School board approves parochial transportation boundary changes after St. Mary's closure

The St. Cloud Public School District Board of Education on June 4 approved changes to parochial school transportation boundaries for the 2025–26 school year after St. Mary’s Help of Christian notified the district it will not open next year.

Joel Heikamp, executive director of operations, told the board the district currently serves approximately 12 families from St. Mary’s and that routing those families into the St. Wendelin area best balanced ride times and district impacts. “We currently serve approximately 12 families from St. Mary’s Help of Christian,” Heikamp said.

Heikamp said the recommended map absorbs the St. Mary’s area into the St. Wendelin boundary and keeps routes on the west side of the river, which the district uses as a natural routing boundary. He also noted the Saint Catherine Drexel area remains geographically large but likewise uses the river as a boundary.

Board member Al Dahlgren made the motion to approve the adjustments for the 2025–26 school year; Zach Dorholt seconded. The motion carried with all members voting in favor.

The change takes effect for the 2025–26 school year and was presented as an operational routing decision driven by the closure notice from St. Mary’s. The board did not amend district policy as part of the vote.

Questions about individual student assignments, stop locations, or resulting route timing were not decided at the meeting; transportation staff will finalize routing and stops during the routing process ahead of the school year.