BUSINESSES THAT WE CAN RUN.

♪♪ >> ERIC: EARLY VOTING KICKED OFF TODAY IN MINNESOTA, AND ST.

PAUL VOTERS WILL SEE A BALLOT QUESTION ON BOOSTING SCHOOL FUNDING.

THIS IS PART OF A BROADER POTENTIAL TAX HIKE FOR THE CITY.

OUR NEXT GUEST JOINED US AFTER HER FIRST WEEK ON THE JOB AND RETURNS, NOW PAST HER FIRST 100 DAYS.

ST.

PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT STACIE STANLEY.

WELCOME BACK.

THE NEWS OF THE DAY FOR OF SCHOOLS IS THE SAFETY ISSUE.

>> YEAH.

>> Eric: WHAT ARE YOU AND THE BOARD DOING AND WHAT WOULD HELP FROM THE LEGISLATURE?

>> YEAH.

WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO SAY, IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING OUR CHIEF OF POLICE FOR St.

PAUL, POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND WE JUST HAVE REALLY STRONG RELATIONSHIP AND HAVE BUILT THAT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT STRONG RELATIONSHIP.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR INTERNAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM WITHIN OUR DISTRICT.

NOW, WE COULD ALWAYS USE MORE SAFETY DOLLARS.

THAT'S FOR SURE.

AND WE'RE JUST KIND OF WAITING TO HEAR WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO DO, IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT SPECIAL SESSION, AND WHAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS WILL BE.

I'M ACTUALLY REACHING OUT TO OUR LEGISLATORS, REACHING OUT TO OUR MAYOR, ALL OF THOSE THINGS SO THAT WE CAN BE PREPARED, YOU KNOW, IN OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE IDEA THAT HAS BEEN FLOATED BY SOME LAWMAKERS TO BRING BACK SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS?

I THINK YOU ALL PROBABLY PULLED BACK ON SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS IN 2020.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT MAYBE BRINGING THEM BACK IN?

>> YEAH, WELL, I WILL TELL YOU, THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS THAT I HAD WHEN I MET WITH OUR CHIEF OF St.

PAUL POLICE, AND WHAT HE SHARED, AND I AGREE WITH HIM, AFTER BEING THERE FOR FOUR MONTHS, AND REALLY SEEING THE STRONG RELATIONSHIP, THE FACT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE OUR SAFETY LIAISONS RIGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE KIDS ALL THE TIME, WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE MANY MORE THAN WE WOULD HAVE FOR SROs, HE SAID THAT HE REALLY LIKES THIS MODEL, AND I REALLY SUPPORT HIM WITH THAT.

FUL.

>> Eric: YOUR $51 MILLION SHORT IN A BILLION-DOLLAR BUDGET.

YOU CAN'T TAP RESERVES FOREVER.

YOU GET BELOW THE GUIDELINES.

>> YEAH.

>> Eric: YOU'RE GOING TO THE VOTERS.

>> WE ARE.

>> Eric: WHAT'S THE PITCH?

>> SO, ACTUALLY WE SURVEYED OUR VOTERS TO FIND OUT IF, FIRST OF ALL, IF THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR APPETITE WAS FOR LEVY BACK IN JUNE.

AND 78% OF OUR RESIDENT FAMILIES SAID THAT THEY WOULD COMPLETELY SUPPORT A REFERENDA IF IT MEANT WELL MAINTAINING OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.

YOU KNOW, ST.

PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS SOME AMAZING PROGRAMS, WHETHER IT IS CAREER AND COLLEGE READINESS, WHETHER IT IS OUR LANGUAGE AND CULTURE PROGRAMS, WHETHER IT IS A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND TO GIVE THEM A BROAD-BASED EDUCATION.

WE DEFINITELY HAVE THE BASICS, AND WE HAVE THAT BROAD-BASED EDUCATION.

REALLY RIGHT NOW I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED, THOUGH -- >> Eric: SOUNDS GOOD, LIKE THERE'S SUPPORT.

>> SOUNDS GOOD.

THERE IS SUPPORT.

AND WE LSO KNOW THAT WE'RE OUT THERE TALKING TO THE PUBLIC.

I AM EETING WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS I POSSIBLY CAN, SO IS MY SENIOR EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INFORMING PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US.

I TELL FOLKS, THIS IS NOT ICING ON THE CAKE.

THIS IS THE CAKE.

THIS IS TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP OUR PROGRAMS.

>> Cathy: AND I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THAT OU SAY THAT YOU GOT SOME SUPPORT.

YET, RAMSEY COUNTY COMMISSIONER REASON I CAN'T MORAN IS WORRIED ABOUT FOLKS MOVING OUT OF St.

PAUL BECAUSE OF HIGH TAXES, AND MAYOR CARER IS LOOKING -- CARTER IS LOOKING AT RAISING TAXES, RAMSEY COUNTY, TOO.

ISN'T A TOUGH ROW TO HOE, ISN'T IT?

>> IT'S A TOUGH SPACE, FOR EVERY ONE DOLLAR OF OUR TAXPAYERS' DOLLARS IN St.

PAUL, 23 CENTS GOES TOWARD THE SCHOOLS.

AND MY PREDECESSORS HAVE DONE THEIR VERY BEST TO JUST BE REALLY JUDICIOUS WITH THEIR TAX DOLLARS.

RENA MORAN.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO NEED THOSE EXTRA DOLLARS IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR PROGRAMS AT THE PLACE THEY'RE AT.

>> Eric: THE LEGISLATURE TOUTED IN 2023 RECORD-HIGH EDUCATION FUNDING.

WHERE DID ALL THAT MONEY GO?

>> WELL, RECORD-HIGH EDUCATIONAL FUNDING, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THEY HELPED US WITH SOME OF THOSE CROSS-SUBSIDIES AND, STILL, IF EDUCATION BASIC FORMULA HAD KEPT UP WITH INFLATION SINCE 200 3, ST.

PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS ALONE WILL STILL HAVE $50 MILLION MORE PER YEAR.

2003.

SO WE APPRECIATE THE EXTRA FUNDS.

YOU HAD THE ECONOMIST ON.

HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE COST OF SUPPLIES.

YOU ACTUALLY HAD THE SEGMENT ON MEDICAID.

WE ACTUALLY DO THIRD-PARTY BILLING.

THAT'S $5 MILLION.

SO THESE ARE ALL DOLLARS THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY LOSE, AND THESE ARE ALL DOLLARS THAT HELP TO KEEP OUR SYSTEM GOING.

>> Cathy: NOW, I KNOW YOU WANT TO BE POSITIVE, BUT IF THIS REFERENDA FAILS, WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN?

>> YEAH.

WE WOULD LOSE THE ARTS, WE WOULD LOSE MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS.

RIGHT NOW WE HAVE INCREDIBLE LANGUAGE PROGRAMS.

ACROSS THE DISTRICT FOR A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

WE PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR THOSE BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT OUR STUDENTS TO HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS.

WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT TRANSPORTATION FOR THOSE.

WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT, WHAT DOES SAFETY AND SECURITY LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, PAYING FOR THAT.

ALL OF THAT COMES OUT OF GENERAL FUND.

>> Eric: YOU'VE OT A TOUGH JOB.

APPRECIATE YOU COMING VER.

>> Cathy: GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, TOO.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

TAKE CARE.

>> Cathy: YOU TOO.