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North Branch Area Public Schools (NBAPS) Community Relations Coordinator Patrick Tepoorten was recognized for his efforts to provide people in the district with timely, accurate, and easy to find information regarding the 2010 operating levy. The Minnesota School Public Relations Association presented Tepoorten with a Star Award for the 2010 operating levy web portal. At the annual banquet judges noted that the site "provided all the necessary information concerning the levy as well as a great message from the (school) board chair." Judges also noted that the site provided a "great benefit" in that it presented the public with the information necessary to make an informed decision.

Tepoorten was humbled by the recognition, and noted that the site reflected a great team effort by district leadership to compile information important to the public. "A lot of time and effort by many people here go into all of the district's efforts to be as transparent as possible. The completeness of the levy portal is the final product of those efforts," he said, adding, "I am so grateful to MinnSPRA for recognizing that work."

The site, designed by Tepoorten, provided tax impact, polling places, the impact passage or defeat of the levy would have on the district, and an opportunity for the public to submit questions about the levy - a feature MinnSPRA called a "great interactive piece." It allowed the district to build a "community within a community to address concerns about a very real issue to the district."

NBAPS superintendent Deb Henton called the levy portal a "valuable tool." We are fortunate to have a Community Relations Coordinator who understands that and is always looking for ways to use those tools for our benefit and the community's."

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