Viking Newsletter
In This Issue
- Message from Supt. Paul - Vikings on the Move
- Vikings show their gratitude on Veterans Day
- Suessification of a Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Peace Poster contest winners
- Little Vikings at the Pumpkin Patch
- Announcements
- Celebrating the Sunrise Way All Stars!
- Teamwork, Leadership, and Achievement
- Proud of Our NBAPS Staff
- Arts Fest
Vikings on the Move
Greetings, Viking families!
I hope this message finds you well. I want to share important updates about our facilities planning, and the upcoming special election on February 10, 2026 for the renewal of the Capital Projects Levy. These efforts support our students today while preparing NBAPS for a strong future. I also want to share highlights from this year’s Family Satisfaction Survey.
Looking Back: The Community’s 2017 Commitment
In 2017, North Branch voters approved three ballot questions that set the stage for many of the improvements we see today.
Questions 1 and 2 provided major investments in our school buildings and updates to our learning spaces.
Question 3 created the Capital Projects Levy, a smaller levy dedicated to technology for safe buildings, data security, devices, and the network systems our schools rely on.
Because of these investments, affirmed by our districtwide facilities study, NBAPS is well positioned to welcome more students in our current facilities while maintaining our desired class-size ranges. This means our community does not need to consider funding new school buildings.
Facilities Transitions for 2026–27
To support enrollment growth and the needs of our youngest learners, NBAPS will move forward with facilities transitions for the 2026–27 school year.
Beginning in 2026–27, grade one will move to the Education Center, creating a seamless early learning environment from birth through grade one. This shift provides additional room for enrollment growth at Sunrise River Elementary while ensuring our youngest learners benefit from specialized spaces designed for early childhood success.
To make this work efficiently, district offices will relocate to the middle school, allowing NBAPS to make the best use of existing space across our buildings. Space that we currently lease out will be repurposed for district offices. You can read here for more information.
Capital Projects Levy Renewal on February 10, 2026
On February 10, 2026, voters will be asked to renew the existing Capital Projects Levy created by Question 3 in 2017. Renewal comes with no tax rate increase. The rate remains exactly the same as voters approved nine years ago. This levy supports important day-to-day needs such as safety upgrades including secure entrances, door systems, cameras, and emergency communication tools, cybersecurity, data protections, and technology used daily in instruction and operations, and preventative maintenance and energy-efficient improvements that reduce long-term costs. You can access more detailed information here.
2025 Family Satisfaction Survey
Thank you to all the families who completed the 2025 Family Satisfaction Survey. The results show high districtwide satisfaction, continued improvement in our communication, and high confidence in learning environments across all NBAPS schools. Families consistently highlighted our caring and dedicated staff as one of our greatest strengths. Your thoughtful feedback helps guide our work and reinforces what matters most: supporting student success. More information is available on our website.
Thank you for being a Viking. SKOL!
Sara Paul
Superintendent
Peace Poster contest winners
The winners of the North Branch Lions Club Peace Poster contest are Tannar Wolff - 1st place with $100 prize, Grace Wenzel - 2nd place with $75 prize, and Zia Anderson - 3rd place with $50 prize. For more on the contest and results, click here.
Little Vikings at the Pumpkin Patch
This fall, our partners at the North Branch Area Education Foundation hosted a pumpkin patch experience for our youngest Vikings. Students picked out pumpkins, explored a tractor, played games, and enjoyed seasonal treats. Here are more photos from the event.
Celebrating the Sunrise Way All-Stars!
Sunrise's October All-Stars were chosen for showing The Sunrise Way — being Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Learn every day! All-Stars have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their classrooms and serve as positive role models for others! See more in the Sunrise newsletter.
Teamwork, Leadership, and Achievement
Proud of Our NBAPS Staff
Congratulations to NBAPS's LEEA winners, and ESS winners, who were honored at recent banquets hosted by Resource Training and Solutions. SKOL! and congratulations to these dedicated staff members!
About North Branch Area Public Schools
Email: ptepoorten@isd138.org
Website: www.isd138.org
Location: 38705 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN, USA
Phone: (651) 674-1000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbapschools
Twitter: @nbapschools