5/9/2017 Daily Media Clips Report

MPS Specific Coverage

MPS Mentions:
o Sun Sailor: St. Louis Park School Board selects finalists for districts top position
o KSTP: MPS votes on new wellness policy

SPPS Specific Coverage

Pioneer Press: St. Paul K-8 school worker on leave for alleged improper contact with
student
MPR News: St. Paul teacher injured in lunchroom brawl mourns career

Education at the State Legislative Level

Asian American Press: Underserved student scholarships for U St. Thomas

Education at the Federal Level

MPR News: The idea was to keep kids safe after school. Now they're chess champions
StarTribune: Nicki Minaj pays college costs for Twitter fans

Additional Stories Impacting our Students and Families

MinnPost: Candidates ask: How much is the Minneapolis DFL doing for people of color?
MinnPost: What early childhood investment means to my family and me
StarTribune: Trump's Muslim comments could haunt him in travel ban appeal
StarTribune: Deal struck in Twin Cities transit board break up

MPS Specific Coverage

St. Louis Park School Board selects finalists for districts top position
Published May 8, 2017 at 4:30 pm by Seth Rowe

The St. Louis Park School Board narrowed its finalists to administrators from the
Bloomington, Osseo and Minneapolis districts ahead of a planned May 10 vote.

At a special meeting May 2, the school board initially decided to interview six candidates
during special meetings May 3-4.

The board interviewed Lisa Sayles-Adams, assistant superintendent for St. Paul Public
Schools; Michael Favor, executive director of student services and schools for
Robbinsdale Area Schools; and Eric Melbye, assistant superintendent at Bloomington
Public Schools May 3.

The board interviewed Astein Osei, assistant superintendent at Osseo Area Schools;
Leadriane Roby, assistant superintendent at Richfield Public Schools; and Michael
Thomas, chief of academics and leadership at Minneapolis Public Schools May 4.

After the final interview May 4, the board selected Melbye, Osei and Thomas as the
finalists.

The finalists planned to meet in interviews with multiple groups of stakeholders

throughout the day May 8, 9 and 10, according to a statement from the district. Each
evening, the district planned a community interview with one of the finalists at St. Louis
Park Middle School. Audience members had the opportunity to ask the candidates
questions and provide feedback to the school board. The board was scheduled to vote
on a finalist after the final community meeting May 10.

Melbye is responsible for the guidance and evaluation of principals, curriculum and
instruction, English learner programs, gifted and talented programs, an alternative
teacher compensation program, a teacher mentor program, college and career
programming and the state-mandated Worlds Best Workforce Plan at Bloomington
Public Schools.

Melbye previously served as an administrator for student services, including overseeing

special education, the Bloomington districts Office of Educational Equity, health
services, learning supports and a response to intervention program. He has overseen
changes in curriculum in aligning it to meet state standards and with a racial equity lens,
led initiatives to individualize student instruction and worked to increase student learning,
according to the statement from the St. Louis Park School District.

Melbye works with district departments and stakeholders to implement the Bloomington
School Districts strategic plan. He has served as the executive director of interagency
services for the Carver-Scott Education Cooperative for multiple districts providing
special education services.

Osei coordinates action to achieve the mission of Osseo Area Public Schools, according
to the St. Louis Park School Districts statement. He works with leaders in human
resources, business administration, community engagement, instructional and
information technology, communications and the general counsel on the districts
mission.

Osei supervises and evaluates site and system leaders, according to the statement. He
provides professional development for leaders that is embedded in their jobs and the
overall organization. He leads new initiatives to improve student achievement, reducing
suspensions from school and eliminating the racial disparity within the suspensions, the
statement says.

Osei previously worked as a director of educational equity, a principal on special

assignment for system-level support to teaching and learning, a high school principal
and an assistant principal.
 Thomas provides systemic leadership for the third-largest school district in the state,
according to the statement. He works to guide academic programming, supervises and
evaluates six associate superintendents to ensure they achieve goals to advance
student learning and seeks to ensure that schools achieve outcomes through academic
improvement plans aligned to the Minneapolis School Districts strategic plan.

