As for this year’s enrollment boost, Minneapolis said in a statement: “Minneapolis Public Schools is excited to see data showing higher student placements at several of our schools. We have been working for many years to attract and retain as many students as we can.”
St. Paul has given special attention to lifting the numbers at six schools, and has reported growth at five of them, including Riverview Spanish/English Dual Immersion on the West Side.
Kindergartners listen during science class at Riverview Elementary School in St. Paul on Thursday. (Renée Jones Schneider/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
St. Paul and Minneapolis have long battled for market share in a competitive environment that includes charter schools and nearby districts, the latter of which have schools that students can attend though open enrollment. Last year, the city of St. Paul had 51,296 school-aged children, and St. Paul Public Schools enrolled 60% of them, the district has said.
This school year, the district reported having 31,496 kids in grades K-12 on Oct. 1, a 2% increase over the previous year, according to the MDE.
Concerns over stubborn slides in St. Paul spurred a 2018 agreement to have teachers union members go door-to-door in the summer to try to recruit students. Now, the district is in the third year of a campaign — again aided by the union and others — initially focused on billboards and other districtwide strategies before landing on six schools deemed ripe for growth.
St. Paul dedicated $350,000 to the first two years of the campaign and $75,000 this year, spokesperson Erica Wacker said. Just as important, she added, is having leaders like Stivaliss Licona-Gervich, the principal at Riverview, who are willing to give even their spare time to spreading the word about their schools.
