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Prior Lake News Compass

Prior Lake News Compass

Informed. Engaged. Connected.

Prior Lake News Compass

Schools

Coffee shop to host fundraiser on March 24 for Laker Educational Foundation

March 20, 2025

Scooter's Coffee, 15825 Franklin Tr. in Prior Lake will donate a percentage of all sales made on Monday, March 24 to the Laker Educational Foundation. The foundation is a community-based volunteer organization that provides funding to support projects...

Top honors for PLSAS administrator

Staff report
March 19, 2025

The Minnesota Administrators for Special Education has named Michelle Cuka, Director of Student Support Services for Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools, as the recipient of the 2025 Special Education Administrator of the Year Award. The award recognizes...

PLSAS searching for early clues on budget forecast

PLSAS searching for early clues on budget forecast

Renee Winick
March 12, 2025

Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools leaders are monitoring some key figures that help forecast the district's future budget. During the March 10 PLSAS school board meeting, Executive Director of Business Services Tammy Fredrickson discussed the next year’s...

Sides quiet after deadline for threatened lawsuit against PLSAS passes

Sides quiet after deadline for threatened lawsuit against PLSAS passes

Robb Jeffries
March 5, 2025

The deadline for a resolution to a threatened lawsuit by a Jeffers Pond teacher has passed, but it is unclear if a resolution has been reached. Attorneys for Brooke Zahn, a fourth-grade teacher at the elementary school, imposed a deadline of Feb. 28...

Laker Hall of Fame nominations now open

Laker Hall of Fame nominations now open

Staff report
March 5, 2025

The Laker Hall of Fame is now accepting nominations for the Class of 2025. The hall committee is accepting nominations for distinguished graduates and staff representing the areas of activities, athletics or as a distinguished individual with significant...

Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools superintendent Michael Thomas explains the next steps for the district's budget process at a town hall meeting at Prior Lake High School on Jan. 29, 2025. Robb Jeffries / PL News Compass

School board reaches consensus on $4.1 million in budget cuts

Robb Jeffries
February 28, 2025

When a bond measure in 2024 to raise funds for the district failed, leaders within the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools district set forth on the difficult task of finding budget cuts to keep the district on track. After months of deliberation and with...

Members of the Shooting Stars team competing earlier this month were, from left to right, Kip Kruggel, Luke Gudmundson, Dominik Fortin, Elnur Yemar and Hunter DeLarosby. Not pictured is Alex Gouchenaur.

Local team building a future in robotics

Staff report
February 26, 2025

The Shooting Stars Robotics team was among the top finishers in the First Lego League Challenge held in mid-February. The Feb. 16 event at Burnsville High School focused on science, technology, engineering and math, all part of STEM core initiatives....

PLSAS board building new handbook

Renee Winick
February 26, 2025

The Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools board will look to further refine its policies and create a legacy document for future use. In previous meetings, the board discussed creating a handbook for members to use as a reference when questions arose about...

Jeffers Pond teacher threatens lawsuit for suspension

Jeffers Pond teacher threatens lawsuit for suspension

Robb Jeffries
February 19, 2025

A Jeffers Pond Elementary School teacher is threatening to sue the school district over her December suspension for a social media posting. Fourth-grade teacher Brooke Zahn was suspended for seven days without pay by the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools...

PLSAS to St. Paul: Fix the funding formula

PLSAS to St. Paul: Fix the funding formula

Renee Winick
February 12, 2025

During its latest meeting, the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools board refined its legislative platform, opting to call on the state to update its 54-year-old education funding formula. The platform will be used when board members and district officials...

Climb Theatre's performance of "The Gift Cat" will be seen by Five Hawks students on Feb. 21.

Schools roundup: Theater presentations at Five Hawks to focus on recycling

Staff report
February 10, 2025

Students at Five Hawks Elementary School will see performances by Climb Theatre that focus on recycling. "The Gift Cat" will be performed for students in kindergarten through second grade. "Trash!" will be seen by students in grades three through six...

The Prior Lake girls hockey team looks on during the 2024-25 season. Submitted photo / Caty Mawing Photography

Girls hockey preparing for playoffs

Randy Geister
February 6, 2025

The No. 4-seeded Prior Lake girls hockey team begins the Section 2AA playoffs on Friday, Feb. 7 , against #5 seed Shakopee at Dakotah Ice Center. These teams have played twice this year, with the Lakers coming out on top both times. The last meeting...

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