Should Wayzata High School Expand to Accomdate Increase in Enrollment?

Patch wants to know what you think about the decision to purchase land for a possible expansion.

In a closed meeting on Jan. 28, District 284 school board members discussed details about the purchase of land that would allow Wayzata Public Schools to accommodate increased enrollment. About 3,200 students attend Wayzata High School. But within the next seven years, school board members say that the school will see an enrollment increase of about 500 students. In a Jan. 16 article, Patch reported that the school board is looking at purchasing between 13 and 37 acres of the golf course land near the high school. Theoretically, an addition would be made to the school, taking up playing field or parking space, and the golf course land would provide the additional space needed. Brenda Cassellius, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of …

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Letter to Editor: Etim Thanks District 279 Voters

Linda Etim was chosen as one of the new members of the Osseo School District 279 school board during the 2012 election.

The following was submitted by Osseo School District School Board candidate Linda Etim. She was voted in as a new member of the District 279 School Board during the 2012 election. I would like to thank all the voters for an excellent voter turn out and I appreciate all those who voted for me in this election.  It will be an honor and privilege to serve once again on the Osseo School District School Board on your behalf.  Again, thank you and I look forward to serving.   Linda Etim 

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Osseo School District 279 Levy Requests Voted Down

An operational levy and technology levy request were on the 2012 general election ballot.

Voters in the Osseo School District 279 have decided to vote down two school funding requests for the district. The operating levy request, according to the District 279 website, was to “increase academic achievement” in the district was on the Nov. 6 ballot along as was the technology levy request was to expand classroom technology. The operating levy request, question one on the ballot, failed by 116 votes with 50.09% of voters (33,908) voting no to the levy and 49.91% of voters (33,792) casting a yes vote, according to the unofficial results on the Minnesota Secretary of State website. The technology levy request, question two on the ballot, failed by 2,287 votes with 51.7% of voters (34,757) casting a no vote and 48.3% (32,470) yes …

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Osseo School District Report: Homecoming and Fundraising Runs

A wrap up of happenings in the Osseo School District 279 for Plymouth residents.

In northern Plymouth, a portion of the city’s residents lives in the Osseo School District. To keep you in the loop with what is going on in District 279, Plymouth Patch provides an update on some of the district happenings. The following articles recently appeared in Maple Grove Patch. Click on the headline to read the article. Photos: Maple Grove Senior High Homecoming Pepfest 2012 Maple Grove Senior High held their homecoming pepfest Friday, Oct. 5 as they prepared to meet the Centennial Cougars in football Friday night. Photos: Osseo Senior High Homecoming Pepfest 2012 Students at Osseo Senior High celebrated the end of homecoming week Friday, Oct. 5 including the crowing of the 2012 king and queen. Elm Creek Eagles Soar Mural at …

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Osseo School District Report: Ballot, Back to School and Buildings

A wrap up of happenings in the Osseo School District 279 for Plymouth residents.

In northern Plymouth, a portion of the city’s residents lives in the Osseo School District. To keep you in the loop with what is going on in District 279, Plymouth Patch provides an update on some of the district happenings. The following articles recently appeared in Maple Grove Patch. Click on the headline to read the article. District 279 Board Puts Levy Requests On Ballot The Osseo School District School Board recently approved resolutions to a request for an operating levy and technology levy on the Nov. 6, 2012 election ballot. 2012 Election: Candidates File for Osseo School District 279 School Board In the November general election, voters will decide on three people for Osseo School District 279 School Board. ISD 279 School Board …

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Osseo School Board Approves Purchase of Maple Grove Land for $1.96 Million

The District 279 School Board moves forward with the process to buy land in Maple Grove for a future district-owned bus facility.

The Osseo School District might soon become the owner of a 20-acre piece of property in Maple Grove. The District 279 School Board approved a resolution to purchase a piece of land on the corner of 85th Avenue North and Revere Lane North in Maple Grove for $1,960,200 at its meeting Oct. 18. “The purpose of this purchase agreement is to acquire land for future development of a district-owed bus facility that will allow us to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our contracted transportation services,” Assistant Superintendent Kim Riesgraf told the school board. Although there was no timeline outlined for the development of the bus facility, the anticipated purchase is a result of the district’s review of property and facility needs…

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Osseo School District Kindergarten Enrollment Exceeds Expectations

The School Board heard a preliminary enrollment report for the 2011-2012 school year. ISD 279 serves students in Maple Grove, Plymouth and seven other communities.

A full-day kindergarten option at several schools appears to be paying off for the Osseo School District. Preliminary enrollment numbers, along with class sizes, for the 2011-12 school year were presented to the District 279 School Board at the Oct. 18 meeting.  With those numbers came news that more kindergarten students are enrolling in the district than projected. The district initially thought about 1,590 kindergarten students would enroll for the 2011-12 school year. As of Oct. 1, the number of enrolled kindergartners was at 1,624, according to Assistant Superintendent Kim Riesgraf. “We see some good news in our kindergarten enrollment. Not only are we above projection, we have about 150 more kindergartners than last year,” Riesgraf …

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Class Sizes 'Slightly Smaller' in Osseo School District

A preliminary report presented at the District 279 School Board meeting showed how class sizes in schools in Maple Grove and other district communities are faring.

On average, elementary class sizes in the Osseo School District are “a bit smaller than last year,” according to Assistant Superintendent Keith Jacobus. He made a presentation at the Osseo School Board meeting Oct. 18. Each year district staff provides a preliminary review of class sizes in the district as of Oct. 1. Elementary At the elementary level, the average classroom size varies “slightly” from school to school at the elementary level, as outlined in graphics provided to the school board Schools such as Elm Creek Elementary and Oak View Elementary reported lower average class sizes, which they used state compensatory funds to accomplish. For example, there is an average of about 16 students per kindergarten class at Elm Creek …

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Back to School 2011-2012

Back to School in the Osseo School District

District 279 prepares for the 2011-2012 school year for more than 21,000 students district wide with some new additions. The Osseo School District spans across nine cities including Maple Grove and Plymouth.

It’s a new school year across the Osseo School District. As thousands of students across the fifth largest school district in the state find their new classrooms and teachers Sept. 6, other changes happened during the summer in the Maple Grove school buildings. For the 2011-2012 school year, here are some of the new changes happening in District 279 schools as provided by the Osseo School District.             -Partial or total roof replacement at Maple Grove Senior High and Fernbrook Elementary.             -Controlled entrances added at Basswood, Fernbrook, Oak View, Rice Lake and Weaver Lake Elementary.            -Clock/bell system replacement at Maple Grove Junior High and Basswood and Rice Lake Elementary.             -Concrete …

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District 279 Classrooms Get Technology Upgrade

It’s back to school soon and students in the Osseo School District aren’t the only ones getting new school supplies. District 279 serves all or parts Maple Grove, Plymouth and six other area communities.

Staff and students in the Osseo School District will see some technology upgrades in when school starts Tuesday, Sept. 6. District 279 Chief Technology Officer Tim Wilson gave an update of some the technology changes district wide at the Aug. 16 Osseo School District School Board meeting. The total cost for the updates referenced during the Aug. 16 meeting were about approximately $2.6 million from the District 279 capital budget, according to an email from Wilson. The funds for the projects were financed over three years, “which helps us with our budget by evening out the expense over multiple years instead of dealing with highly variable year-to-year expenses,” he said. Updates in the school district technology this summer, according to …

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