[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6591971,"mediaKeyId","2987582-e2200e33653f2dcf18dce9742049b653","parentId",2987582,"title","Elk River board weighs Level 4 special-education facility, orders demographic study to guide long-term choices","audioSeconds",5806,"startMs",3490000,"endMs",9296000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2987582-e2200e33653f2dcf18dce9742049b653&start=3490&end=9296","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2987582-e2200e33653f2dcf18dce9742049b653/thumbnail_3490000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6591971/Minnesota/Elk-River-board-weighs-Level-4-special-education-facility-orders-demographic-study-to-guide-long-term-choices","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6591971-e8877a1b4b098b1935732666fabf8b9d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173466&Signature=DlQ~4Ov7~t1Iv8e5frA3peB0Jam0x0q-AMOqjFjVL-iQWCagtNQnBX0CpjpipEf05MPREp58BOZpsLv~gkQsT7huvB7VpYvngXGR8su0QE6WhsOJz~NiOBVjgm1VZxgd-FizvTsT9rphXYZVXZRLDDxKunjSl3MJ5h15eSQjAYiMsGA8LjKv1ips~NmXAXP9O9qUtcDGoUfk3kgm29b6k3rkOavpptlmBbbr1NiQz7OWdxD4fgfocgECRzDLXoNDq92JNXpDPxr9LkksLxGtxaoNyhlK~TYkk5SaVhY8lkQ5zuLn5ZG4Odu6GgMgiXmHBd5r3XMfp3daSM005TPMIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Elk River School District","date","2025-04-15T02:23:05.567Z","article","The ISD 728 school board on April 14 discussed competing options to serve students with high behavioral and intensive special‑education needs while confronting rapid enrollment growth on the district's south side.

The facilities committee recommended hiring a third‑party demographic firm to update long‑range enrollment projections, and presented high‑level cost estimates for repurposing existing buildings or building new space for Level 4 (the district’s most intensive special‑education setting) and alternative learning center (ALC) programs.

The board and staff said the demographic study will inform a community task force that begins meetings this fall and is expected to return recommendations in late 2025 or early 2026. Superintendent Olmos said executive cabinet is ready to present a new school‑perceptions survey at a work session in May and that the district will allow parents to opt their children out of the survey ahead of distribution.

Committee chair Director Steinbrecher said boundary adjustments alone will not provide a durable solution. “Boundary lines alone cannot be used as a solution for this growth,” Steinbrecher told the board, summarizing the committee’s review of maps and attendance zones. Director Weiss and other board members pressed for external validation of the committee’s assumptions before limiting the task force’s scope.

What the board heard and when

- Demographic study: The facilities committee recommended hiring “Hazel” (third‑party demographic work, referenced as Hazel Reinhart in discussion). The cost estimate given was about $10,000–$15,000. The district staff said they expect results by mid‑summer to inform the task force.

- Task force timeline and outreach: The committee said the district website and communications related to a community task force will go live April 28, with a press release and social media outreach planned; the task force orientation is slated to begin Sept. 11 and continue with multiple meetings through early January 2026.

- Student counts and program sizing: Staff presented current counts and high‑level projections for the district’s Level 4 programs. The board was told the district currently serves roughly 69 students in Level 4 programs, with a figure presented of 88 for a future snapshot that staff cautioned is “volatile” and subject to identification and enrollment changes. Planners estimated a dedicated facility could be sized initially for about 200 students with capacity to grow to roughly 300.

- Cost estimates (high level): The facilities presentation offered preliminary, budgetary ranges: a light renovation of an existing building roughly $950,000; a heavier renovation $7,000,000; a full renovation $14,000,000; remodeling an existing Ivan Sands site about $18,000,000; and new construction on a new site roughly $20,000,000. Staff noted ALC space currently does not qualify for lease‑levy funding while some other projects might. The board was told the district has about $24,000,000 in lease‑levy capacity that could be applied to capital work and that any use of those dollars affects other projects.

