South metro school briefs: District to sponsor flu shot clinics for students, families

The Shakopee School District will hold two flu shot clinics this week for students and their families.

• From 5 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, a clinic will be held at Sun Path Elementary, 2250 17th Av. E. in Shakopee.

• From 4:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, a clinic will be held at Jackson Elementary, 1601 Lusitano St. in Shakopee.

To make appointments, go to www.shakopee.k12.mn.us and click on the left-hand side under "Upcoming Events." For more information, contact Peggy Nerdahl at pnerdahl@shakopee.k12.mn.us. Walk-ins also are welcome.

District 196 is looking for residents and staff members to serve on its Community Collaboration Council, which will help develop an integration and equity plan for the district over the next three years.

Currently, the district has one racially identifiable school, Cedar Park Elementary STEM School. The council will look at this school and others for ways to better balance the district's demographics.

Creating a new plan with a community council is a requirement of the Minnesota Department of Education. Members of the council should represent the diversity of the district.

The District 196 school board has approved a preliminary tax levy for 2014 that is $5.6 million less than the current year's taxes.

This tax decrease is the result of the district receiving additional equalization aid from the state. The extra money also would offset some of the amount that homeowners in the district would pay in property tax increases if the proposed levy passes this November.

If the levy is approved, the total school district taxes for the owner of an average-priced home in the district valued at $225,000 would increase by $56 in 2014, a smaller increase than previously projected.