School Board

The Robbinsdale Area Schools Board appreciates and values the public's input.  Contact information for the current board members and superintendent, who serves as an ex-officio member of the board, is included below.

Send your joys and concerns to the group email address at school_board@rdale.org. All Board members will receive your correspondence; the Board Chair responds to emails on behalf of the Board.

School Board Meeting Webcasts

• See live or archived webcasts of regular school board meetings
  • If a meeting isn't showing up here, visit our YouTube page, 
• Jump to specific sections of webcasts
• Search webcasts for specific issues
• Read the agenda and see the supporting documents from meetings
• Listen to mp3 audio of the meetings
• Download podcasts and receive update via an RSS feed reader

The Robbinsdale Area Schools (Rdale) Board of Education welcomes community participation and encourages attendees to review the information below to better understand how Business Meetings, Study Sessions, Listening Time, and Public Hearings are conducted.

Meeting Location and Timing

All Business Meetings, Study Sessions and Listening Times are held in the School Board chambers at the Education Service Center (ESC), located at 4148 Winnetka Ave. N., New Hope.

At the first Business Meeting of most months, the Board conducts a Listening Time. Listening Time begins at 6 p.m., followed by the Business Meeting at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, Study Sessions typically begin at 6 p.m.

Doors to the School Board chambers typically open 30 minutes prior to the start of the Business Meeting, Study Session or Listening Time.

What is Listening Time?

Listening Time provides an opportunity for members of the school district community to share comments, concerns, questions, and ideas regarding most any topic directly with the School Board. 

Listening Time begins at 6 p.m. and concludes on or before 6:50 p.m., depending on the number of speakers. If there are more requests to speak than time permits, some speakers may not be heard. Only in specially announced circumstances will Listening Time last longer than 50 minutes.

Community members who wish to speak are asked to complete the Listening Time Form, which can be submitted in advance by emailing Molly Olson, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and School Board, at Molly_Olson@Rdale.org, or filled out in person upon arrival. Speakers are heard in the order forms are received and are allotted up to three minutes.

Listening Time is not live-streamed or recorded. This long-standing practice in Rdale allows individuals to share sensitive or personal information in a respectful setting. 

Business Meeting and Study Session Live-Stream

Business Meetings and Study Sessions are live-streamed and recorded. The live-stream is available on the district website and YouTube channel, and in overflow rooms when attendance exceeds available seating in the Board chambers

Please note that the live-stream operates with an approximate 30-second delay.

Understanding Public Hearings

Public Hearings are a special portion of a Business Meeting and are not part of every Board agenda. They are held when required by state law or by School Board action, such as when a school closure is being considered.

The start time of a Public Hearing is determined by the Board meeting agenda and is not scheduled for a specific time within the meeting.

Seating, Overflow, and Safety

The School Board chambers have limited seating. While the room has a posted capacity of 226 for standing-room situations, that configuration is not appropriate for public meetings.

To ensure safety and accessibility:

• Seating is limited to approximately 70 chairs for Listening Time
• Seating is limited to approximately 80 chairs for Public Hearings
• Standing in aisles or against walls is not permitted

Overflow rooms are available when attendance exceeds capacity. Because Listening Time is not live-streamed, overflow rooms do not receive a feed until the Business Meeting or Study Session begins.

Accessibility and Language Services

Spanish and Somali interpreter services have been provided at past meetings and are available upon request. Community members needing language interpretation or other accessibility accommodations are encouraged to contact Language Services at 763-504-8082.