School Board

The Edina Public School Board will welcome three new board members in January 2024.

Learn more about the upcoming School Board Candidate Forum at the Edina Community Center. 

Persons interested in being a candidate for the 2023 School Board election should plan to attend an informational meeting on Wednesday, July 26, 6:45-7:45 p.m., in the Edina Community Center, Room 350. Superintendent Stacie Stanley will talk about the responsibilities and work of the Board, and answer questions from those considering becoming a candidate.

The candidacy filing period for persons interested in running for election to the Edina School Board opened Tuesday, Aug. 2 and closes Tuesday, Aug. 16 at 5 p.m. Learn more about the special election and running for school board: https://edinaschools.org/2022election

The Edina School Board has approved the appointment of David Goldstein as an interim member of the board. The Governance Committee of the board reviewed five applications for the position, using criteria and a rubric approved by the board earlier. Of the five applicants, two had previous experience on the school board which was a priority criteria. 

The Edina School Board is seeking community members, specifically former School Board members, who wish to be considered for an interim position on the School Board. The selected individual would temporarily fill the Board position vacated by Leny Wallen-Friedman until an election is held on Nov. 8.

If you want to join efforts in advocating on behalf of Edina students and students across Minnesota with state and federal legislators, apply to be a member of the 2022-23 EPS Legislative Action Committee! All interested parents, community members and high school students who live or are enrolled in the district are encouraged to apply.

The Edina School Board approved a process to fill a vacancy on the Board, following the resignation of Vice Chair Leny Wallen-Friedman, who is relocating to Connecticut. Effective May 31, 2022, Wallen-Friedman will no longer be eligible to complete his elected tenure, which runs through December 2023. The Board approved a process that includes selecting an interim member until a new Board member is elected after a special election that will be held in November.

The Legislative Action Committee (LAC) of the Edina School Board will host a virtual presentation of its 2022 Legislative Platform for Edina Public Schools on Monday, Jan. 24, 1-2 p.m. State legislators representing the Edina Schools community will also update the community on their legislative priorities and plans for education in Minnesota

Three members of the Edina School Board were presented commemorative plaques at the Dec. 13 meeting as they concluded their tenures on the Board. Matt Fox, Ellen Jones and Owen Michaelson were thanked by Superintendent Stacie Stanley and Board Chair Erica Allenburg for their service, contributions and commitment to the students and families of Edina Public Schools. Fox, Jones and Michaelson each served one four-year term on the School Board.

Two new academic programs have been approved by the Edina School Board. The Countryside Spanish Immersion Program will begin with two classrooms of kindergarteners in fall 2022. Design of embedded STEAM programming will happen in 2022-23, with implementation in elementary schools expected to begin in the 2023-24 school year. 

On Nov. 2, voters in the Edina school district elected four members to the School Board: Erica Allenburg, Dan Arom, Michael Birdman, and Karen Gabler.

Edina High School students will host a School Board Candidate Forum on Monday, Oct. 25, 6-8 p.m. at Edina City Hall. The event will be in-person and also live streamed on Edina TV.

The Edina Parent Leadership Council will host a School Board Candidate Forum at Edina Community Center on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 9:30-11 a.m. 

Residents living within the Edina Public Schools district may cast their votes now for the School Board election.

All early voting via absentee ballot will take place at the Edina City Hall. Voters may complete an absentee ballot application in person, or request one to be mailed or emailed to them.

The School Board received two proposals each for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic calendars at the Sept. 13 meeting. The proposals were presented by representatives of the district wide Calendar Committee, whose 16 members met five times since the beginning of August.

At a special meeting last night, the Edina School Board approved a 30-day, Phase 1 Return to School Plan. The plan includes universal indoor masking required for all people in the school, athletic (unless actively competing or practicing) and activities settings (ages 2 years and older), including teachers, staff, coaches, advisors, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.

This fall, Edina school district voters will elect four from a slate of six School Board candidates.

The candidacy filing period for persons interested in running for election to the Edina School Board will open on Tuesday, July 27, and close on Tuesday, Aug. 10, at 5 p.m.

The Edina School Board unanimously approved a motion to enter into contract negotiations with Dr. Stacie Stanley to be the next superintendent of Edina Public Schools. Stanley has been associate superintendent at Eden Prairie Public Schools since 2018.

The Edina School Board narrowed the field of candidates for the superintendent position from six to three finalist candidates at a special meeting on April 28. The three candidates who will move forward in the process are Dr. Timothy Anderson, Dr. Jharrett Bryantt and Dr. Stacie Stanley.

The League of Women Voters Edina (LWVEdina) invite you to join a Town Hall discussion on Wednesday, April 7 at 7 p.m. about the proposed EPS 2021 Technology Levy and Bond Issue. On May 11, voters will be asked to consider a 10-year, $7M technology levy to replace the current expiring levy, along with a $7M bond issue for expansion of bus garage facilities and traffic control improvements at three schools.