Thomas has helped implement programs that have helped increase the four-year
graduation rates for three consecutive years, narrowed the gap relating to test scores for
black males, and increased the rates of freshmen on track to graduate, according to the
statement.

Thomas has led the adoption of a preschool-to-fifth-grade core literacy curriculum and
restructured multiple departments to provide $1 million for additional support services for
students. He previously served as chief of schools, associate superintendent, a junior
high school and elementary school principal and integration coordinator.

St. Louis Park Supt. Rob Metz announced in January that he would leave the school
district at the end of June. The next day, Metz will begin a new role as deputy director of
Building Assets, Reducing Risks, and a nonprofit center that began as a program at St.
Louis Park High School.

Metz has worked in public education for 36 years, including positions as principal of
Aquila Elementary School and St. Louis Park High School before he became
superintendent about four years ago.

SPPS Specific Coverage

St. Paul K-8 school worker on leave for alleged improper contact with student
By NICK WOLTMAN | nwoltman@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press
PUBLISHED: May 8, 2017 at 11:18 pm | UPDATED: May 9, 2017 at 7:44 am

An employee of the Capitol Hill Magnet School in St. Paul is on leave after being
accused of inappropriate communications and actions involving a student, according to
an email sent to parents Monday by Principal Patrick Bryan.

School officials learned of the alleged misconduct on April 25 and immediately notified
St. Paul police and the students family, the email said.

Although he did not identify the employee or provide details of the allegations in the
email, Bryan told parents that the employee was placed on leave April 26 and that the
school has opened an investigation into the matter.

Additionally, weve learned that there may be student rumors on social media, Bryan
wrote. Rumors are not helpful during an investigation. Please take this opportunity to
encourage your child to talk with a trusted adult if they have concerns about school.

The gifted-and-talented magnet school, at 560 Concordia Ave. in the Summit-University

neighborhood, serves students in grades 1-8.
 A representative of the St. Paul School District could not confirm the employees identity
late Monday evening, and a St. Paul police spokesman could not immediately provide
further information.

St. Paul teacher injured in lunchroom brawl mourns career by Matt Sepic May 8,
2017

A student punched Ekblad before choking him until the teacher passed out. Ekblad was
unconscious for 10 to 20 seconds, and suffered a concussion and traumatic brain injury.

He's still dealing with short-term memory loss, hearing problems, and numbness on the
right side of his body. Ekblad is right-handed, but that handshakes, sometimes
uncontrollably.

The attacker was 16 at the time. He pleaded guilty to felony third-degree assault and
other charges. Early last year, a judge sentenced the teen to 90 days house arrest,
supervised probation, and community service.

The 56-year-old sued the school system in 2016, saying disciplinary policies meant to
reduce racial disparities in suspensions has led to out-of-control violence, putting
teachers at risk.

The St. Paul public school district has asked a federal judge to dismiss Ekblad's lawsuit.

An attorney for the schools and former superintendent Valeria Silva says in court
documents that they're immune from such litigation. The district also argues because
Ekblad faced the "special hazard of dealing with and breaking up fights" as a lunchroom
supervisor, it should be up to the state workers compensation system to resolve the
matter not the courts.

Ekblad told MPR News reporter Matt Sepic in an interview he "got knocked of my
profession because of this. I'm trying to keep up the good fight for kids No. 1, and for
teachers."

Education at the State Legislative Level

Underserved student scholarships for U St. Thomas

BY AANEWSIN EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS 7 MAY, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS If there is one gift we could give teens for their future, most people
agree it would be a college education. But for too many hard-working youth, college
seems beyond their reach. In an effort to help reduce the education and prosperity gap
in Minnesota, the University of St. Thomas will open The Dougherty Family College for
the 2017-18 school year. The college is now accepting applications for its first class of
students.

