Ward 6 Weekly Update 12/3/2021

I want to share with you the news from St Paul Public Schools regarding their proposed Envision SPPS plan that was passed by the Board of Education this week. I have been vocal about my opposition to the proposed school closures, in solidarity with the St Paul Federation of Educators, as it was clear to me that the originally proposed closures would disproportionately effect our immigrant students and students of color. The final results are extremely painful, and we’re going to see drastic changes throughout our entire district and city as whole that I hoped would have been prevented by the political will of our school board members.

Below is a summary of the resolution that was passed 5-2 this week by the SPPS Board of Education:

LNFI: Lower campus will merge with Upper campus at the end of the 2021 school year. LNFI Lower becomes an early childhood education hub.

John A Johnson: Closes and the end of the 2021 school year and students merge with Bruce Vento. Bruce Vento will be remodeled, design timeline to be shared at the December 14, 2021.

Galtier: Closes at the end of the 2021 school year and students merge with Hamline Elementary.

Jackson: Building closes at the end of the 2021 school year. Jackson Community School students will merge with Maxfield. Jackson Hmong Language will merge with Phalen Lake.

Cherokee Heights: Cherokee Montessori Program will close and the end of the 2021 school year. Students will merge with JJ Hill. Cherokee Heights reopens only as a community school.

Riverview: Riverview Community program closes at the end of the 2021 school year. Community School students will merge with Cherokee Heights as a community school. Spanish Language program will remain.

Obama: Obama will remain open through the 2022-2023 school year. Families will have the opportunity to learn about the Montessori method. Obama will reopen in 2024 or 2025 as a Montessori program, (with JJ Hill being relocated), and a middle school program.

Highwood Hills: Remains open

LEAP: Remains open

Wellstone: BioSmart and Spanish Language remain open

What happens next? SPPS has committed to seeking input from impacted communities on how to merge programs in a way that encourages families to attend, and to design an enrollment recruitment plan. 

For more information on these changes, and to connect with SPPS with your views on moving forward, please visit www.spps.org/envision. You can also send comments and questions by email to envision@spps.org. 

All Minnesotans are now eligible for their COVID-19 booster shot! Officials have authorized 'mixing and matching' COVID-19 vaccine boosters, meaning anybody who is eligible to get a booster shot can get either the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson booster shot regardless of what they received for their primary series. Make your appointment!

Saint Paul-Ramsey County Public Health has opened its COVID-19 vaccination clinics to the general public. Ramsey County is offering Pfizer and Moderna booster shots at clinics by appointment only. Registration is available online or individuals can call Ramsey County Public Health’s vaccine phone line at 651-266-1190 (Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) with questions or to get help. Up to $100 in gift cards are being offered!

COVID Community Coordinators (CCCs) are community-based organizations that connect Minnesota’s diverse communities to COVID testing, vaccination, and other resources. CCCs support Minnesotans who need COVID-19 information specific to their communities, including in their languages. Coordinators help community members find and get critical resources to deal with health concerns, as well as employment, food access, housing, child care, and legal rights. Search for a COVID Community Coordinator that fits your needs.

The State of Minnesota and Ramsey County have opened COVID-19 testing sites that are free and open to everyone who believes they need to be tested, with or without symptoms.

The COVID-19 Test at Home program is now available to all Minnesotans across the state. 

The State of Minnesota offers community testing at multiple locations. Currently, the closest Saint Paul locations include Roy Wilkins Auditorium and the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport in Terminal 1. Appointments can be made through the Vault Health registration site. Walk-ins are also accepted. 

Additional testing locations are open throughout the state.