>> ERIC: THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT OF SAINT PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THE CITY SHE NOW SERVES.

SHE COMES FROM THE EDINA SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE SHE PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS SUPERINTENDENT.

THE HOME-GROWN EDUCATOR STACIE STANLEY JUST FINISHED HER FIRST WEEK ON THE JOB AND JOINS US NOW.

WELCOME TO "ALMANAC."

YOU ARE A St. PAUL CENTRAL GRAD.

>> YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT.

CLASS OF '84.

>> Eric: I I -- I GET THAT PART, THE STEREOTYPE WOULD BE, WHY WOULD YOU TURN DOWN THE PLUSH JOB OF EDINA TO GO TO THE GRITTY St. PAUL SCHOOLS.

WHEN LED TO YOUR DECISION?

>> THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME.

TRULY, I AM JUST EXCITED TO COME BACK EXAMINE SERVE THE DISTRICT THAT RAISED ME, HELPED TO MOLD ME AND MAKE ME THE PERSON THAT I AM TODAY.

I SIT HERE WITH YOU BECAUSE OF ALL THE GREAT TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS AND LEADERS THAT I HAD THAT HELPED TO RAISE ME.

>> Cathy: SO YOU WENT BACK, I UNDERSTAND, TO St. PAUL CENTRAL, ONE OF THE FIRST DAYS ON THE JOB THIS WEEK.

WHAT WAS THAT LIKE FOR YOU?

>> IT WAS AMAZING.

WE ACTUALLY DID A VIDEO A COUPLE F MONTHS AGO IN PREPARATION FOR THE KICKOFF.

AND, SO, I WAS THERE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AND SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE THE SAME, RIGHT, SO MANY THINGS AT THE SCHOOL THAT ARE THE SAME, AND SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT.

BEING ABLE TO WALK INTO THE HIGH SCHOOL AND TO SEE MY FRIENDS, MY CLASSMATES, WHO ARE WORKING THERE NOW, THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN TO RECONNECT WITH THEM.

I ALSO WENT TO MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AS WELL AS MY MIDDLE SCHOOL THIS WEEK.

AND THAT WAS REALLY FUN TOO.

YOU KNOW, GET TO SPEND TIME IN CLASSROOMS, HAD STUDENT ASK ME T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENT DOES.

SO I LWAYS ASK THEM, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENT DOES?

ONE OF THEM SAID, YOU'RE LIKE THE PRESIDENT, RIGHT?

>> Eric: BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOU, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE TOP ONE?

>> BUDGET.

YOU KNOW, YOU WERE WITH OUR LEGISLATORS JUST NOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A CHALLENGE WITH BUDGET.

WE HAD A $51.1 MILLION REDUCTION FOR NEXT YEAR.

YOU KNOW, FORMER INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT JOHN TINE AND EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM WALKED THE DISTRICT THROUGH THAT.

WE HAVE THAT.

AND WE NEED THE MONEY.

SO I'M REALLY GRATEFUL WHAT OUR LEGISLATORS ARE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THE GENERAL FUND TIED O THE -- GO AHEAD, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION?

>> Eric: WOULD YOU DO BETTER IF YOU HAD MORE FLEXIBILITY WITH THE FUNDING, I THINK THEY CALL THEM CATEGORICALS, THAN FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE?

>> I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER IN THAT WE'D HAVE GREATER ACCESS TO, LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, OUR NUTRITION SERVICES FUND, AT THE SAME TIME TO EDUCATE OUR KIDS AT THE LEVEL THAT WE WANT TO TO BE ABLE TO MEET OUR MISSION.

WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO IS TO ENSURE THAT WE MAKE WAY ON THE FUNDING THAT WE'VE LOST OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, WE NEED IT TIED TO INFLATION.

FOR INSTANCE, IF FUNDING HAD KEPT PACE AND WAS TIED TO INFLATION, ST. PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS WOULD GET ANOTHER $50 MILLION.

>> Eric: WOW.

>> YEAH.

>> Cathy: I'M WONDERING, YOU HAVE A 100-DAY PLAN, I UNDERSTAND.

>> YEAH.

>> Cathy: WHAT MIGHT WE EXPECT TO SEE FROM YOU IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF YOUR ADMINISTRATION?

>> YEAH, FOR SURE.

IT'S ABOUT LISTENING AND LEARNING, REALLY BEING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT THIS WEEK.

I HAD TIME TO CONNECT WITH A VARIETY OF COMMUNITIES, CONNECTED WITH MEMBERS OF THE HMONG COMMUNITY, HAD A CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH MEMBERS OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, THROUGH SPOKESMAN ECORDER, I WILL BE OUT AND ABOUT AT SO MANY DIFFERENT EVENTS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKENDS REALLY CONNECTING WITH STAFF, CONNECTING WITH STUDENTS, CONNECTING WITH FAMILIES.

REALLY LOOKING FOR WHAT IS FABULOUS ABOUT ST. PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY AMAZING THINGS IN ST. PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?

I'LL TAKE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, REALLY ANALYZE IT, SUMMARIZE IT, BRING IT TO THE BOARD, WITH A SET OF GOALS FOR MYSELF IN AUGUST.

>> Cathy: HOW ARE YOU DOING WITH TEACHER RETENTION?

>> YEAH, RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN A SOLID PLACE RIGHT NOW WITH TEACHER RETENTION FOR NEXT YEAR.

IT ALWAYS GETS TRICKY OVER THE SUMMER, BUT WE'LL BE ABLE TO KNOW FOR SURE BY AUGUST 1st.

>> Eric: AND PROPERTY TAX IMPACT, DO YOU EXPECT THIS TO ROLL DOWN TO THE PROPERTY ROLL DOWN TO THE PROPE PROPERTY TAXPAYERS IN St. PAUL, HAVE YOU ASKED FOR A REFERENDUM, WHAT'S THE WAY FORWARD THERE?

>> WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE TALKED TO THE BOARD ABOUT IS THE NEED FOR REVENUE GENERATION.

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT THAT, REALLY BRINGING FORWARD SOME OPTIONS TO THE BOARD TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE.

I WILL SAY THIS, REALLY EXCITED THAT WE SAW OUR ENROLLMENT UPTICK A LITTLE BIT AND WE'RE KIND OF ANTICIPATING OUR ENROLLMENT TO GO UP A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR NEXT YEAR.

>> Eric: WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING OVER.

GOOD LUCK, CONGRATULATIONS, COME BACK AND SEE US.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.