Students in St. Paul Public Schools will find keyboards for their iPads, more free food and fewer police officers in the new school year.

The school board voted 5-1 Tuesday on a new $698,000 contract with the city police department. It again will pay for seven school resource officers stationed at district high schools, but the district no longer will have two roving officers.

The $187,000 spending reduction came amid other budget cuts across the district, which expects K-12 enrollment to fall by more than 1,000 students this year.

Last school year, police and school officials agreed to stop arresting students for low-level crimes, including fighting and alcohol and drug possession. Arrests fell to five from 56 the previous school year.

That focus will continue when classes resume Sept. 5.

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St. Paul district to pay student $48,000 for teacher’s ‘achievement gap’ remarks Some board members said they want to see additional reforms to the program. Jeanelle Foster voted no, and Zuki Ellis abstained from voting.

“I don’t see how this aligns with what we’re trying to do in this district,” Ellis said.

John Brodrick tried to amend the contract in an effort to keep all nine officers, but no one joined him.

iPADS

This will be the fourth year of a voter-approved, one-to-one technology initiative. The district is replacing its iPads with new models with greater storage and providing keyboards for the first time in grades 6-12.

“Students often say that without the keypad, it’s difficult to use the iPad,” chief operating officer Jackie Turner told the school board Tuesday.

FOOD

The federally funded Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is expanding from 13 district schools to 21 this fall. It provides a snack separate from lunch in hopes of introducing new, healthy foods to kids and their families.

The district also will grow the number of schools offering supper meals from 28 to about 40.

“In St. Paul, you can eat breakfast, you can eat lunch, you can have a snack, and in most of our schools, you can eat supper,” Turner said.

Meanwhile, the district hopes a new text-message-based application option will increase the number of families signed up for free and reduced-price school meals.

PRESCHOOL

The district also is making more room for 4-year-olds.

With $1.68 million in new money from the state, it will add 200 full-day preschool seats at Jackson, Bruce Vento, L’Etoile du Nord French Immersion and other schools. In past years, the district’s half-day preschool classrooms have gone unfilled while full-day rooms have seen long waiting lists.

English language learners, special-education students and those from low-income families get the first chance at free preschool services.

Board member Mary Vanderwert said preschool holds potential for closing achievement gaps in the city.