The Dougherty Family College Associate of Arts Degree is uniquely designed to help
ensure the success of under-served students who may be the first in their family to
attend college, or those who have limited support or financial assistance to pursue a
four-year degree. Students will need a 2.5 or higher grade-point average and must have
a high level of financial need (e.g., meeting the eligibility requirements for federal Pell
Grants and/or state grants). In addition, students must participate in a qualifying
interview to determine their readiness and motivation. (ACT is not required.) Applications
are now open at http://www.stthomas.edu/dfc/applytoday.
Human beings cannot flourish and realize their potential without access to education
and access to job opportunities, shared Dr. Julie Sullivan, president at the University of
St. Thomas. Dougherty Family College is about expanding access, in particular for
those students who have limited financial resources or have faced challenges in their
life.

The Dougherty Family College plans to admit about 150 students to its inaugural college
class. Classes will be held four days a week, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. To increase access
for students, the two-year college will be located on the University of St. Thomas
campus in downtown Minneapolis. It will offer students an Associate of Arts degree in
liberal arts, with courses that meet Minnesota Transfer Curriculum guidelines. The
annual tuition will be offset by state and local grants, scholarships and corporate
support, bringing final tuition costs to just $1,000 a year for the most under-resourced
students. Scholarships, along with free laptops, meals and bus transportation, ensure
students have the tools needed so nothing stands in the way of their ability to focus on a
rigorous college education.

Structured and intensive mentoring, a directed curriculum, generous financial aid and
small class sizes will help prepare students to succeed in their first two years of college
and prepare them to matriculate in a four-year program with minimal student debt. St.
Thomas will also connect its two-year college students with paid internships through
collaboration with regional employers. These internships will offer valuable, hands-on
work experience that will help our students develop professional and life skills, said Pat
Ryan, chair of the University of St. Thomas Board of Trustees, and an early advocate for
making a connection between the school and the business community.

Students will take a core curriculum of liberal arts classes, which will meet the academic
standards of the University of St. Thomas four-year program but will be delivered in a
different way. Each student will attend classes with the same group of 25 students
throughout the two-year program. They will take a first-year experience seminar focusing
on study skills, time management, financial and information literacy, preparatory skills for
conducting research and professional development etiquette. In addition, students will
participate in leadership development advisory groups to hone their critical thinking and
leadership skills.

A college degree is one of the best ways to beat poverty, said Mike Dougherty, lead
benefactor along with his wife, Kathy. My wife, daughters and I want to give motivated,
hard-working students the opportunity to succeed in college so they can use their talents
and support themselves in the future. One day, I believe these students will be giving
back to our community. But for now, this is a way for our family to give back to the
community that has been so good to us.

Inspiration for the Dougherty Family College came from within our school, from our
generous, community-minded donors and from our own mission to be morally
responsible leaders, who work to advance the common good, Sullivan said.
Addressing Minnesotas achievement gap requires not only compassion, but the
commitment to take action and we intend to be part of the solution.
Education at the Federal Level

The idea was to keep kids safe after school. Now they're chess champions
Education Laurel Morales KJZZ-FM May 9, 2017

When Ted Komada started teaching 14 years ago, he says he didn't know how to
manage a classroom and was struggling to connect with students.

He noticed a couple of days after school that a group of kids would get together to play
chess. "I said, 'I know how to play chess. Let me go show these kids how to do it.'"

So he went across the hall and did nothing, he says, but lose game after game. "And
that's when I remember being like, 'Oh there's knowing how the pieces move, and
there's playing chess.'"

Now playing chess is a big deal at Killip Elementary in Flagstaff, Ariz., where Komada is
a teacher and coaches the chess team. The whole program started as a safe place for
kids to come after school a diversion and this week dozens of those students are
getting ready to head out to Nashville, Tennessee to compete with about 5,000 other
young people at the SuperNationals of chess. The competition only happens every four
years and the last time the team went, they placed a team at third in the nation.

