As residents receive property tax statements, school district continues work to ease burden on homeowners

SSPPS homeowners will see a 5.83 percent increase on their 2019 Payable 2020 property tax levy, which is less than the 8.3 increase preliminarily approved by the board in September. Bushberger said that the district is still looking at a few additional options with the hope of lowering the 5.83 increase even more. “This year, South St. Paul saw an increase in property values of over 12 percent, which is good for homeowners,” he said. “But that increase in property values means the state provides less in aid and instead shifts more onto the taxpayer. The amount of revenue coming into the district does not change, but how the revenue gets divided between local taxes and state aid does.”

South St. Paul selected as one of four school districts to receive financial award from Dakota Electric Association

Dakota Electric Association selected the school districts of Lakeville, Randolph, Red Wing and South St. Paul as this year’s recipients of donations from the unclaimed capital credits fund. Dakota Electric awarded a total of $46,000 of unclaimed capital credit money to the schools, which will be used to fund specific educational projects and reach district goals. South St. Paul Public Schools (SSPPS) received $6,000 from Dakota Electric that it will use at Kaposia, Lincoln Center and SSP Secondary for advancements of the district’s Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) program.

Overall district enrollment continues to exceed resident student population, administration focuses on resident families choosing other options

According to a report shared with the South St. Paul School Board on Oct. 28, enrollment trends over the last ten years show that while the district has served more students than reside in SSPPS, the number of school-age students living in SSPPS has declined over the last two years. In addition, the number of students open enrolling into SSPPS has remained constant, but the number of resident students choosing other educational options has increased.

Kaposia Education Center’s efforts to build a more caring and supportive school community benefit from $1,000 award from Old National Bank

Orange was the color of the day as students and staff at Kaposia Education Center gathered for a special assembly this afternoon in honor of Unity Day, a national effort of schools across the county to come together and share the message that no child should ever experience bullying. But this year’s bullying prevention assembly had an extra surprise in store, an oversized $1,000 check for the school to use to build on these efforts. Kaposia received the funds as a regional winner of an online contest sponsored by Old National Bank.

South St. Paul Secondary receives 2019 Cultural Jambalaya Diversity Award celebrating student affinity groups and staff advisors

South St. Paul (SSP) Secondary School’s affinity groups and their faculty advisors were recently honored at an event last night as a 2019 Cultural Jambalaya Diversity Award. The award honors those who have made a positive difference by advancing multiculturalism and ethnic diversity in their Minnesota communities. SSP was recognized for promoting conversations around the school’s increasingly diverse student population.

Kaposia receives $4,000 grant for health and wellness initiatives

This year, students at Kaposia Education Center will have even more resources to help them stay healthy and active. Last week Kaposia learned that it had been awarded $4,000 to support healthy eating and physical activity initiatives as a part of the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, which encourages students to eat healthy, be active and implement positive changes in their schools and communities. Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council, Midwest Dairy and the NFL in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture.

Kaposia, Lincoln Center receive grants from Action for Healthy Kids® and Cargill to advance student health and well-being

South St. Paul Public Schools (SSPPS) is proud to announce that both Kaposia and Lincoln Center are among a small group schools to receive 2019-2020 Game On grants of $1,000 each from Action for Healthy Kids® (AFHK). The grants are provided through funding from Cargill to expand student access to physical activity and healthy foods in school, improve knowledge and behaviors around physical activity and healthy eating, and engage parents in activities that reinforce healthy habits at home.

Board approves new listening session format to increase dialogue and engagement with the community

At its meeting on Monday, Sept. 23, the South St. Paul School Board approved a new format for its listening sessions with the goal of encouraging more authentic engagement with parents and community members. The new listening session format will start at the Board’s next meeting on Monday, Oct. 14.

Board approves preliminary tax levy at maximum while working to reduce overall increase and ease burden on property owners

At its meeting on Monday, Sept. 23, the South St. Paul School Board approved the preliminary tax levy for 2019 payable 2020. In keeping with past practice, the Board approved the maximum of the proposed levy with the intent of continuing to review levy categories for possible adjustments. District officials said that they are working with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to reduce the overall increase and ease the burden on property owners.