At a special meeting on Feb. 16, the Edina School Board approved ballot language and the date for a 2021 technology levy and bond issue. On May 11, voters will be asked to consider a 10-year, $7M technology levy to replace the current expiring levy, along with a $7M bond issue for expansion of bus garage facilities and traffic control improvements at two schools.

Superintendent Dr. John Schultz has announced his intent to retire at the end of the 2020-21 school year. Schultz joined Edina in July 2017. His retirement concludes a 35-year career in K-12 education.

The Edina School Board approved the naming of a gymnasium in honor of retiring administrator Mary Manderfeld at last night’s meeting. The Valley View Middle School south gym is now the Mary Manderfeld Gymnasium.

School Board Chair Erica Allenburg announced at the Sept. 14 meeting that the Board has begun conducting its regular meetings in a partial in-person format at the District Office Conference Room, with limited public seating available in the adjacent collaborative space. Construction in the Board Room is expected to be completed in February.

The Edina School Board unanimously approved a recommendation by administration to move the first day of school for the 2020-21 school year from Aug. 31, to Tuesday, Sept. 8, the day after Labor Day. This allows for an additional five days for professional development and teacher preparation for the implementation of two new learning models necessitated by the COVID-19 outbreak.

At the School Board Work Session on Aug. 6, district administrators presented a recommendation that the start date for the 2020-21 school year be moved to Sept. 8. The recommendation followed more than four hours of presentations by district administrators, school principals and program coordinators to update the Board on operational and instructional plans for the coming school year.

Tonight’s School Board work session will focus on a report and discussion with district administration about plans for the coming school year.

Due to family emergencies and scheduling conflicts among several participants, tonight’s School Board work session has been rescheduled for Wednesday, July 22 at 5 p.m.

The Edina School Board approved a five-year strategic plan for the district at its regular meeting on June 8. The 19-page document, approved unanimously by the School Board, includes Mission and Vision statements and five Priority Strategies.

Ninety-three percent of Edina Public School (EPS) parents and residents rate the quality of schools “excellent” or “good” according to a recent survey of district stakeholders. The quality rating is among the highest for districts in the metro area.

New and returning members of the Edina School Board held their annual organizational meeting on Jan. 6, and began with election of officers for 2020.

District administrators presented drafts of calendars for the next two academic years to the School Board on Nov. 18. The proposed calendars are the work of a Calendar Committee comprised of parents, teachers, and administrators who have been meeting since September. In addition, a parent and staff Calendar Survey was conducted in October, which provided important input to the creation of the draft calendars.

Voting residents of Edina Public Schools elected three to the School Board on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Julie Greene, Janie Shaw and incumbent Leny Wallen-Friedman were elected from a field of seven candidates.

After months of work, the Edina School Board is ready to share a draft of the next strategic plan for Edina Public Schools in a series of invitation and open stakeholder meetings, and an online feedback form. The Board is expected to approve the Draft 2020-2025 Strategic Plan at the Sept. 16 regular meeting.

This fall, a committee composed of parents, staff and administrators will begin developing academic calendars for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years.

The filing period for Edina School Board candidates is July 30 through Aug. 13. An Affidavit of Candidacy must be filed at the Edina Public Schools District Office within that period of time. Voters in the Edina school district will elect three members to the School Board this fall.

Persons interested in being a candidate for the 2019 School Board election should plan to attend an informational meeting on Wednesday, July 24, 7 to 8:30 p.m., in the Edina Community Center, Room 349. Superintendent John Schultz and several School Board members will talk about the responsibilities and work of the Board, and answer questions from those considering becoming a candidate.

The Legislative Action Committee (LAC) will hold an informational meeting on Tuesday, June 11, 5:30-6 p.m., in Room 170 at the Edina Community Center. Edina school district parents, students and community members are invited to learn more about LAC’s work to inform and coordinate advocacy on issues affecting public education.

The Legislative Action Committee (LAC) invites interested Edina school district parents, students and community members to join them in their work to inform and coordinate advocacy on issues affecting public education.

A message from the Edina School Board and Edina Public Schools Administration: With just weeks to go in the 2018-19 school year, we want to take a moment to celebrate our successes and talk about the future.

The School Board's Legislative Action Committee (LAC) will be attending the Association of Metropolitan School Districts’ Day on Thursday, Feb. 21, 8-9 a.m. in the State Office Building at the Minnesota State Capitol, Room 400S to advocate for Edina Public Education.

More than 70 people attended the School Board Legislative Action Committee’s Platform Breakfast on Jan. 7, where committee members introduced the 2019 platform and local legislators addressed the gathering.

