St. Paul school board delays vote on English learner teacher cuts after contentious, 5-hour meeting
The St. Paul school board put off a vote on cutting about 18 English learner teachers until the end of the month, deciding at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday after a meeting that lasted about five hours.
District officials laid out the cuts at the meeting, saying St. Paul Public Schools is losing nearly $5 million because of lower enrollment.
Based on January figures, the district projected 8,787 English learner students would enroll. As of Oct. 1, actual enrollment was 8,245, a drop of 542 students. The district blames the decline on Operation Metro Surge, the federal immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities that happened in early 2026.
The St. Paul Federation of Educators, the union representing district educators, has said the cuts would affect at least two dozen schools. Union President Carrie Kyung has alleged the plan was made in secret and rushed through.
Superintendent Stacie Stanley rejected that, saying the plan was not something she did in secret or "on a whim." She said she has to make sure the children who are in the district can continue to have the experiences she, board members and the leadership team want for them.
Stanley said she "certainly could not have imagined" being in a situation that was not created by the board, her leadership team or herself, but by the effect of Operation Metro Surge. She acknowledged the situation is complex and said it brings "no easy answer."
The district said students who need English learner services will still have access, but acknowledged many will experience a disruption.
Public comment ended after 45 minutes, and families and teachers in the crowded room began chanting "let them speak." Two people took a megaphone and spoke against the cuts before the board voted to allow more people to share their thoughts. One woman told the board the plan "will decimate our EL program."
Board members said they were weighing competing needs. Board member Yusef Carrillo said the board has to bridge a divide between students' needs, especially English learners, whose needs have been "doubly affected," and the district's long-term future. Board member Chauntyll Allen said the board has to make "very difficult decisions" now because avoiding them affects the future.
Educators, union members and families rallied outside district headquarters before the meeting. Kristine Ranweiler, an English language teacher, told WCCO that students need support in language, and that when they don't get it, families leave for other districts and schools.
"We love our students, and we want them to stay in St. Paul," she said.
When it approved its budget for the 2025-26 school year, the district said it faced a $51.5 million deficit.
