Welcome.
We are a council of parents, caregivers, community members, and both licensed and unlicensed school employees who are passionate about improving LHCS and it's students' success and achievement.
Site Council Overview
Lake Harriet Community School Site Council meets monthly before the combined PTA / Site Council Meeting at the Lake Harriet Upper School to make recommendations and discuss current and long-range programming goals for the school.
NEXT MEETING:
September 17, 2025
5:30-6:30 p.m. - Site Council Meeting
Lake Harriet Upper - Media Room
Want to get more involved with Site Council?
Please join us! Parents who are not on the council are welcome and encouraged to attend. If you would like to have a specific subject discussed, you are welcome to submit agenda items to lhcs.sitecouncil@gmail.com
Site Council Members 2025-2026
We are a team of parents, community members, staff, and administrators including:
Walter Schleisman, Principal of Upper
Angie Ness, Principal of Lower
Sarah Averbeck, Co-Chair
Alissa LeRoux Smith, Co-Chair
Representatives of LHCS Teaching & Administrative Staff from Upper & Lower
Leah Isbell
Andrew Goodman-Bacon
Michaela Smith
Nikki Will
Allison Salzman
Angie Vasquez
Kate Gillen
Sadie Struss
Jessy Heim
Andy Clayton
Elianna Lippold-Johnson
Molly Reitsema
Aziza Diop
John Kermott
Taylor Kelly-Murray
Jamia Petinger
Jennifer Nelson
Loida Paxson
Site Council History
Since 1994, the Minneapolis Public Schools has operated under site-based decision making to move decision making closest to the students served. The goal of site-based management is to improve student achievement. Under site-based decision-making, district and school efforts should complement each other. District offices set parameters, facilitate the sharing of information and best practices among schools, help evaluate progress, and give constructive feedback to both the schools and the Board. Schools have the freedom (within approved decision-making parameters) to design site plans.
Although what site-based decision-making looks like at each school may vary, schools typically have a team of representatives from all areas to serve as a council or team. This will include principals, parents, students, teachers, specialist teachers, clerical, other building staff, business partners, and the community/neighborhood. Under the site-based decision-making philosophy, these councils are to examine everything that might be standing in the way of student achievement-be it grade levels, student groupings, materials, or school policies and practice-and recommend keeping what is working and changing what is not.
Additional Links
Revised and Approved
Fall, 2023