St. Paul school board delays vote on English learner teacher cuts after contentious, 5-hour meeting

The St. Paul school board put off a vote on cutting about 18 English learner teachers until the end of the month, deciding at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday after a meeting that lasted about five hours.District officials laid out the cuts at the meeting, saying St. Paul Public Schools is losing nearly $5 million because of lower enrollment.Based on January figures, the district projected 8,787 English learner students would enroll. As of Oct. 1, actual enrollment was 8,245, a drop of 542 students. The district blames the decline on Operation Metro Surge, the federal immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities that happened in early 2026.The St. Paul Federation of Educators, the union representing district educators, has said the cuts would affect at least two dozen schools. Union President Carrie Kyung has alleged the plan was made in secret and rushed through.Superintendent Stacie Stanley rejected that, saying the plan was not something she did in secret or "on a whim." She said she has