South school briefs: Burnsville-Eagan-Savage welcomes three new principals

Three elementary schools in District 191 will be under new leadership this fall.

Rahn Elementary in Eagan will welcome Barbara Borer, who has most recently been a principal at an elementary school in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

At Sioux Trail Elementary in Burnsville, Shannon McParland, formerly an assistant principal at a Minneapolis elementary school, will serve as principal.

And at Harriet Bishop Elementary in Savage, Erika Nesvig, who was most recently a teacher at the same school, will become interim principal there.

The school board approved the three hires at its last meeting.

The Burnsville Blazettes dance team will provide children's activities during the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life fundraiser.

Beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday at Burnsville High School's stadium, kids can stop by the Blazettes' Beauty Shop for manicures, face-painting and wild hairdos. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.

Lakeville South High School science teacher Jason Just is now a "Google certified teacher" after attending Google Teacher Academy in Chicago last week.

About 50 teachers are selected to attend the intensive training, which began in 2006. To be chosen, teachers had to demonstrate that they are using technology to try innovative things in their classroom.

During the two-day training, teachers learn new teaching strategies and get experience working with Google products.

A goal of the academy is that teachers will return and share what they have learned with colleagues.

Residents give the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District high ratings for quality, value, job performance and fiscal management and would support additional levy funding, according to survey results presented to the school board.

At upcoming school board meetings, the board will decide whether to include one or two questions on the ballot and the amount they will ask voters to approve in the Nov. 5 general election.

Currently, the district has an operating levy of $20 million which expires in two years. When asked if they would renew that levy for another 10 years, 83 percent said yes.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents, or 64 percent, said they would vote for a tax increase under some conditions; 21 percent said they would vote against any tax increase and 15 percent said they would vote in favor of any tax increase.

The survey results are available on the district's website at www.district196.org.