How the board is handling options

The facilities committee recommended the task force focus on a range of realistic choices rather than treat boundary changes as the primary fix. Committee materials and discussion indicated that moving attendance boundaries could offer only a short‑term relief (board and staff described it as a three‑to‑five‑year window in many scenarios) and would likely require repeat adjustments as growth continues; several board members disagreed on how restrictive the task force’s scope should be and asked that the external demographic study be completed before the board precludes options.

Board members pressed for clarity about which Level 4 students currently lack legally required placements versus students who are served within existing programs; staff said some programs (Journey, Focus and the 18–22 program) currently operate in district facilities but that a consolidated Level 4 facility would better meet a range of needs.

Next steps and context

Staff and board members said the Hazel demographic study will be used alongside the task force’s community input to develop options for the board. The facilities committee emphasized the work is at a “100,000‑foot” level and that more detailed scoping and line‑item budgets will follow. If the board chooses to pursue major capital work, staff said a referendum would be required for new construction and that lease‑levy dollars are finite.

The board did not vote on a preferred capital option at the April 14 meeting; committee members said they expect to return with additional data for the board and public as the demographic work and task‑force process proceed.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","ISD 728 School Board Livestream Live Stream","oneSentenceSummary","The ISD 728 school board on April 14 discussed options for a dedicated Level 4 special‑education facility and ordered a third‑party demographic study to inform a community task force's recommendations.","taxTitle","Elk River School District, School Boards, Minnesota","taxId",38480,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6591962,"ISD 728 board approves updates to meeting, complaint and ethics policies; discussion on meeting types tabled",1022,7376000,8398000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2987582-e2200e33653f2dcf18dce9742049b653&start=7376&end=8398","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2987582-e2200e33653f2dcf18dce9742049b653/thumbnail_7376000.jpg","/articles/6591962/Minnesota/ISD-728-board-approves-updates-to-meeting-complaint-and-ethics-policies-discussion-on-meeting-types-tabled","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6591962-2548a55a49ba66745eb8d6374e8368c4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173466&Signature=jpxV~ydsnX9rnxuhhn8ApHyIUzWqtQeJ3YKb0ezt9Y2PeKkm8zPaJcD5rl-TW8I-0phsS2iL4frCmITuD3qBTLWXwsNgX9bbdToIBeBwkhTaDDC4nmKdwBplJwhbs8IsZMxiiuPWSOs-bTp6dEFo67J8UoT0A7RXv4OGUN1B4zPm9sU4rkgQJI5baIct~SOOzbZoMPvsJkIVYz3qZgpLF9TEhraETJnPuS0Od5ROCWFHU7WJSemwRwNEnha40Vd9U2zUo5on1T4PzBDUbOhhEjVjE8J7ww-~LyDpiQdLIdDG4cOmlxchHUGUDoz1BoazGsRsUCoFbgUnSS~D~LgZvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The ISD 728 school board approved a set of policy updates during its April 14 regular meeting, adopting revised language addressing complaints, meeting agendas and open/closed sessions, along with an updated code of ethics.

The board voted by voice on the following items: Policy 103 (Complaints: students, employees, parents and other persons); Policy 203.5 (School board meeting agenda); Policy 205 (Open and closed meetings); and Policy 209 (Code of ethics). The transcript records voice approvals but does not list individual roll‑call tallies.

Board members discussed how the new code of ethics should be applied in practice, particularly whether individual board members may hold informal listening sessions or gather constituent input while the board has an ongoing task‑force process. Directors debated boundaries between individual First Amendment rights and practices that could undermine an organized task‑force process; the board agreed to develop additional guidance and to fold procedures into a forthcoming board handbook.

Separately, Director Nordos asked that the board examine whether “special meetings” scheduled during the year should instead be treated as recorded work sessions or regular meetings. After extended discussion the board voted to table any structural change and left the agenda schedule and meeting‑type decisions to the board leadership and administration to manage in the near term, with the possibility of revisiting changes after summer planning and the demographic study.

No recorded roll‑call tallies were provided in the meeting transcript for the policy votes; clerk staff and the board chair indicated each motion passed by voice vote during the meeting.