Back then, Skylar Boyce was just 6 years old. Now he's 10, still playing chess, and says
he can't wait to go again this year and place first.

He says chess is fun and it teaches you stuff: "Stuff that helps you in the real world. Like
for trades. You always want to trade fairly in chess and you always need to trade fairly in
the world," he says. "You don't want to, like, give someone a car if they're gonna give
you $5."

Speaking of money, the team raised $35,000 so all the kids who qualified could go.

Komada says chess gives him, and his students, control. The school has the highest
number of kids from low-income families in Flagstaff. Police frequent the area. Two
months ago, a young man was shot just down the street during chess practice.

"You decide whether you want to attack queen side, king side, attack with a knight or a
bishop," Komada says. "I love chess because it makes me feel powerful because I'm in
control. I mean there's not too many things in life that you have complete control over.
Chess is one of them."

"Coach Komada, here, likes to teach them that you want to think about your move before
you do it," says Michelle Pedilla, who has two sons who play chess. For her sons, she
sees those lessons translate into the real world. "Like, 'Should I do that? It might get me
in trouble.'"

Pedilla gets emotional when she thinks about the team walking into a competition as a
"big ol' blue group," referring to the school colors. She'll be there this week with them in
Nashville and she says, "I'm very much a proud mother."

Nicki Minaj pays college costs for Twitter fans

 By The Associated Press Associated Press MAY 8, 2017 6:55AM

Nicki Minaj is putting some fans on scholarship.

After a fan asked the hip-hop star if she would pay his college tuition on Twitter on
Saturday night, Minaj agreed to pay fans' school costs on the condition that they show
her perfect marks. She wrote, "Show me straight A's that I can verify w/ur school and I'll
pay it."

A few dozen fans took Minaj up on the offer, posting screenshots of their grades. Minaj
replied individually to some throughout the night and agreed to pay other things like book
costs and student loans.

Minaj wrapped up the contest after a few hours, but she promised to do it again in a
month or two.

Additional Stories Impacting our Students and Families

Candidates ask: How much is the Minneapolis DFL doing for people of color?
By Kristoffer Tigue | 05/08/17

Several candidates vying for public office in Minneapolis lambasted the citys current
leadership and the Democratic Party at a rally last week, criticizing both for not doing
enough to address the states persistent racial disparities and calling for a massive,
demonstrable paradigm shift in the city.

The rally, organized at the City Hall rotunda by mayoral candidate Nekima Levy-Pounds
and attended by dozens of her supporters, aimed to act as an alternative State of the
City address, one focused on Minneapolis communities of color. Levy-Pounds said she
believed such an address was needed after witnessing what she called nearly four years
of dysfunction and a government not living up to its responsibilities.

Besides Levy-Pounds, speakers included City Council hopefuls Raeisha Williams, Tiffini
Flynn-Forslund and Samantha Pree-Stinson, all of whom chastised the city for the
disunity within its leadership, and for inadequately addressing issues that most affect its
communities of color: affordable housing, raising the minimum wage, closing the states
achievement gap and pushing for stronger police reforms.

The ongoing miscommunication and lack of strong leadership, which was exposed by
the report from the Department of Justice recently, has been a hallmark of this current
administration, Levy-Pounds told the crowd, especially when dealing with issues that
impact communities of color.

Fourth precinct fallout

The citys handling of the occupation of the Fourth Precinct after the fatal shooting of
Jamar Clark was emblematic of deeper shortcomings within city leadership, said Levy-
Pounds. [The occupation] should have been a signal to the current mayor, police chief
and City Council members that our community is fed up with business-as-usual politics,
she said.
 Instead, Levy-Pounds said, after the encampment was disbanded, Mayor Hodges and
Council Member Blong Yang attempted to allocate more than $600,000 to help fortify the
Fourth Precinct police department a move that received strong pushback from
activists, who said more funding for the status quo wasnt the answer.

