Created by Noah Montanez, a 15-year-old student from Eden Prairie

To Mayor Ron Case and the Eden Prairie City Council,

I have lived in Eden Prairie for most of my life. I know people really like our schools. People talk about the academics, the sports, the clubs, and all the opportunities students get here.

But I started thinking about the students people do not really notice.

The Eden Prairie students who are struggling.

Not every student starts from the same place. Some kids deal with money problems at home. Some kids have neurodevelopmental disorders that make it hard to focus, learn, or even get through a normal school day.

For many families, getting help is expensive. It can take months to get a diagnosis. Treatment costs money. And without a diagnosis, schools often cannot give students the support they need.

So a lot of kids fall behind quietly.

Too many children slip through the cracks, unnoticed and unheard.

Eden Prairie’s child poverty rate is 8.9 percent. That means nearly 800 students in our schools are living in poverty. Based on national prevalence rates, a conservative estimate suggests that over 130 of those students may be living with neurodevelopmental disorders without adequate support. And that does not even include the students who remain undiagnosed.

These are real students sitting in classrooms every day. They are trying their best while dealing with struggles that most people around them cannot see.

This petition is not meant to blame schools or teachers. It is meant to bring attention to a problem that needs more discussion and more support in our community.

We are asking Mayor Ron Case and the Eden Prairie City Council to explore solutions such as:

• Affordable diagnostic evaluations for low-income families
• More support staff and intervention resources for struggling students
• Better coordination between schools, families, and mental health resources

No child should fall behind because their family cannot afford help.

If Eden Prairie wants to support every student, then we also need to notice the students who are struggling silently every day.

Sign this petition to help bring this issue to the attention of Mayor Ron Case.

— Noah Montanez, Age 15