St. Paul’s East Side is getting a new middle school in fall 2019.
The school board gave formal approval Tuesday night to that $65 million plan and numerous other infrastructure projects worth a total of $484 million over five years.
The five-year plan will roughly triple the district’s historical yearly investment in its buildings. Property taxes for a median St. Paul home — valued at $151,500 — are expected to rise by $30 each year for four years. The board will take up the financial side of the plan in August.
The board agreed Tuesday that Jie Ming Mandarin Immersion will move from Hamline Elementary to the Homecroft building in fall 2017, forcing the RiverEast therapeutic school to move to an undetermined location.
The district hasn’t said publicly where exactly it wants to build the middle school, either, which they say is needed to accommodate large classes now in the lower grades.
Three board members remain skeptical of the need for the new school.
“If you build it, they will come. I’m not convinced of that,” said Zuki Ellis.
Steve Marchese said actual enrollment has fallen short of the projections that informed the middle school plan.
“I’m very uncomfortable with this right now,” he said.
Board member John Brodrick, too, voted against the resolution.
Board chair Jon Schumacher said he trusts the work that went into the plan.
Mary Vanderwert said a new school will “upgrade our image” and send a message that East Side kids are worthy of the investment.
Chue Vue said he had questioned the need for the school but is convinced that “an investment on the East Side will be great for us.”
Jean O’Connell said that even if the district can’t fill the new middle school, they could probably make it a K-8 building and close an aging elementary school.