The public is invited to the 2019 Education Legislative Platform Breakfast.

The first phase of the district’s budget planning process for the 2019-20 school year is in progress as fiscal parameters are established and administrators prepare recommendations for budget adjustments. While the budget is still in development, initial estimates are that more than $2 million in budget adjustments will be needed for the coming academic year.

Due to time constraints, the Legislative Action (LAC) Committee of the Edina School Board has decided to shift course in its effort to provide voters an opportunity to know legislative candidates’ views on matters pertaining to public education.

The preliminary tax levy for 2018 payable 2019 was approved by the Edina School Board at the Sept. 24 meeting. It represents an increase of 3.18 percent over the previous year for district property owners.

The Edina School Board approved the operating budget for the 2018-19 school year on June 18. The General Fund budget is based on anticipated revenues of $115.2 million, and expenditures estimated at $113 million.

Over the past school year, Edina Public Schools has been updating its crisis response plans as part of a system-wide effort to align facilities, procedures and best practice. On May 14, the Edina School Board received an update on the district’s safety and security plans.

Would you like to get involved in the work of Edina Public Schools (EPS)? The district is looking for parents, students, staff and community members who would like to serve on one of several committees, councils and advisory teams to provide input, advice, direction and insight to district leadership.

The Edina School Board held a meeting on May 8, 2018, and discussed recent complaints it had received and investigated regarding School Board Member Sarah Patzloff. Read statements made by Patzloff and Board Chair Leny Wallen-Friedman during this meeting.

As part of its ongoing commitment to improve communication and engagement with the Edina Public Schools community, the Edina School Board has formed an ad hoc committee to look at School Board communications.

Edina Public Schools (EPS) has received a School Finance Award from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) for the 13th consecutive year. It recognizes schools that meet statutory deadline for submission of audited fiscal financial data and reporting criteria.

EPS recently defended itself in Federal Court against a lawsuit brought by several students and the Young Conservatives Club (YCC). Thus far, the District has been unable to comment on this matter due to the pending litigation. However, as the case has now been voluntarily dismissed by the Plaintiffs, the District would like to set the record straight regarding several of the allegations made in the lawsuit.

At a special meeting on March 1, the Edina School Board approved a recommended settlement agreement for a lawsuit brought in December by the Edina High School Young Conservatives Club. The settlement stipulates the agreement by the Plaintiffs and the District to dismiss the lawsuit, with the District admitting no wrongdoing and no requirement of payment.

Following months of research and public engagement, the School Board discussed at its meeting on Feb. 26 a proposal to change the current school start/end times. The recommendation, drafted by administration and a subcommittee of the School Board, proposes to swap the current start/end times for the district’s middle schools and five elementary schools.

At its Feb. 1 regular meeting, the Edina School Board approved the school year calendar for 2019-20. Additionally, the Board approved an adjustment to the current school year calendar for four district schools.

As part of its ongoing study of optimal school start/end times for student learning, the School Board plans to hold two listening sessions in February to gather student, staff, parent and community input.

At a work session on Jan. 18, the Edina School Board continued its study of school start/end times for Edina Public Schools (EPS). The discussion focused on a draft administrative recommendation of a three-tier schedule that would flip elementary and middle school start/end times.

At a work session on Jan. 8, the Edina School Board continued its discussion and study of school start and end times for Edina Public Schools (EPS). After considering research on when students would be most engaged in a day, the Board furthered its discussion about the best time to start and end school for students.

The Edina School Board held its annual organizational meeting on Jan. 8 and elected officers for the 2018 calendar year.

n Dec. 19, the Edina School Board (EPS) approved bids for the remaining construction projects related to the Next Gen Facilities Plan. Bidding for all projects funded by the $124.9 million bond referendum, passed by voters in 2015, are now complete and the facilities plan remains on target and on budget, according to Margo Bauck, business services director.

At its meeting on Dec. 11, the Edina School Board approved a final budget for the 2017-18 school year, which includes all of the district’s operating funds -- general, community service and building funds. The final budget updates the preliminary budget, which was approved by the School Board in June per Minnesota statute, and reflects the budget plan as approved by the Board last April.

At its meeting on Dec. 11, the Edina School Board approved the calendar for the 2018-19 school year. The Board tabled action on the proposed 2019-20 calendar following discussion about the placement of spring break in 2020.

The Edina School Board accepted the 2016-17 World’s Best Workforce (WBWF) Report Summary, presented by district administration at the Nov. 13 meeting. The report is in alignment with Minnesota State statute, passed in 2013 to ensure every school district in the state is making strides to increase student performance.

Calendar options for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years were presented to the School Board on Nov. 13. A 14-member committee of parents, staff and administration developed two options for each school year.