The fallout from Clarks death has led to stronger pushes for police reform and helped to
unify several civil rights groups last year in calling for more state funding to address
Minnesotas racial disparities.

But Clarks death also acted as a catalyst for many people of color getting more involved
in city politics. It's one of the reasons Raeisha Williams decided to run this year for the
citys Ward 5 spot and why she wants to see the citys current leadership ousted. Im
happy to see more candidates of color getting out here, but what I really want to know is
your track record, she said at Thursdays rally. Were you out there fighting for us when
we were out there fighting, or is it popular to do so now?

Bucking the DF
L
Like Levy-Pounds, the City Council challengers also blasted the DFL Party on Thursday
for using people of color as tokens to push the partys favorability among voters, while
not doing enough for their communities.

Thats why Raeisha and I bucked the DFL system, because we are tired of business as
usual, Levy-Pounds said, referring to her decision not to vie for the party's
endorsement. We are not going to seek the endorsement from a party that does not
treat people of color the way they deserve to be treated.

Green Party candidate Samantha Pree-Stinson, whos vying for the citys Ward 3 council
seat, agreed, saying shed like to see candidates of color get elected into public office in
the city without relying on the DFL to do so.

Most of the people running for mayor and the council are seeking the party
endorsement, however. Last month, wards in north Minneapolis and downtown saw
strong turnout among those supporting candidates hoping to secure the DFL
endorsement over incumbent council members.

Among them is Tiffini Flynn-Forslund, whos seeking DFL endorsement in Ward 6, where
theres a contentious fight for the seat among herself and two other candidates,
incumbent Abdi Warsame and challenger Mohamud Noor. Flynn-Forslund said though
shes seeking the endorsement, she can understand why candidates like Levy-Pounds
dont care to based on her own experience. Never have I felt so wiped out from my own
party, she said.

What early childhood investment means to my family and me

By TraNeicia Sylvester | 05/08/17

As Minnesota lawmakers, early childhood advocates, and nonprofit professionals

publicly share their views regarding our states need to invest in the early start of our
children, I recognize there is a critical voice missing voices of parents like me.
My two children and I live in a state with educational opportunity gaps that are among
the worst in the nation. Research tells us these gaps begin before our children start
kindergarten. In the beginning of every school year, 15,400 low-income children enter
kindergarten unprepared; this leads to gaps that get worse as our children continue
within our educational system. These numbers and statistics are lived realities for many
families in my community.

I had severe complications during the birth of my first child and because of those
complications, my daughter DaNae experienced brain damage and is hearing impaired. I
was 19 years old, confused, scared, and didnt know where to turn. Thankfully, I had the
support of my family and a combination of state-sponsored programs to support my child
and me through this traumatic process. When DaNae was a couple of months old, a
program by the name of Help Me Grow visited me in my home to provide assistance,
information, as well as a speech teacher and a physical therapist to assist with my
daughters development.

State-sponsored scholarship

After I returned to work, I realized how expensive child care was as my whole paycheck
was going to pay for DaNaes child-care expenses. The assistance I did have didnt
cover the full cost of care, and was dependent on the job that I had. It was critical and
important to me that my child learned and developed in a high quality environment. I
applied for a state-sponsored scholarship and was wait listed for a year. Finally, when
DaNae was 3 years old, we received a scholarship that would fully cover DaNaes child-
care expenses.

Because of the quality care DaNae has received both inside and outside of her home,
she has blossomed into a smart, creative, and social girl. You just cant help but notice
her as soon as she walks in through the door. Today, DaNae attends kindergarten at a
French immersion school and is reading above average in French and English. Because
my daughter received a scholarship, her little brother, 3-year-old JaMir, automatically
received one as well. He attends child care in St. Paul, and is well on his way to
following the growth of his sister.

