June 2, 1997 - School officials in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks are trying to clean up, dry out and repair their school buildings in time for the start of classes in the fall. The school year abruptly ended in April for both districts when the flooding Red River forced residents to evacuate. Flood damage to schools is estimated at more than 40-million dollars in Grand Forks and at least 10-million dollars in East Grand Forks. Some of the schools might never reopen. Minnesota Public Radios Tim Pugmire reports... (Sound)
May 31, 1997 - Minnesota education officials say the results of a basic skills writing test offer no statewide insights because so few students participated. The Department of Children, Families and Learning today released scored from the voluntary practice test. Despite its lack of meanigful statistics, educators say the test was an important exercise in the move toward statewide education standards.
May 30, 1997 - Minnesota education officials say the results of a basic skills writing test offer no statewide insights because so few students participated. The Department of Children, Families and Learning today released scored from the voluntary practice test. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
May 29, 1997 - The Minneapolis school board has ended its contract with a private, for-profit management company. Public Strategies Group, and its president Peter Hutchinson, took over administration of a troubled school district three and a half years ago. Board members say the company has completed its mission. But the change comes at a time when the district is being criticized by state officials and minority groups for not measuring up. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports... The Minneapolis school board decided in 1993 to look outside traditiona
May 23, 1997 - *****ATC VERSION****** High school seniors in Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota are back home this weekend for graduation. The school year ended abruptly last month in both school districts when the Red River consumed the two cities. Some students fled to finish out the school year elsewhere. Others spent their unexpected vacation helping clean up flood damage. School administrators, teachers and students say they expect these graduation ceremonies to be an especially emotional end to a traumatic spring. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports | D-CART ITEM: 3508 | TIME: 2.45 | OUTCUE: "...soc
May 23, 1997 - Federal and city inspectors have begun condemning flood-damaged houses in Grand Forks. Demolition of the unsafe structures is expected to start within a week. One neighborhood along the bank of the Red River is nearly a total loss, and the line of proposed new dike would prevent any rebuilding there. As the housing loses mount, Grand Forks city officials are looking for ways to provide affordable replacements. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
May 22, 1997 - Hundreds of camper trailers are moving into communities along the Red River as temporary shelter for flood victims. Most of the trailers are being set up in peoples' yards while they repair their houses. Outside Grand Forks, North Dakota, a community of refugees have taken over a small campground. Some campers expect a short stay, but others say it could be several months before they have a permanent home again. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
May 13, 1997 - Minneapolis and Saint Paul school officials say the fastest growing segment of their enrollment is immigrant students, who are unable to speak English. Both districts are directing considerable resources toward English as a Second Language and bilingual education programs. But increased immigration has brought even more students speaking a myriad of native languages...and qualified teachers are hard to find. The state pays much of the cost to teach such students, but districts say it's still a big financial burden. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire looks at the impact of immigrant students and one alternative project trying to help... 1624
May 8, 1997 - A Minneapolis-based, for-profit, education management company is expanding the private elementary school it opened 10 years ago in Eagan. Education Alternatives Incorporated plans to add an 11-classroom wing to its Tesseract (TESS-er-act) School and expand its program to seventh and eighth grades. The company's success with this suburban private school has been overshadowed by well-documented failures in urban public schools. Despite that troubled history, E-A-I officials say the company has a place in public education. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports... Education Alternatives Incorporated opened its first private preschool and elemenetary school with 42 students in September 1987. Enrollment a
May 5, 1997 - The Federal Communication Commission will decide this week how much schools and libraries should pay for access to the internet and other telecommunication services. An amendment to the Telecommunications Act of 1996 mandates a deep discount on access charges for schools and libraries. Educators say the discount is needed to get more schools wired and help them afford the online service. U-S West is urging Minnesota schools to apply for the federal program and offering help to make the technology connections. Despite the benefit to schools, company officials say the discount is a bitter pill to swallow. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports....