - reviewed per policy cycle with no changes
Selection and Reconsideration of Library Materials - updated to align with MSBA model policy and 2024 state legislation requiring mandatory MDE reporting of material challenges
Online Learning - comprehensive new policy replacing outdated supplemental provider-only language, covering digital instruction, blended learning, online instructional sites, and supplemental online courses with 10 defined terms and clear enrollment procedures
Visitors to School District Buildings and Property - clarified PSO technology access, visitor conduct provisions, photographing/filming language, and expanded recreational vehicle prohibitions to include electric-assisted bicycles
Policy approved without substantive changes from previous review
Policy approved without substantive changes from previous review
Policy approved without substantive changes from previous review
Policy approved without substantive changes from previous review
Policy approved without substantive changes from previous review
Contract approved for superintendent search services, with special meeting scheduled for October 14, 2025 at 6:30 PM
District strategic plan referenced as basis for EDINA Resource Night addressing cultural barriers to success for Somali and Latino families
Four-question enrollment survey used to identify family language preferences, with district adding fifth question about preferred contact language