Many families still left out

I am thankful for the support my children and I have received thus far. However, many
families like ours are wait listed or simply do not receive assistance for child care. This
hurts the well-being of our community. More important, it hurts the well-being of our
children. Families need full-day, year-round child care, so parents can pursue career and
educational opportunities. Families need child care that reflects their values and culture.
Families need child care that will take care of children in a thoughtful way and get them
ready for kindergarten.

That is why I am compelled to call on parents to raise our voices and share what our
families need. I am also calling on lawmakers and professionals to listen to the voices of
parents, to include us in these conversations, and to pass policies and programs that will
truly help us.
 Now through the end of the legislative session, I am asking parents to join me by making
a short social media video about what we need for our children, and posting it with the
hashtag #parentvoice. It is time to make sure all of our kids get a good start.

TraNeicia Sylvester, from St. Paul, is a community advocate for teen health and a
mother of two children. Six-year-old DaNae is finishing kindergarten, and JaMir, a 3-
year-old, attends a child-care center in St. Paul.

Trump's Muslim comments could haunt him in travel ban appeal

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press MAY 9, 2017 8:15AM

RICHMOND, Va. The first federal appeals court to hear a challenge to President
Donald Trump's revised travel ban appeared unconvinced that it should ignore the
Republican's repeated promises on the campaign trail to bar Muslims from entering the
country.

An attorney for the president urged the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday to
focus on the text of the religiously neutral executive order rather than use campaign
statements to infer that the policy was driven by anti-Muslim sentiment.

But that idea was challenged by some members of the 13-judge panel, which is
examining a ruling that blocks the administration from temporarily barring new visas for
citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

"Is there anything other than willful blindness that would prevent us from getting behind
those statements?" asked Judge Henry Floyd, who was appointed to the court by
President Barack Obama.

The 4th Circuit ruling is crucial for Trump, whose travel ban is expected to end up in the
U.S. Supreme Court. The 4th Circuit is the first appeals court to examine the revised
travel ban, which Trump's administration rewrote in an attempt to thwart legal
challenges. It's unclear when the judges will issue their written decision.

Trump's attorneys likely see the moderate court as friendlier territory than the 9th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals, which conservatives have long attacked for being too liberal.
The 9th Circuit is scheduled to hear another challenge to the revised travel ban next
week.

The 4th Circuit "is historically quite conservative and quite pro-government, so for the
Trump administration to lose before the full 4th Circuit I think would be quite a body blow
for the second version of the executive order," said Stephen Vladeck, a professor at the
University of Texas law school.

A federal judge in Maryland who blocked the revised travel ban in March cited Trump's
comments as evidence that the executive order is a realization of Trump's promised
Muslim ban.

The administration argues that the court shouldn't question the president's national
security decisions based on campaign statements. The countries were chosen because
they present terrorism risks and the ban applies to everyone in those countries
regardless of religion, it says.
 "This is not a Muslim ban. Its text doesn't have to anything to do with religion. Its
operation doesn't have anything to do with religion," Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall
told the court.

Omar Jadwat, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, noted that Trump's call
for a "total and complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the U.S. remained on his
campaign website even after he took office. That call, which was still online earlier
Monday, appeared to have been taken down by the afternoon hearing.

Jadwat said the administration has failed to provide a legitimate national security reason
for the policy.

"The order is completely unprecedented in our nation's history," Jadwat said.

Judge Paul Niemeyer repeatedly challenged Jadwat's arguments, questioning the

wisdom in opening the door to using a president's past to evaluate the constitutionality of
a policy.

"Can we look at his college speeches? How about his speeches to business men 20
years ago?" asked Niemeyer, who was tapped by President George H. W. Bush.

The first travel ban in January triggered chaos and protests across the country as
travelers were stopped from boarding international flights and detained at airports for
hours.

After a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit refused in February to let the travel ban take
effect, the administration tweaked the order and issued a new one.

