Group To Rally To ‘Save Newport Elementary’ Before SoWashCo Meeting

COTTAGE GROVE, MN — Newport parents and officials are set to hold a rally Thursday to try to stop Newport Elementary from being closed as part of the South Washington County Schools system’s $462 million plan to deal with growing enrollment.

The SoWashCo board is expected to consider the 10-year, nine-figure plan at its meeting Thursday night, a plan that includes Newport Elementary’s closure and conversion into an early childhood education center.

The board could vote Thursday to approve the plan and put a $462 million referendum on ballots during the Aug. 9 primary election. Voters’ approval of the referendum would signal the end of Newport Elementary, though the school would remain open at least through the 2024-25 school year, officials said.

Woodbury Nature Preserve To Host Earth Day Trail Clean-Up This Weekend

The Newport Elementary PTO is sponsoring Thursday’s rally, which is scheduled to start at 5:15 p.m. at the SoWashCo District Service Center at 7362 East Point Douglas Road S. in Cottage Grove.

“Let’s show the school board why our school is different, ONE OF A KIND and instead of closing it, it should be HONORED and it should be a model for other schools in our district!” the school’s PTO wrote Tuesday on its Facebook page.

The PTO is also set to host a pizza and ice cream party at 4 p.m. at Newport Elementary to fuel people up for the rally and board meeting.

Woodbury-Area Runners Finish 2022 Boston Marathon: Unofficial Results

Newport City Council member Marvin Taylor has been vocal over the past month about his opposition to the district’s plans to close Newport Elementary. He posted a flier for the rally on Facebook — which was shared dozens of times — and urged residents to show up for the event and school board meeting Thursday.

“Turning out is critical to reminding the School Board that Newport Elementary is determined to remain a small but vibrant school whose diverse students achieve outstanding results,” Taylor wrote on Facebook.

Marien Fernández-Paris Razo, who has helped organize previous rallies in support of Newport Elementary, told Patch she moved to the city a year ago so she could enroll her daughter in the school.

"I did my research and NES (Newport Elementary School) was and is everything we were looking for (for) our daughter," she said.

Woodbury Honors ‘Brilliant Attorney,’ 'Fierce Advocate’ Pete Orput

Fernández-Paris Razo called Newport Elementary "the heart of our community" and said the board would "break our community apart" by voting Thursday to close the school.

Thursday's rally is the "last push" for parents, staff and community members "to raise our voice" before the board votes, she said, but they will not stop fighting for the school if the board approves the $462 million plan.

"The fight is not over," she said. If the board approves the plan, "parents, school staff and community will continue working together to show the other towns we deserve a better plan from the district, that Newport should be removed from that plan. Being different, being one of a kind should be honored, not be punished (by) closing the school."

Newport Elementary teachers and staff members "are amazing" and always put children first, Fernández-Paris Razo said, adding that "other schools across the district, across Minnesota, should mirror the excellent education that is provided daily at NES."

Woodbury Fifth-Grader To Compete In Scripps National Spelling Bee

District officials have said their 10-year, $462 million plan is required to reduce overcrowding and prepare for growing enrollment figures.

Enrollment could rise by more than 20 percent by 2031, with at least 15 schools operating over capacity by then if nothing is done, according to the district.

The $462 million proposal recommends renovations and upgrades at almost all of the district's two dozen schools, including classroom additions, new cafeterias and specialized learning spaces.

The plan calls for Newport Elementary's closure and for Crestview Elementary to be rebuilt in a more central location within the district. The old facility would be renovated into the new site for South Washington Alternative High School.

3 Woodbury Students Win Medals In National Art Competition

The plans also recommend officials rebuild Pine Hill Elementary with a larger structure to serve more students.

None of the recommended projects would be completed before the start of the 2025-26 school year, officials said.

District estimates show a homeowner whose property is valued at $300,000 — the average value of a home in the district — would see their taxes increase by about $23 per month or $280 a year if the referendum is approved by voters.

Rejection of the referendum would force officials to make “moderate to extensive shifts” to schools’ boundaries, and temporary trailers could be required at some schools, according to the district.

Starry Seeking Another Term As Washington County Sheriff

Click here to see South Washington County Schools' 10-year, $462 million referendum and its plans for each building.

Proposed Ballot Question

Shall the board of Independent School District No. 833 (South Washington County Schools), Minnesota be authorized to issue general obligation school building bonds in an amount not to exceed $462,660,000 for acquisition and betterment of school sites and facilities including, but not limited to, construction of two elementary schools, expansion of three high schools, improvements to facilities districtwide and land acquisition?

BY VOTING "YES" ON THIS BALLOT QUESTION, YOU ARE VOTING FOR A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE

REGIONAL NEWS:

• Highway 36 Closure In Stillwater Delayed Until Next Weekend: Officials
• Driver Was High On Cocaine, Meth During Fatal Crash In Edina: Charges
• Interim Stillwater Superintendent To Lead Brookview Elementary
• Guard Smuggled Meth Into Stillwater Prison: Charges