Board, Policies, Plans, & Handbooks
Board Upcoming Events
Board Elections
Board Retreat
Great River School Board Meetings
All Board Meetings and Board Committee Meetings are open to the public (click here for the public comment policy) and are posted on the Great River School Calendar.
Board Meetings 2024 - 2025
August 28th
September 25th
October 23rd
November 20th (WBWF Annual Meeting)
December 18th
January 22nd
February 26th
March 26th
April 23rd
May 28th
June 25th
July 23rd
All Board Documents are available to the public here. Open the agenda in each month’s folder to see the materials for the board meeting.
Each month’s folder contains the Board agenda, minutes, and materials, including all financials reported monthly.
To sign up for public comment period, please email the Executive Committee or sign up in person 5-10 minutes prior to the start of the Board meeting.
Board Committees
The Great River Board has the following committees: Executive, Finance, and Student Experience.
Committee Running Agendas:
Executive Committee Agenda
Finance Committee Agenda
Student Experience Committee Agenda
Contact
Board Members
List of current board members and their contact information.
The Executive Committee
Contact Great River School Board's Executive Committee by emailing executive@greatriverschool.org .
Bylaws
Board Documents
GRS Board Elections
Join the Great River School Board of Directors!
Every year Great River School elects several new members to its Board. Elections are typically held in April. The GRS community will be notified of the election dates at least 30 days before the election.
Who can join?
The GRS Board is composed of between 7 and 13 members. These members are guides, parents of current students, and community members, including 1 GRS student. Terms are 2 years for teachers, and 3 years for everyone else. We strive to have a teacher majority board, so if you are interested, please volunteer!
Election procedures
Each year, some Board members end their terms and seats become available for new members. The process for joining the board is as follows:
The Board Executive Committee sets the election date in the spring of each year, and notifies the GRS community
Interested candidates should verify eligibility with MN Law and our bylaws — or write boardchair@greatriverschool.org if you are unsure
Candidates fill out an application (linked here during the election)
Completed applications will be shared with the community at least 10 days before the election (linked here during the election)
The GRS community votes via a Google Form (linked here during the election)
If you receive the most votes, you have been elected to the school board!
On-boarding
We have a one-day “Board Retreat” each summer to orient new members. This year’s retreat is tentatively set for June 14, 2025. Before being sworn in, Minnesota law requires members to participate in certified board training. Finally, you will be asked to complete a background check and swear a membership oath. After that, new terms begin on July 1.
Policies
Early Admission - See Enrollment Eligibility Section in Enrollment/Lottery
If you have questions about policies, email policy@greatriverschool.org.
IB (International Baccalaureate) Policies
Great River's authorization by the State of Minnesota as a public charter school and Novation Education Opportunities (NEO) gives GRS credentials to grant a Minnesota high school diploma. As a charter school, GRS is an independent school district under the governance of our own School Board. Additionally, GRS is accredited by the International Baccalaureate Program as a World School for the 11th and 12th grade program. There is no accreditation process for Montessori Secondary schools.
Authorizer Contact Information
Novation Education Opportunities (NEO)
Wendy Swanson-Choi, Executive Director 432 Denmark Ave, Ste 130
Eagan, MN 55123 (612-889-2103)
Faculty Licensure & Accreditation
All GRS faculty are state licensed. All elementary faculty are trained Montessori teachers. The majority of adolescent faculty have attended a 5-week adolescent orientation program with the North American Montessori Teaching Association in Ohio. Others have taken courses with the MN Montessori Training Center or in Bergamo, Italy. International Baccalaureate teachers are IB trained.
State Required Posting
MDE Report Card for Great River School (you can filter by grade level and test subject).
This form is also available in these languages:
Great River School has a cooperative athletic agreement with Twin Cities Academy for all MSHSL athletics.
Affiliated Nonprofit Building Corporation (ABC)
Address: 1326 Energy Park Drive, Saint Paul, MN, 55108
Board of Directors: Stacey Kreger, Scott Brown
Postsecondary Enrollment Options
Adolescent students at Great River may take courses for college credit through the Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program. To learn more about this option, please visit this page or contact Director of Student Services Matt McElrath at mmcelrath@greatriverschool.org.
Follow this link for the official PSEO Notice of Student Registration form (‘24-’25)
Standardized Testing
Great River School is a public school and as a public school is required to administer standardized testing. We administer the following tests:
MCA math, reading, & science in Grades 3-11 (MDE Report Card)
ACCESS for ELL (English Language Learners)
NWEA Math (Grades 7-10)
FastBridge Learning (Grades 1-6)