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February 13, 2023 School Board Work Session Recap

Message from Superintendent Gersich

Hello ISD 110 Team,

I hope your week is off to a good start and that you are looking forward to the extended weekend ahead. I continue to be mostly focused on the work involved with building the 2023-24 fiscal year budget and want to share some thoughts with you that I’ve had over the past several weeks. 

Anytime an organization is faced with budget reductions, it presents challenges and emotions that can be hard to process. When walking around our sites during conferences recently, I had a chance to listen to some of your stories and I appreciate the opportunity to hear firsthand your honest thoughts, ideas and concerns. I want to stress the fact that there is reason for optimism within our school district and I truly believe that we are moving in a direction that will benefit all ISD 110 students, families and staff. 

Internally, we are committed to engaging in a budget-building process that is transparent, inclusive of more stakeholders, and identifies spending priorities that ensures the District is being a good steward of taxpayer dollars. Outside of our organization, there is some optimism that increased funding from the state could help us climb out of statutory operating debt more efficiently. Some of these things are in our control and some are not. What I do know is this: We have skilled and passionate staff members who are dedicated to student achievement and well-being. I also believe that we have an extremely supportive and proud community that believes in our mission, vision, and core values. I am convinced that together we will arrive at a place where we are financially healthy again and in a position to invest in our strategic goals. 

I believe many of you are aware of the timeline regarding the 2023-24 fiscal year budget adjustments, but see below for an update regarding the addition of a special meeting on March 20 designed for public comment. 

As always, if you have any questions regarding the budget process, please feel free to email myself or your direct supervisor.

Sincerely,

Brian

Special Meeting for Public Comment Tentatively Scheduled for March 20

The School Board tentatively scheduled a special meeting for public comment regarding the proposed budget adjustments at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 20 at a location yet to be determined. 

This meeting will use similar guidelines that are used during the public comment portion of regular meetings of the school board. Board members will listen to comments, but will not engage in a back and forth dialogue with speakers. Additional Public Comment Guidelines can be found on the District website. 

Superintendent Goals Review

The Board revisited the goals that were set in the Fall for Superintendent Gersich to ensure that newly seated board members were aware of and in agreement with the goals on which he will be evaluated upon in May/June. No changes were made to the original goals. 

Thanks to Everyone Who Took the Plunge 

A huge thank you to everyone who braved the icy waters of Lake Waconia and participated in the Polar Plunge on Saturday.

More than 100 staff, students and family members from Waconia Public Schools plunged and raised more than $45,000 for Special Olympics Minnesota and ISD 110's Unified programs. When taking into account all participants, the event raised more than $150,000 this year.

Looking Ahead 

At the Monday, February 27 Regular Meeting, elementary school leaders will give a presentation about how Bayview, Laketown and Southview are expanding learning opportunities for students to the outdoors. 

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Waconia Public Schools · 512 Industrial Blvd · Waconia, MN 55387-1742 · USA