The new version made it clear the 90-day ban covering those six countries doesn't apply
to those who already have valid visas. It removed language that would give priority to
religious minorities and erased Iraq from the list of banned countries.

But critics said that although the new executive order affects fewer people, it remains a
realization of Trump's promised Muslim ban and cannot stand.

Even if the Trump administration wins in the 4th Circuit, the travel ban will remain on
hold unless it also overturns a federal judge's decision in Hawaii.

Vladeck said the Supreme Court may be more willing to hear the case if there's a split
among the appeals courts.

But Richard Primus, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Michigan law
school, said he thinks the Supreme Court will ultimately hear the case no matter what
the appeals courts decide.

"A case this big, a case this salient, is one that some of the justices are not going to want
to pass up," he said.

Deal struck in Twin Cities transit board break up

By Janet Moore Star Tribune MAY 8, 2017 9:25PM
A local board that contributed more than $1 billion to metro-area transit projects has
agreed to dissolve itself following months of squabbling over the terms of the
breakup.

The move by the Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB) comes after its members
reached an agreement over how much Dakota County should be paid in the dissolution.
Following negotiations over the weekend, the compromise breakup fee is $21.3 million,
according to CTIB Chairman Peter McLaughlin, who is also a Hennepin County
commissioner.

While the full CTIB board must approve the tentative agreement, the news appears to
fend off a forced dissolution that is part of the omnibus transportation bill pending at the
Capitol.

"This removes any uncertainty about CTIB," McLaughlin said.

CTIB raises money mostly through a quarter-cent sales tax for transit that is levied in
Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Anoka and Washington counties. The board consists of
representatives from the counties, as well as the chair of the Metropolitan Council.

By dissolving the board, the CTIB counties could legally raise the tax to a half-cent,
raising more money for transit projects, including the Southwest and Bottineau light rail
lines. Only Hennepin and Ramsey are expected to raise the tax, however.

Dakota County voted last year to leave the board by 2019, claiming it contributed more
to CTIB's coffers than it received.

CTIB moved earlier this year to dissolve itself, but Dakota County said the amount of
money it was getting in the breakup wasn't enough. The suburban county initially said it
was owed $29.1 million, while the CTIB board said the figure was more like $16.5
million.

Until a few days ago, a compromise seemed unlikely. McLaughlin said Dakota County
called to renew discussions.

Part of the tentative agreement involves the Met Council paying $1.4 million in annual
operating costs for the Red Line even after the board dissolves. The bus-rapid transit
line connects the Mall of America to an Apple Valley transit station.

"I think this is a very positive outcome," said Mike Slavik, chairman of the Dakota County
board. "We're moving in the right direction."

The Dakota County board will consider the deal at its May 23 meeting, he said. Other
member counties are expected to vote on the pact as well.

In related news, the deadline for companies to submit bids for the $1.9 billion Southwest
light-rail civil construction contract was delayed for a third time. The new deadline is
June 6.
Laura Baenen, spokeswoman for the Southwest project, said the deadline was extended
"due to continued intense interest from potential bidders who need more time to
complete their bids."

She said bids would be awarded in August, with construction on the 14.5-mile line
starting in late summer.

The contract covers the construction of 29 new bridges for light rail, roadway and freight
rail; six pedestrian tunnels and tunnels under Hwy. 62 and in the Kenilworth corridor; 117
retaining walls; a parking ramp, seven surface lots, 15 stations, sidewalks and trails; the
modification of seven existing bridges; reconstruction of freight rail tracks; road
improvements, and landscaping.

It is unclear how much the work will cost. Mark Fuhrmann, Metro Transit's New Starts
program director, told CTIB members last week the contract will be "nine places left of
the decimal point."

The Southwest line could still be derailed by a pending federal lawsuit filed by a
Minneapolis nonprofit group that seeks to block the project. It must also win $929 million
in grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration.