A neighborhood group that wants more local kids attending schools on St. Paul's West Side is co-hosting a community schools forum with district officials on Wednesday night.
"Less than half the parents on the West Side are sending their kids to our local schools and we want to ask district leaders how they plan to counter that exodus out of the neighborhood," said Rebecca Noecker, founder of West Siders for Strong Schools.
The district plans to touch on topics that include testing data, enrollment trends, English Language Learner and special education programs, and its Strong Schools, Strong Communities 2.0 strategic plan.
West Siders for Strong Schools formed in 2013 with plans to be more than a "group of parents who are always cantankerous and always making trouble," Noecker said.
To get a better feel for the perceptions of neighborhood schools, the group surveyed residents. The results, released in February, showed only 40 percent of the 120 respondents said they were likely to send their children to Cherokee Heights or Riverview elementary schools; 18 percent said they were likely to send them to Humboldt Secondary School.
The survey also revealed that while some parents did not think highly of the West Side schools, they also did not know much about them.
Wednesday's meeting is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Riverview West Side School of Excellence, 160 Isabel St. E. Free child care, translation and a light dinner will be provided.
Noecker hopes that residents come with plenty of questions.
