In an effort to accommodate the Hispanic community of Albert Lea, the school district will give a Spanish presentation tonight on the excess levy referendum.

Thursday, October 11, 2001

In an effort to accommodate the Hispanic community of Albert Lea, the school district will give a Spanish presentation tonight on the excess levy referendum.

The presentation, in conjunction with a meeting in English at the same time, is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. at Brookside Education Center. Superintendent David Prescott said the open house at Brookside gave the district a perfect opportunity to hold the Spanish meeting.

&uot;There are a number of Hispanic families involved with at least three programs at Brookside – the Adult Learning Center, Evenstart and Head Start – and we decided it was a good chance to address any questions they might have about the referendum,&uot; Prescott said.

Linda Lares of Community Action will make the presentation for the district, making sure to write down any questions she’s not comfortable answering. Lares met with Prescott and other district staff to become familiar with the details of the referendum. Prescott will make an introduction and return at the meeting’s conclusion.

&uot;I think this is part of the district’s duty to reach out to the people of the Hispanic community, many of whom are property owners,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s kind of an experiment, but we hope it goes smoothly.&uot;

The Spanish presentation will be in the board room, and the English presentation will be across the hall in the gymnasium. Members of the school board and district administration will also be on hand.

The public meetings are part of a celebration at Brookside to commemorate National ‘Lights On After School’ Day and the newly funded 21st Century Open Arms after-school program. Terry Gjersvik, director of the program, said Albert Lea schools are developing programs to make public schools like Brookside a safe place for kids after the final bell rings.

&uot;Schools are active places long after the school day ends. We have all kinds of enrichment programs in place,&uot; he said.

The open house will also expose visitors to the multitude of community and district programs located at Brookside, said Curriculum Director Judy Knudtson. Just two years after its closure as a middle school, Brookside houses programs serving children of all ages. Several programs for adults are also on site along with the district offices.

&uot;We’ve got something very special going here in this building. We want people to discover it. This is truly an education center for this community now,&uot; she said.

District staff and students will conduct tours of the building from 3:30-6 p.m. Free child care is available. Knudtson said pizza and pop will be served from 5-6:15 p.m., and some visitors will leave with door prizes.

The evening concludes with a short program, hosted by Rep. Dan Dorman, to recognize the one-month anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Dorman said the program will focus on assuring kids and parents that school facilities are safe and that students are secure.

&uot;All of our kids are having questions and anxieties about what they’ve seen and heard in the last month. We just want to address that. We want them to know they’re safe in our schools,&uot; Dorman said.