Communications

STAFF
Carrie Ardito
Director of Communications
651-403-7008 | carrie.ardito@isd197.org

Angela Fuentes
Communications Specialist
651-403-7022 | angela.fuentes@isd197.org

It is the mission of the Communications Department to serve as a liaison between district administration and the community in an effort to promote the offerings of the district and keep open the lines of communication with all stakeholders.

The Communications Department works under the direction of the Superintendent and oversees the district's website, community and media relations, strategic marketing, social media, the weekly e-News, and other publications.

What We Do

district update newsletter

District Dispatch Newsletter

PEACHJAR FLYER DISTRIBUTION

School District 197 wants families to know about valuable programs and resources available to students and their families in our community. To facilitate delivery of this information, approved community organizations can send their flyers home to families digitally through Peachjar. Paper flyers will no longer be distributed to our students and families.

Flyer Guidelines

Due to the number of requests we receive from businesses, organizations, and individuals, all flyers distributed to our students and their families must:

Be provided in English and Spanish
Be school news, district news, news from one of our city/county partners and their affiliated organizations, and/or news from local non-profit organizations that provide programs and services for our students and their families
Support the basic educational mission of the district, directly benefit the students, or be of intrinsic value to the students or their parents/guardians
Not imply School District 197's endorsement of any identified product and/or services
Not be lewd, obscene, libelous, or slanderous
Not incite students to commit unlawful acts, violate school rules, or disrupt the orderly operation of the schools
Not promote any particular political interest, candidate, party, or ballot measure, unless the candidates or advocates from all sides are provided the opportunity to present their views to the students during school hours or during scheduled events
Not discriminate against, attack, or denigrate any group on account of gender, race, age, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, or other unlawful consideration
Not promote the use or sale of materials or services that are illegal or inconsistent with school objectives, including, but not limited to, materials or advertisements for tobacco, intoxicants, and movies or products unsuitable for children

To request flyer approval, follow the steps below. Paper flyers from outside organizations will no longer be distributed.

Visit www.peachjar.com
Register as a Program Provider (account type)
Upload your flyer for approval

Your flyer will be automatically submitted to the School District 197 Communications Department for approval. Once approved, your flyer will be emailed to parents and posted on each school’s web flyerboard for your selected duration of time. Peachjar charges a fee for this service that is typically much less than the cost to copy and deliver paper flyers to each school. You will be able to track your organization's flyers via your Peachjar dashboard.

SOCIAL MEDIA

School District 197 uses Facebook pages to keep families updated on news and announcements.

COMMUNITY CABLE CHANNELS

The District has a presence on two local cable channels:

Townsquare TV, Channel 20 - serving residents of Inver Grove Heights, Lilydale, Mendota, Mendota Heights, South St. Paul, Sunfish Lake and West St. Paul
Eagan Television (eTV), Channel 15 - serving residents of Eagan

Regular business meetings of the School Board are video recorded for playback on local cable and online streaming. Find more information about School Board Meetings.

Emergency Closings Due to Weather

The decision to close on days of inclement weather or in an emergency is always challenging, Student safety is always our primary concern, so we want to make sure parents and guardians are fully aware of our procedures.

All delays in school opening, early dismissal of school, or emergency school closings will be announced over the WCCO radio station (830 on the AM dial). Channel 4 (WCCO), Channel 5 (KSTP), Channel 9 (Fox 9/KMSP), and Channel 11 (KARE) will also be notified. The district will be listed as: West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan Area.
In the event of a delay in school opening or an emergency school closing, the media will be contacted by 5:30 a.m. When there is a delay in opening schools, the school starting time will always be delayed at least two (2) hours. However, we cannot control when the announcement will actually be broadcast.
Families will be alerted through the parent notification system and information will be posted on the district and school websites.
Students and parents should be sure to keep emergency contact information updated with their school office.

Directory Information

Student Directory Opt-Out Form (English)

Student Directory Opt-Out Form (Spanish)

Student Directory Purchase Request

Organizations and/or any member of the public can request information about students attending West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan Area Schools (School District 197). “Directory information,” as it is known, is defined by School District 197 as a student’s name, date of birth, major field of study, participation in officially organized teams, weight and height as a member of athletic teams, dates of enrollment, dates of graduation or withdrawal, grade levels completed, degrees and awards, pictures of students for school-approved publications/
newspapers, yearbooks, district-managed websites and district-managed social media, or for cable casts, bulletins, programs, or similar school-produced information pieces.

The district’s policy complies with state and federal laws, which require the school district to release information upon request. However, you have the right to deny the release of your student’s directory information, except to school officials or as provided under federal law. Please know that if you choose to keep directory information private, names will not be available for any purpose. In such cases, for example, students would not be listed in school programs, yearbooks, publicized honor roll lists, and classroom directories because these documents are considered public domain. Please note the “Opt Out Yearbook Exemption” on the form.

To make directory information private, parents, legal guardians, or students who are 18 or older should print out and complete the form (see "Student Directory Opt-Out Form") and do one of the following by October 1, 2021:

MAIL: Mail the completed form to the School District 197 District Office, Attn: Communications Department, 1897 Delaware Ave., Mendota Heights, MN 55118
DROP OFF: Give it to the main office at the student’s school by October 1, 2021
SCAN AND EMAIL: Scan and email it to district.communications@isd197.org

Please complete one form for each student. The request will remain in effect for the 2021-2022 school year or unless modified or rescinded via the Student Directory Rescind Request Form available at your student’s school. If you have any questions, please call 651-403-7008 or email district.communications@isd197.org.

If you have any questions, please call 651-403-7008 or email district.communications@isd197.org.