Subject: District 279 Parents are Needed – Join our Efforts!

Please check out our new website  www.district279pln.org.  We’re trying to get information out there about the upcoming session and we need your help!  Please share this link with your friends in the district so they too can find out what’s happening at the capitol with regards to education issues.   Click on “Join our Efforts” and we’ll add you to the list.  We are very excited to introduce the website and the information on it as a one stop resource for our members.  It has quick links to find and contact legislators, updates and links to various education resources, recent information in the news and more.

One of our primary goals at this time will be to update and expand our email list to increase our overall membership.  Please tell friends, family and neighbors about our website.  We believe the more we all know and work together, the better we can communicate with and work with our legislators to keep the promise of a high quality public education available to all students of MN.

As we’re all aware, we have a huge state deficit.  We’re looking to get people involved to help partner with our legislators regarding impacts to education, specifically impacts to District 279.

Some astounding Facts:

1. District 279 cut 16 million in 2008.
2. The State of MN has a $1.2 Billion budget deficit this current budget cycle and  a projected minimum $5.4 Billion deficit during the next.
3. The State is only funding 73% of what is due to our district for the current school year and has given us a 27% “IOU” for the balance.  (Officially called a “shift”) There is a lot of concern about when or even if this “IOU” will be repaid.
4. The State is using $15 million of our school district’s fund balance to pay their bills this year for the next few months.  We will not be reimbursed for lost interest on our money. The fund balance is money we’ve judiciously saved as a district to be financially responsible.
5. D279 Junior High classes already have 40+ students, Kindergarten classes have up to 30 students.
6. MN Ranks 49^th in the nation for Student/Counselor ratio in public education.

We hope this information helps you understand the importance of parents and community members getting involved with our group and working at the legislative level where our public schools will be impacted the most.  Please forward this message to concerned parents, community members, teachers and neighbors. Thank you for your help.

In Support of Excellent Education in District 279,

Mary Ellen DeBois, Shelly Korby and Julie Fournier

Your District 279 Co-Chairs