Bridges

Thanks to a federal program, lunch meals for all students 18 years and under will be available with no fee from July 7 to July 30, Mondays through Thursdays, at Pike Lake Education Center, from 11 a.m. - noon. Meals must be consumed on-site.

Are you in need of food resources this summer?

• Visit the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf.
• Use the food maps provided by Ramsey County.
• Call the Minnesota Food Helpline at 888-711-1151.

For the 14th consecutive year, Mounds View Public Schools has won the Best Communities for Music Education Award, presented by the NAMM Foundation. Mounds View was one of only 13 Minnesota school districts to receive the designation for 2026. This year, more than 3,000 students in grades 4-12 chose to participate in band, choir and orchestra.

During its January 22 Special Meeting, the School Board selected Andre Koen of Mounds View to serve the remainder of former Board member Jonathan Weinhagen’s term which expires January 3, 2028.

After interviewing 15 candidates at public interviews on January 15 and 20, the Board selected Koen whose appointment will be announced during the January 27 regular meeting of the School Board at 7 p.m., at the District Center. He will be sworn in as a Board member at the regularly scheduled School Board meeting at 7 p.m. on February 10.

Koen has spent more than 20 years helping organizations strengthen learning systems, support diverse communities and remove barriers to success. He is the director of learning and development for the city of Minneapolis, where he leads organization-wide training initiatives for city employees. He has served on the PTA of Pinewood Elementary School and the District’s Curriculum Advisory Committee. He has two children who attend Pinewood and Edgewood Middle School.

As you may know, the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf has been a proud pillar of our community in providing ongoing support to our students, families and residents. 

Earlier this week, the District sent you a message reassuring that our schools have a strong network of community resources available and ready to support our students and families. As recent immigration-related activities have escalated anxiety around our school community, we’d like to provide some information about our resources and how you can help.

Need is increasing 
In recent years, we’ve seen the needs for support with housing and food increasing in our community. Our community has continued to step up in support by donating more than one million pounds of food and basic needs items with families in our District. That generosity supported more than 13,500 visits to the food shelf. 

Ways to help 
We’ve had countless community members reach out and ask how they can help their neighbors. At this time, one of the most impactful ways to help is to donate money and/or food to the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf. 

• Tax deductible donations can be made in person or online. Monetary donations help us purchase food from area food banks and retailers at discounted rates, which multiplies our purchasing power. 
• Current high need items are diapers (size 4, 5, 6), baby wipes, toilet paper and laundry detergent, as well as non-perishable food items. Find a list of the most-needed items here. Donations can be dropped off at the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - noon. Donations should be placed in the self-serve donation barrels at the back entrance (2544 Mounds View Blvd, Mounds View). 
• Currently, the food shelf is fortunate to have enough volunteers to cover their needs. We will provide updates and volunteer opportunities as they become available.

We’re grateful to our community for their generosity and willingness to help their neighbors.

Dear members of our school community,

We are writing to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the safety, well-being and dignity of every student in our care.

As you know, recent immigration-related activity has escalated anxiety around the state and even within our own school community. These circumstances have understandably raised questions and concerns, and we want to be clear that our schools remain safe and welcoming places for all students.

• Please know that we have a coordinated system of safety protocols, support services and communications in place that includes our law enforcement partners, school leaders and key staff.
• Our safety protocols are designed to protect students during the school day, and we continue to follow these procedures consistently.
• In accordance with state law, we do not collect or share information about students or families beyond what is required for educational purposes. All personal information about students and their families is protected and cannot be shared without parental consent.

Every day, in ways often unseen to the general public, our focus is on providing a stable, supportive learning environment where students can learn, grow and feel safe. We encourage individuals and families to reach out to us directly if they have questions or need support. Our school district has a strong network of community resources available and ready to support our students and families.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we work together to keep our school community safe and supportive.

Sincerely,
Mounds View Public Schools