Education in Maple Grove and Osseo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Osseo Area School District 279 Is a school District serving the certain suburban areas of the twin cities particularly Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove,Osseo, Plymouth, Corcoran, Dayton and Hassan. The school District's superintendent is Susan K. Hintz.

[edit] Overview

The Osseo School District (Independent School District #279) is locally known as a district of excellence. Academics, athletics, fine arts, and special education are some of the district's strong points. The Osseo School District encompasses many local communities, the largest of which are Maple Grove, Plymouth, and Brooklyn Park. Other communities include Osseo, Medina, Medicine Lake, Corcoran, Champlin and Dayton. Many of the district's schools excel academically.

In 2000, the district passed the largest bond referendum in state history, totaling nearly $140 million. The money was distributed on a need-based system, with older schools receiving more compensation than newer ones. A year later, the district attempted to pass a $14 million levy but it was rejected by taxpayers, who were already paying higher school taxes than the majority of the state. This came as a shock to a district that was accustomed to relatively uncontested tax increases with little detail about where the money was being spent. The levy ultimately passed the next year when the district realized that it needed to detail its expenditures.

The Osseo District is known for its geographic conflicts. The western portion of the district (Maple Grove) has experienced rapid growth throughout the past two decades, creating a huge demand for new schools. The eastern side of the district (Brooklyn Park) is older and, thus, needs money for building maintenance. Maple Grove, an affluent community, has built the vast majority of its schools throughout the past twenty years and some in the eastern side of the district see this as a misappropriation of funding. The three high schools (Maple Grove, Osseo, and Park Center) are known for their rivalries, arguably rooted in the district's geographic financial inequalities.

As a whole, the district performs well and is widely recognized for its achievements. Over 20,000 students attend schools in this district.