St. Paul loses English language learning students, eyes teacher cuts in wake of Operation Metro Surge

St. Paul Public Schools is proposing to eliminate educators midyear, and the teachers' union says the cuts would fall on English learner teachers and were planned in secret.

Union President Carrie Kyung said the plan includes cutting up to 18 English learner teachers and would affect at least two dozen schools. Kyung said the school board is trying to rush the plan through and should reject it and reconsider its options for balancing the budget.

Superintendent Stacie Stanley outlined the proposal in a letter to families. She wrote that many students who are no longer enrolled in the district's schools are English learners, citing the effects of Operation Metro Surge, the federal immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities, and an overall decline in district families. Stanley said district funding is based largely on enrollment and she refuted the accusation that the cuts were planned behind closed doors.

"I wish the circumstances were different, and that we were not in this situation that none of us asked to be in," Stanley wrote.

Her letter also says the district is committed to keeping the financial reserves required by board policy. The district would not comment beyond the letter.

Kyung questioned the district's enrollment figures, asking where the more than 500 students the district says are missing have gone and what it is doing to reach families and help them enroll.

Educators, union members and families rallied outside of district headquarters ahead of the meeting. 

"They need the support in language and they wouldn't be getting that," said Kristine Ranweiler, an English language teacher, told WCCO ahead of the meeting. "Support out students, support our families. When we don't support them they leave to go to other districts and other schools and we love our students and we want them to stay in St. Paul."

Families and teachers disrupted the school board meeting Tuesday night, chanting "let them speak" when public comment ended after 45 minutes. Two people took a megaphone and spoke to the crowded room, opposing the cuts before the board eventually voted to allow more people to share their thoughts. 

"This plan will decimate our EL program and our ability to provide quality service to our students," one woman told the board. 

Based on numbers from last January, the district projected 8,787 English learning students would enroll in St. Paul schools, but as of Oct. 1 the actual enrollment is 8,245 — a drop of 542 students.

The district blames the drop in English learning students on Operation Metro Surge. 

The superintendent acknowledged the complex situation, saying it brings "no easy answer."

"I certainly could not have imagined having to sit here tonight in a situation that was not created by my board that was not created by my senior executive leadership team and was not created by me," Stanley said. "It was created by the effect of Operation Surge."

The district said students who need EL services will still have access, but acknowledged many will experience a disruption. 

Many board members stressed the difficulty of weighing both the necessity of fiscal responsibility and meeting students needs.

"Unfortunately, we have to bridge a divide of our students. Their needs especially, our EL students, their needs which have been doubly affected and the fact that the future of the district long term needs to be taken care of," said Board Member Yusef Carillo.

"I think in this moment we have to make some very difficult decisions. When we don't make difficult decisions in the moment it impacts things in the future," said Board Member Chauntyll Allen.

When it approved its budget for the 2025-26 school year, the district said it faced a $51.5 million deficit.