","At its April 14 meeting the ISD 728 school board approved updates to Policies 103, 203.5, 205 and 209. Board members debated whether to reclassify special meetings and ultimately tabled that portion of the discussion for later review.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6591967,"Parents, students and community urge board to keep Elk River Little Theater; student performances highlighted at meeting",2055,1335000,3390000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2987582-e2200e33653f2dcf18dce9742049b653&start=1335&end=3390","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2987582-e2200e33653f2dcf18dce9742049b653/thumbnail_1335000.jpg","/articles/6591967/Minnesota/Parents-students-and-community-urge-board-to-keep-Elk-River-Little-Theater-student-performances-highlighted-at-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6591967-5ea4f8051ff46c0b5f57e435d229b0e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173466&Signature=MltfUUg-0ILyxnODAR5Kcsp8iI2oiQG922fP6wJYmR0TMJbs2HULClMaTNZwYQRu2~7x1D6ls-XzhrXqNiYUrg47ZZsRitEolqIbv8f-DDMfIzfrPC2NOIzPJQ2-pECHaxIx0fNFjBfaQHSs3xBbU~pCnOpvU3n5~PVYHADNE-~Vu58OTEX9ru-iY0v~F-uErl~mTItk-OLDXw2m7PMn~fXGwRYl0gpYOw8z4BYZucumq2tx1JYIJtzTVn8T0ghDWyu3ASQRCmHr~nCddvREIZ5QETc2WZ2fTVothoEVt5w7N17lSxHAVuZA7hFO6mzeXlUqZ8HK-4lANEwyNBIpaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of community members, students and theater staff used the public‑comment and recognition portions of ISD 728’s April 14 meeting to urge the school board to preserve the Little Theater at Elk River High School and to describe how performing arts programs benefit students.

Several speakers said the Little Theater has served as a second home for generations of participants and asked the board not to remove or repurpose the space. Nicole Brandjordan and other speakers described letters from former and current participants and said they submitted a petition of more than 600 signatures supporting the theater’s retention and modest repairs rather than closure.

A number of speakers highlighted personal outcomes tied to theater participation. One caller read a letter from a parent who said theater helped a shy child find confidence and later succeed in higher education. Another advocate, Eileen Anderson, recounted the theater’s community history and fundraising efforts dating to the venue’s founding and cited prior city partnerships that helped maintain theater spaces; she said community groups stand ready to raise funds for needed improvements.

Student representatives from Zimmerman High School and Elk River High School described current and upcoming productions, recent competitions and awards, and the educational value of technical, scenic, costume and performance roles. Jay Carlson and other Zimmerman students gave a short presentation about their spring production and the ways theater engages students in leadership, design and technical trades; Christina Hess, ISD 728’s auditorium manager, summarized districtwide theatrical programming and invited the community to performances in April and May.

What supporters asked the board to do

Speakers requested: a) retain the Little Theater as a performance space; b) allow community fundraising for improvements (new seating, maintenance) rather than removing theater use; and c) include the Little Theater and performing‑arts stakeholders in any facility‑use discussions going forward.

What the board and staff said

Superintendent Olmos acknowledged the comments and introduced theater students who gave the public presentation. Board members thanked speakers for their testimony and said the district would continue to evaluate facilities and hear community input as part of broader planning.

No formal vote on the Little Theater was held at the April 14 meeting. Residents who submitted petitions and letters said they will continue to follow the facilities process and offer volunteer fundraising and grant writing to support repairs and upgrades.

","Dozens of speakers and student theater representatives addressed the ISD 728 board April 14, urging preservation of the Little Theater at Elk River High School and describing the role theater plays for students. Petition and letters were submitted; students described recent awards and upcoming shows.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Elk River board weighs Level 4 special-education facility, orders demographic study to guide long-term choices

ISD 728 board approves updates to meeting, complaint and ethics policies; discussion on meeting types tabled

Parents, students and community urge board to keep Elk River Little Theater; student performances highlighted at meeting