By Josh Chase, Correspondent

The sour economy and how it is affecting local governments was at the forefront when members from the Savage City Council and the Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board met Monday at the District Services Center for an annual joint meeting.

A gloomy economic outlook was the primary factor negatively impacting every item the two entities discussed, from city building activity to district enrollment projections, and talk of a possible high school addition.

Despite an over-capacity high school, officials agreed an addition to the facility was out of the question for the time being, which would in turn complicate the way open enrollment is handled in Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools.

“Our high school has been closed (to students from outside the district) because we have been over capacity, so that’s been a little bit of an issue,” said Superintendent Sue Ann Gruver. “So that might be something you hear about every now and then.”

The issue is complicated by the fact that – in spite of the weak economy – the district has continued to grow, said School District Director of Business Affairs Margo Nash.

“We’re still growing even though the economy is slow,” she explained. “We’re still growing – just not at the fast pace we were five years ago.”

Gruver said the district is considering reconvening the Growth Task Force. Made up of parents, community members, administrators and School Board members, that group has in the past explored growth options for the district.

“If we’re not going to add an addition, what are we going to do to manage growth?” asked Gruver, who said the district needs to address how to serve St. Michael’s Catholic School and St. John the Baptist Catholic School students who are zoned to attend Burnsville Senior High School but want to attend high school District 719.

Through open enrollment, many of those students have older siblings who live outside the district’s boundaries but were allowed to attend Prior Lake High School anyway. The younger students would like to attend the high school with their siblings, but may not be able to because of capacity issues.

It’s an issue that hit close to home for City Council Member Gene Abbott, whose son attends St. John’s and would like to attend the high school like his older siblings.

“I’m worried that all of a sudden he’s not going to be able to follow his siblings because of the way the school district cuts through our neighborhood,” Abbott said. “I think there are a lot of other families that I know who are in the same situation.”

“We’re going to have to revisit that and be very respectful of our families,” Gruver said. “We will pull a group of community and staff members to look at what we’re going to do about those space issues.”

The boards also discussed the SS-9 road project. Under that plan, trees from a protected forest would be removed to make room for a frontage road near the high school.

Savage City Administrator Barry Stock said that project, which was put on hold earlier this year, likely wouldn’t get underway until October 2010 because of a Scott County decision to postpone the County Road 44 reconstruction project, upon which SS-9 is dependent.

“It’s our position, from the city’s standpoint, County Road 44… has been pushed back far enough, so we’re pushing for that road to get under construction by 2010,” said Stock.

The removal of the protected oak forest area would level off a 60- to 80-foot drop-off between Prior Lake Aggregates and the high school property in Savage. Prior Lake Aggregates would use fill beneath the forest to restore its mining site and in exchange, would grade two playing fields and pay for the installation of the road, saving the district money.

When asked by Gruver whether the company agreed to the project’s delay, Stock said he understands that to be the case.

“I think their concept for partnership is still on the table,” he said. “So, I think the delay has not adversely impacted their schedule. Of course, how long that offer is going to be on the table, I don’t know.”

Members of both governing bodies said the talks would be helpful as they move forward.

“It’s always good to know that we’re in this together,” said School Board Member Diane Ziemann. “The more you can talk to other people, the stronger the partnerships are.”

Josh Chase can be reached at (952) 345-6375 or jchase@swpub.com.