SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS FOR 2023-24 FISCAL YEAR
At its March 27 Regular Meeting, the School Board voted to accept approximately $4.6 million in budget adjustments for the 2023-24 fiscal year. The final list of adjustments can be found here. With these adjustments in place, the District is projected to reduce its overall debt by approximately $1.9 million, which is necessary progress toward the end goal of returning the District to a financially stable position where it can once again invest in its strategic priorities.
"Throughout this difficult process I have been impressed by the entire Waconia Public Schools community. Teachers, staff, and parents have been engaged throughout the process and have asked important questions of myself and other District leaders," Superintendent Brian Gersich said. "School Board members have listened to stakeholders and have had robust debate and discussions while digging into the fine details of the plan in order to make the best decision for the future of our District."
The final proposal met adjustment targets while adhering to the following priorities:
- Prioritizing class sizes at the elementary level.
- Preserving extra-curricular, co-curricular and athletic opportunities for students.
- Maintaining pupil support positions such as school counselors, social workers and school psychologists
"Making budget adjustments and reducing staff is something no educational leader wants to undertake, but it is a crucial step for the long term financial and programmatic health of Waconia Public Schools," Gersich said "This is a great school district with passionate and skilled educators and a tremendously supportive community and it will continue to be going forward."
MAX MCENELLY RECEIVES MR. MINNESOTA WRESTLER AWARD; NAMED STAR TRIBUNE METRO WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
Waconia High School senior Max McEnelly has been awarded the Mr. Minnesota High School Wrestler Award for 2023. The Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association presents the award annually to the senior that best exemplifies the highest ideals of high school wrestling in Minnesota. On March 27, McEnelly was named the Star Tribune's Metro Wrestler of the Year. Click here to read the Star Tribune story. McEnelly, the future Golden Gopher, capped his high school wrestling career earlier this month by capturing his fourth individual state championship.
KINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT FOR FALL 2023 IS NOW OPEN
Greetings parents and guardians of future members of the Waconia Public Schools Class of 2036! We are excited for your student to join the Wildcat family in the Fall of 2023. Kindergarten is an exciting and important time in a student's life as they will develop and grow many academic, social, and emotional skills that will lay the foundation for their K-12 journey. Click here to download our Kindergarten Guide, which is full of information for incoming Kindergarten families, including how to enroll your student on or after December 14, 2022. Click here to start the online enrollment process.
ACADEMIC CALENDARS APPROVED FOR 2023-24 AND 2024-25
The School Board approved academic calendars for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years at its November 28 Regular Meeting. Downloadable and printable one-page versions of both calendars are posted on the District website at isd110.org/district-calendars and can also be downloaded using the following links:
WINTER WEATHER REMINDERS
If inclement weather forces District leaders to cancel in-person instruction during the 2022-23 school year, the first two instances would result in no-school days for students. Any subsequent weather-related closures would result in the District implementing a flex-learning day. Students in grades 5-12 would use their devices to access learning plans on Schoology. Families with students in grades K-4 would receive learning plans via email from teachers that morning.
If inclement weather causes a school closure, every effort will be made to to make a decision by 6:00 a.m. the morning of the cancellation. Notification will be sent directly to families through Infinite Campus by phone, email and text message. Information will also be posted on the District website (www.isd110.org) and on the District’s social media channels including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Notification will also be sent to local television stations WCCO-4, KSTP-5, FOX-9 and KARE-11.
When school is canceled for K-12 students and when students are dismissed early due to worsening weather conditions, it also means the cancellation of the following programs and activities:
- Wildcat Preschool
- ECFE
- ECSE
- Before and after school programs and extracurricular activities
- Field trips
- Community Education classes, events, practices and games
- Building events including permits held by outside organizations
Please note that athletic cancellations are decided on an individual basis. Schedule changes will be posted on the Metro West Conference website at metrowestconference.org.
Kids’ Company before and after school childcare will be closed when school is canceled for the entire day. In the event of a two-hour late start, Kids’ Company will open at 8:00 a.m. In the event of an early dismissal, Kids’ Company will remain open until further notice.
Families are reminded to login to Infinite Campus to make sure their contact information is up to date and accurate in order to ensure that they receive timely weather-related information. Watch this short video for instructions on how to update your contact information in Infinite Campus: https://youtu.be/5VhQJ02W18w.
WACONIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS NAMED A TOP-20 MINNESOTA SCHOOL DISTRICT BY NICHE
Waconia Public Schools has been named a top-20 public school district in the state of Minnesota by Niche, an online platform that annually ranks K-12 schools as well as colleges and universities. In Niche’s 2023 rankings, which were released on Monday, Sept. 26, Waconia Public Schools was ranked 19th on the platform’s list of Best School Districts in Minnesota.
The school district earned either an A-, A or A+ grade in eight major categories including Academics, Teachers, Clubs & Activities, Sports, Resources & Facilities, College Prep, Administration, and Food.
ISD 110 also earned high placement on several of the platform’s other ranked lists. The school district is ranked 15th out of 361 on Niche’s list titled “Districts with the Best Teachers in Minnesota.” On the list titled “Best School Districts for Athletes in Minnesota,” the school district is ranked 34th out of 357 districts.
In addition, all three of the district’s elementary schools were ranked in the top 15% of the state’s 887 elementary schools that Niche chose to rank for 2023.
“This news is a result of the combination of our rigorous academic programs, a dedicated and highly qualified group of teachers and staff, and our commitment to providing opportunities to our students in the areas of athletics, fine arts and other co-curricular and extra-curricular activities,” Superintendent Brian Gersich said. “Rankings shouldn’t necessarily define a school district, but they are a piece to the puzzle when families are choosing where to live and send their kids to school. I think what this particular set of rankings says is that there are a number of good reasons why a family would choose to send their kids to Waconia Public Schools.”
Niche’s methodology includes a number of data points including state assessment proficiency, graduation rates, student to teacher ratios, and Advanced Placement enrollment, as well as parent and student survey data.
Visit https://bit.ly/WaconiaNiche to view the school district’s Niche profile page and to learn more about the platform’s 2023 rankings.
