PLEASE DONATE DIRECTLY TO THE SCHOOL HERE VERSUS DONATING TO THE PETITION WEBSITE

School Donations: Donate to FAIR School Directly by Clicking Here This does not go to the District or School Board, but directly to the FAIR School PTO.

SaveFAIRSchool Tiktok: TikTok Page with Kid's Testimonials and Youtube: Full Save FAIR Video

Take the Survey: Will You Leave the District if the Board Moves to Close FAIR?

Join the FAIR PTO Facebook Page Here: Follow our FB Page for Daily Updates

Want to Join and Fight for the Cause? Click Here to Sign Up

Want to connect with our team? Email us at FairSchoolCrystalPTO@gmail.com

Section 1: Formal Grievances

1. Continued Failure to Meet Fiduciary Duties

• Life-Altering Decisions on Bad Data: The Board is making irreversible, life-altering decisions, such as the sunsetting of the FAIR 6-8 program, based on incomplete, misrepresentative, and misunderstood data. 
• For example, the administration relied on an outdated 57% utilization snapshot in public reports, while internal study sessions from Dec 8th admitted the functional utilization was as high as 74%. This "data lag" proves the Board is voting before it has a full, accurate financial picture. Highview being included underneath Sandburg spreadsheets and not considered independently skewed potential savings.
• Consolidation of Financial Power: We find the current administrative structure, where the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) holds the power to sign contracts and serves as the Deputy Treasurer, to be an unacceptable conflict of interest that removes vital "check-and-balance" oversight.

2. Procedural Bypass of MN Statute 123B.51 The Board violated the spirit, and arguably the letter, of MN Statute 123B.51 Subd. 5 by scheduling a final vote on the sunsetting of FAIR Middle School programming prior to the public hearing on the "necessity and practicability" of the schoolhouse usage. This turned a legally mandated deliberative process into a performative gesture.

3. Breach of District Policy 209 (Code of Ethics) Repeated instances of "dysfunctional" board conduct, including racially charged language and personal attacks documented in the August 2024 investigation, violate Policy 209, which mandates that members "listen," "respect the right of others to have and express opinions," and "make no disparaging remarks" about colleagues.

4. Misleading Data and Lack of Transparency The administration utilized an outdated 57% utilization snapshot to justify closures, while internal Dec 8th data showed functional utilization as high as 74%. Withholding this data until Jan 2nd—only 72 hours before the final vote—prevented informed community discourse.

Section 2: Immediate Demands:

1. Immediate Rescission of the FAIR Crystal Vote: We demand the Board rescind the Jan 5, 2026, vote to sunset FAIR Middle School 6-8 programming at the January 20th, 2025 meeting before approving the SOD plan. We want a transparent and comprehensive process that is followed.
2. Establishment of Two-Way Discourse: We demand the Board add a Town Hall format that allows for direct questions and answers between the community and the Board to re-establish trust with their stakeholders and avoid lengthy data request timelines.
3. Formal Public Response: We demand a written, point-by-point response from the Board to these grievances by [ Jan 30, 2026].

Section 3: Long-Term Demands

1. Request for an MDE Statement or Representative: We demand the Board and community formally request a consult from the Minnesota Department of Education to confirm Statutory Operating Debt (SOD) requirements and consequences. This needs to be a transparent process and communication.
2. We demand an end to "misplaced threats" regarding the loss of state aid; the community deserves a clear, fact-based roadmap for MDE intervention.
3. Publication of a Comprehensive Cost-Benefit Analysis: The district must release a line-item audit comparing the financial pros and cons of ending the FAIR Middle school programming.
4. Guarantee of Arts Programmatic Integrity in the District: We demand a written "Quality Guarantee" that the arts integrations standards modeled in the magnet programs will remain fully funded and staffed, preventing the "quiet" dismantling of the program through attrition, until an expansion plan for the district is created. 

Section 4: Consequences

If the Board chooses to ignore our formal demands and the collective voice of the community, parents have several escalation strategies ranging from financial pressure to legal and political maneuvers.

Here are the primary consequences and protest actions available to Robbinsdale parents:

1. The "Open Enrollment Exit": Parents will open enroll out of the district. In Minnesota, state funding "follows the student."

