Members of the community will have a chance to voice their concerns tonight at the Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board meeting, where the board will host a public hearing regarding the district's proposed budget cuts for the 2010-11 school year.

At the board's February 22 meeting, Director of Business Affairs Margo Nash unveiled a list of planned budget cuts totaling $3.7 million. These reductions include cutting 22.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) teaching positions and eliminating the Synergy program for gifted and talented students at Prior Lake High School.

By Meryn Fluker, Staff Writer

On March 4, less than two months after applying for the program, Minnesota was left off the U.S. Department of Education’s list of finalists for Race to the Top, a $4.35 billion effort to re-shape America’s educational system.

To receive the funds if their states were selected, local school districts were asked to submit a memorandum of agreement to their state departments of education. The Prior Lake-Savage Area School District was among the Minnesota districts to sign on for Race to the Top.

By Meryn Fluker, Staff Writer

The Prior Lake-Savage Area School District’s 2010-11 budget plan document includes some financial jargon referencing allocations and cash flow borrowing fees. But between the five-dollar words are some pretty clear sentiments:

“Increased class size K-5.”

“Eliminate high school Synergy.”

“Additional increase in class sizes.”

By Meryn Fluker, Staff Writer

On Monday, two weeks after approving $3.7 million in cuts for the Prior Lake-Savage Area School District’s 2010-11 budget, the School Board heard where those cuts may come from.

Things in the Prior Lake-Savage Area School District might get a lot slimmer next year.

At Monday's school board meeting, Director of Business Affairs Margo Nash presented the first reading of proposed budget reductions and cost additions for the 2010-11 school year. The plan includes reducing administrative costs by 11 percent, which is estimated to save more than $350,000, and over $1 million of reductions in instructional, custodial, clerical and other student support.

At tonight's meeting, the Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board will find out whether the first cut is the deepest.

Margo Nash, district director of business affairs, will present the first reading of the recommended budget reductions and plan for the 2010-11 school year.

Nash's presentation follows the board's unanimous vote at its Jan. 25 meeting to cut $3.7 million from next year's budget. While the board settled on a number, members did not outline what areas would be cut to reach the $3.7 million figure.

By Meryn Fluker, Staff Writer

After an almost three-month hiatus, the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools’ Growth Task Force is back in action.

Armed with a new charge statement, the group has met twice, on Jan. 28 and Feb. 11, to discuss long-term solutions to overcrowding in the district’s facilities.

The updated charge statement, which defines the committee’s purpose and goals, now tasks the group with devising recommendations that address school district needs for four years into the future and beyond.

By Meryn Fluker, Staff Writer

That feeling someone’s watching is about to multiply for students at Prior Lake High School.

At its meeting last night, the Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board voted unanimously to close open enrollment to Prior Lake High School.

Superintendent Sue Ann Gruver updated the board on the high school's enrollment situation and said the district had received 21 open-enrollment applications to the school for the 2010-11 school year. She then asked the board to accept those applications and vote to close open enrollment.

The Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board will vote at tonight's meeting whether or not to close open enrollment to Prior Lake High School for the 2010-11 school year.

Tonight's action follows the board's 6-1 vote at a Jan. 25 meeting to allow open enrollment to the high school beginning on Jan. 26. At that meeting, the board also approved a threshold of 24 students. If more than 24 students apply for open enrollment, a lottery system will go into effect to determine which of those students will get to attend the high school next year.