Community Corner
UPDATED: Stillwater School District Halts Online Levy Forum
Advocacy on both sides went beyond what the district says it could lawfully host on its website.
Updated below. Original post (Friday, 6 a.m.): An online forum launched Sept. 23 by the Stillwater Area School District about the upcoming levy referendum is no more.
A district statement posted online says advocacy on both sides of the issue—out of bounds with what state law allows the district to host—led to the pulling the plug on the forum.
In its first week, the Stillwater Area School District Levy 2013 Discussion Board drew nearly 200 comments.
Here is the statement the district posted about the forum:
The Stillwater Area Public Schools created the levy discussion board as a place for residents to ask questions about the upcoming levy. As a school district, state law requires us to provide information to residents without advocating for or against a specific proposal. The forum has begun to be used for advocacy on both sides of the issue, and for the district to continue to remain neutral, it is necessary for us to post only questions and answers about the levy.
If you have questions or would like to share feedback with us about the levy, please:
- Contact us at communications@stillwaterschools.org.
- Attend one of the Levy Information Sessions: Oct 21, 6:30 p.m. at Oak-Land Junior High or Oct 22, 6:30 p.m. at Stillwater Junior High.
- Call the Communications Office at 651.351.8320.
Thank you for your interest in Stillwater Area Public Schools.
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Update (Friday, 11 a.m.): District Community Engagement Coordinator Carissa Keister clarified in an email to Stillwater Patch that the current page retains the questions previously posted on the forum, but without advocacy language, pro or con:
"The levy discussion forum was intended to be a place for online Q&A. However, when both advocates for and against began using the district-sponsored page as their platform, it was necessary for the district to redirect the forum to a straight question and answer page in order to remain neutral.
"This page (http://www.stillwater.k12.mn.us/district/school-board/levy-2013-investing-
excellence/levy-2013-discussion-board) still includes all of the questions originally posted to the levy forum, along with others received directly by email, without the commentary and opinion surrounding them."
"The levy discussion forum was intended to be a place for online Q&A. However, when both advocates for and against began using the district-sponsored page as their platform, it was necessary for the district to redirect the forum to a straight question and answer page in order to remain neutral.
"This page (http://www.stillwater.k12.mn.us/district/school-board/levy-2013-investing-
excellence/levy-2013-discussion-board) still includes all of the questions originally posted to the levy forum, along with others received directly by email, without the commentary and opinion surrounding them."
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