May 15, 2025

Even though summer hasn't officially arrived, it sure felt like it this past week. Boat traffic on Prior and other area lakes certainly increased since Saturday's fishing opener, and the Sand Point Beach boat ramp revamp is now complete. The best days of summer in Prior Lake are right around the corner!

May 15, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

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TOP STORY

The Prior Lake-Savage Area School District is proposing that WestWood Elementary School will close as a neighborhood school in the 2026-27 school year, but would still be used for La ola del lago, the district’s Spanish immersion program.

WestWood may close as neighborhood school; District Services Center on list to be sold

In a letter to staff and families in the district, Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools superintendent Michael Thomas laid out a series of building closures designed to balance the district's budget amid rising costs and a failed levy vote.

WestWood Elementary, located at 5370 Westwood Drive Southeast, would be closed as a neighborhood school beginning the 2026-27 school year. La ola del lago, the school district's kindergarten-5th grade Spanish immersion program, would move into the WestWood building. The District Services Center building at 4540 Tower Street Southeast would be sold, with the staff at that building moving to La ola del lago's current home at the Grainwood building at 5061 Minnesota Street Southeast.

Thomas emphasized in his letter that there are no changes for any of the affected schools or buildings for the 2025-26 school year.

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"While we have been open about our financial realities and the possibility of closing a school, we understand that learning these specific details may be upsetting, especially for families and staff who have built strong connections in the communities directly affected," Thomas wrote.

The proposed building closings and program relocations will go before the PLSAS school board at its May 19 study session. Thomas said the district is still working through many details of the arrangement, including elementary school boundary changes.

The school board reached a consensus on $4.1 million in budget cuts for the 2025-26 school year, and the district forecasts similar cuts to be needed for the following year.

Read the full story >

SUMMER READY

NEWS

Prior Lake resident Pat Klein received a blessing in 2015 from Bishop Robert Prevost (left), who was selected to serve as leader of the Catholic Church earlier this month. (Submitted photo)

Local resident, current pope had unexpected meeting years ago

Little did Prior Lake resident Pat Klein know nearly a decade ago that he was being blessed by the future leader of the worldwide Catholic Church when he traveled to Peru as part of a mission project started by St. Michael Catholic Church.

More News

Schools

Six PLHS students learned much about the business world while attending the DECA international conference.

Students attend DECA conference; Pascanik places in top 10

Six students from the Prior Lake High School's Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) program attended the organization's annual international conference held in Orlando in late April.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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