Author: Jim Bayer

The Eden Prairie School Board’s Aug. 23 meeting agenda suggests that another board member resignation may be on the horizon. The board agenda item “Required Board Action” has a single item beneath it: Resignation of Board Member. When asked on Aug. 19 to elaborate, district Senior Director of Community Relations and Communications Brett Johnson said he had nothing further to add. “I do not have details, like you, I’ve been informed it will be discussed on Monday,” he said in an email. If it turns out that another board member is resigning, it would be the second resignation from the board in…

Eden Prairie Schools will be open five days a week for in-person learning for all students beginning Sept. 8, according to a statement released by the district Aug. 17. But after considering COVID-19 case rates and vaccination and transmission rates, the district has decided that students from early childhood through sixth grade will be required to wear face coverings, while just recommending that students in grades 7-12 wear them, according to a district statement. COVID-19 vaccine currently is available to children age 12 and up, which may not include all sixth graders. All staff will be required to wear face…

Alarm clocks will be going off all over Eden Prairie in less than four weeks. At that time, households will begin adjusting to new school start times. The bottom line: when school starts Sept. 8, Eden Prairie High School (EPHS) and Central Middle School (CMS) students will be starting later in the morning. Eden Prairie elementary students will start earlier. In January 2021, Superintendent Josh Swanson made the final decision on the time changes. The decision was made in consultation with a community task force, the school board, and recommendations from other district staff, while considering public input and expert…

Five candidates have filed to run for the vacant school board seat to be filled in the Nov. 2 special election. Filing ended Aug. 10 at 5 p.m. Candidates are: Steven Bartz, Albert Born, Michelle Mattison, Francesca Pagán-Umar, and Darryl Stanton.  Pagán-Umar was the fourth highest vote getter in the November 2020 election. She had been favored by some community members to fill the temporary seat until the election. None of the other candidates ran for the three open seats during the 2020 election. Veronica Stoltz resigned her board seat in May when her family decided to leave Eden Prairie.…

Eden Prairie Schools continue to plan for different scenarios for COVID-19 mitigation efforts when school begins this fall, including the use of masks indoors, according to a district spokesman. The district has not announced which way it will go, choosing instead to continue working with state and county health agencies. The district is reviewing recent guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), according to Brett Johnson, district senior director of community relations and communications. “The connection to state and county public health agencies are important because they help us understand both our…

Eden Prairie’s Arctic Blast finished its season Aug. 1 with a 3-2 record in bracket play at the NAFA Northern Nationals, eliminated by Minnesota Twisters Red. The Wisconsin Bandits who defeated the Blast in the 4th round of bracket play went on to win the Silver Division championship. The Arctic Blast finished in 5th place. The Blast beat Waite Park Blue and Falls Angels Saturday before falling to the Bandits Saturday night. Their season ended with an 8-4 loss to Twisters Red Sunday. The Blast won the championship at the Hutchinson tournament, finished third at the USA Northern Nationals and finished their…

Eden Prairie’s Arctic Blast defeated the Wisconsin’s Onalaska Force 12-1 on July 30 in the first round of bracket play in the NAFA North Nationals 18-and-under girls fastpitch tournament. The tournament is being held at Miller Park in Eden Prairie and Chaska Community Park. After going 1-2 in pool play July 29, the Blast landed in the tournament’s 30-team Silver Division. The Blast sent 12 batters to the plate in the fourth inning against the Force, scoring six runs on three hits and assisted by two Force errors. Shortstop Tanna Peterson went 3-for-4, centerfielder Alexa Mann went 3-for-5, and first…

The filing period to run for the open seat on the Eden Prairie School Board is now open. Candidates can file between now and 5 p.m., August 10 for the Nov. 2 special election to fill the seat vacated when Veronica Stoltz resigned in May. Individuals interested in learning more about the position can attend an information meeting from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 23 in the Riley Creek Meeting Room, Administrative Services Center, 8100 School Road. The meeting immediately precedes the board’s regular business meeting. Candidates must meet the following requirements: be 21 years old by Nov. 2have…

Eden Prairie’s Arctic Blast 18-and-under girls fastpitch softball team got off to a rocky start Thursday, July 29 in the first round of the Northern North American Fastpitch Association (NAFA) Nationals. The Blast lost an early morning pool game to the Wisconsin 5 Diamonds 12-0. The bats the Blast couldn’t find early were rediscovered 90 minutes later. The Blast shut out the Southwest Wisconsin All-Stars 10-0 in five innings. Abby Sailer got the win, giving up just one hit. Tori Turgeon got the Blast on the board in the fourth inning with a two-run double. Shortstop Tanna Peterson followed up…

Two informational meetings are scheduled for potential candidates for the Eden Prairie School Board special election on Nov. 2. Meetings are scheduled for Mondays, July 19 from 6 to 7 p.m. and August 23 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Both meetings will be held in the Riley Creek Meeting Room in the Administrative Services Center, 8100 School Road in Eden Prairie. The August 23 meeting immediately precedes the school board’s 6 p.m. meeting. Participants will learn more about Eden Prairie Schools and its current board. Current board members also will share information about board governance and answer questions. The open…