• The Math of Impact: Each student who transfers via Open Enrollment represents a loss of approximately $11,000 in state aid for ISD 281.
• Collective Action: If even 100 families (a small fraction of the district) coordinate an intent to transfer, it creates a $1.1 million revenue hole that the Board cannot ignore. This directly counters their goal of "stabilizing" the budget.
• The Risk: This is a "nuclear option" for the community, as it further degrades the district's financial health, but it is the most potent leverage parents have.

2. Political Escalation: Recall of Board Members

• In Minnesota, school board members can be recalled.
• Legal Grounds: Under MN Statute 351.14, you must prove malfeasance (intentional wrongdoing) or nonfeasance (failure to perform duties).
• The Case: The Board’s "Procedural Bypass" of the 8:00 PM public hearing (voting before the hearing) constitutes a willful failure to follow MN Statute 123B.51.
• A recall petition requires signatures totaling 33.3% of the number of voters in the last election. We will petition to start to vote out board members.

3. Legal and State Intervention

1. Injunction Filing: Parents can seek a temporary restraining order (TRO) in district court to halt the implementation of the FAIR 6-8 sunset, arguing that the Board failed to follow the proper statutory sequence for school closings.
2. MDE Formal Complaint: File a "Systemic Governance Complaint" with the Minnesota Department of Education. While MDE usually avoids local curriculum, they have significant power over Statutory Operating Debt (SOD) districts. If you prove the Board is making decisions based on fraudulent or shifting data (the 57% vs 74% utilization gap), MDE can appoint an external monitor to take over SOD decisions.

4. Visible "Direct Action" Protests

1. The "Town Hall Takeover": Since the Board refuses a two-way discourse, parents can host their own "Community-Led Board Meeting" in a public space, inviting local media and state legislators, then "serving" the Board with the recorded findings.
2. "Silent Sit-Ins" during Meetings: Occupy the board room with parents wearing a single color (e.g., FAIR blue) and holding signs with a single data point (e.g., "$19M Error").
3. The "Audit Boycott": If the Board asks for community volunteers for future committees, parents can coordinate a refusal to participate until the Demand for an Independent Audit is met.

FAIR School Crystal is more than just a building—it is a lifeline for students who thrive in the arts and theatre. For many of our children, this isn't just a school; it's the only place they feel truly seen, safe, and inspired to learn.

The data is clear: FAIR is a model of success. While the district considers repurposing our community, the 2025 Test Results prove that FAIR is actually leading the way:

• #1 in Literacy: With 53.6% Reading Proficiency, FAIR significantly outperforms every other middle school in the district.
• #1 in Math: At 29.5%, we hold the highest math proficiency in the district.
• The Most Efficient Choice: FAIR has the lowest capital budget need ($20M) of all listed schools. It is the most fiscally responsible investment the district has.
• Why break what is working? Closing or absorbing FAIR isn't just a budget cut; it is the dismantling of a community that works. We are choosing to trade top-tier academic results and a vibrant cultural sanctuary for "standardization."

Our children deserve an education that values their creativity and rewards their hard work. Dissolving this school would disrupt their social fabric and limit their futures.

We urge ISD 281 to keep FAIR School Crystal intact. Do not sacrifice our children’s success for a false economy.

✍️ Stand with us. Sign the petition to Save FAIR School!

#SaveFAIRCrystal #ISD281 #FairDragons #SaveFAIRSchoolCrystal 

FAIR Media Coverage: 

1. KSTP News Coverage of FAIR Student Walk Out
2. CXXMedia News Coverage of FAIR School Walk Out
3. Channel 5 Pilgrim Lane Closure & FAIR Middle
4. Board Moves to Vote to Close FAIR

FAIR Newspaper Articles:

1. SunPost FAIR School Walk Out
2. Letter to the Editor: Do Not Close FAIR School
3. School Walk Out; Preserve FAIR School
4. School Board Member Speaks Out on Behalf of FAIR

Robbinsdale School District Updates:

1. Kare11 December 15th School Board Meeting

Extend The SOD Deadline Petition