We are parents and community members who love Eden Prairie and want better for our children. Together we have invested years of care and energy in every EP student, and each of us has a story about what a strong and beautiful community this has been for our family. We know Eden Prairie Schools cannot answer for everything that is politicized and broken in our state and nation. But we are deeply troubled by the escalation of dangerous behavior in our schools, and we need wise and active leadership now.

Students are paying the price for weak leadership. This is a brief outline of the pattern of decline in safety and escalation of danger:

October 2022: The high school was locked down for about three hours over a threat to a student, and that night's game against Shakopee was postponed.

June 2023: Police remained at the senior party through the night after a gun was reported in the parking lot.

Fall 2023: The stadium was locked down and cleared after fights at a football game, and families were sent home.

June 2024: Graduation included fighting during the ceremony and ended with a large fight outside the arena that left many injured. The incoming principal and marketing team hosted a parent meeting, diverting attention from the school board meeting.

December 2025: The high school was locked down after a student brought a handgun to school. Three students were charged.

October 2, 2026: A large fight broke out at the homecoming game, and two young men, ages 17 and 18, were then shot in the high school parking lot. The stadium was evacuated. Police say the shooting appears to be gang-related. No one has been arrested.

This hurts every family in Eden Prairie, including our Somali community. Somali students were playing on that field and cheering in those stands Friday night. This decline in safety in our district greatly impacts everyone. Our district has championed being "safe, responsible and kind" from preschool to senior year, and we need action and vision to promote that value for all our students now.

We need the decline in safety and the escalation of dangerous behavior in our district addressed with substance. Our students deserve rhetoric-free leadership and clear safety measures.

We are asking Dr. Swanson to engage with us directly, in an open public forum within the next two weeks. We do not want another survey, cafe meeting, or sanitized account of the problems facing our beloved community. We are ready to help stop this decline and build a stronger, safer Eden Prairie together. We need our leadership to cast a vision now that we can all get behind. We are a community that will rise up and do good work.

Concerned Parents and Residents of Eden Prairie

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