Waconia Schools Board Approves Budget, New AI Integrity Policy
The Waconia Public Schools board unanimously approved nine major items on August 5, including a 10-year financial plan, new student handbook with AI cheating guidelines, and equipment upgrades across the district.
The school board's meeting covered significant operational and financial decisions for the 2026-27 school year. All nine votes passed unanimously, with no dissent from board members.
The most substantial approval was the district's 10-year Long-Term Facilities Maintenance plan, a state-mandated annual requirement that guides future spending and bond decisions. The Finance Director explained how the plan connects revenue projections to expenditure planning across multiple district funds, helping ensure long-term financial stability.
The board also approved updated student handbooks for all grade levels, with a notable addition: a new "integrity procedure" in the high school handbook addressing artificial intelligence use and cheating. Principal Sparby noted the irony of using AI to write the handbook while grappling with how to manage student AI use. He explained the policy formalizes existing practices and was developed by researching policies from four or five other schools.
On the facilities front, the board approved a six-foot privacy fence for Southview Elementary's playground, funded largely by community donations: $72,236 from the Southview PTO and $5,000 from the Waconia Alliance Club. The board also greenlit kitchen equipment replacements—convection ovens at Bay View and Southview elementary schools, and a display freezer at Waconia Middle School—to address aging equipment and food safety concerns.
Additional approvals included compliance upgrades for remote meal service sites, requiring new point-of-sale systems and refrigerators to meet state health department standards. The board also updated the employee handbook with new security protocols and clarified guidelines on direct deposit and personal device use. Community Education staff received a 5% pay increase and 10% boost to medical insurance benefits. Finally, the board formally called the school district general election, confirming four board positions will be up for election.
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Votes (9)
Presentation of the '26-'27 Student Handbook
Dissent: None
Moved by Board Member [00:23:09] · Seconded by Board Member [00:23:10]
The Superintendent introduced the annual review of student handbooks, highlighting efforts for consistency and alignment across all school levels. Principal Sparby detailed high school changes, particularly the new 'integrity procedure' designed to address AI usage and cheating, aiming for clarity and consistent management across departments. No significant opposition was voiced.
Adoption of the School District 2010 fiscal year ten-year LTFM plan
Dissent: None
Moved by Board Member [00:29:08] · Seconded by Board Member [00:29:09]
The Finance Director presented the state-mandated LTFM plan, explaining the revenue and expenditure projections, including details on Fund 1, Fund 7, and Fund 6, and how these relate to bond payments and the district's levy cycle. Board members sought clarification on the interconnectedness of these financial documents. The discussion emphasized the plan's importance for long-term financial stability.
Approving the Southview fence purchase
Dissent: None
Moved by Board Member [00:31:40] · Seconded by Board Member [00:31:41]
The board discussed the project to install a six-foot privacy fence at Southview Elementary, acknowledging significant donations from the Southview PTO ($72,236) and the Waconia Alliance Club ($5,000). Discussions covered the district's responsibility for ongoing maintenance and the strategic decision to include privacy slats due to the school's proximity to a hospital and car wash for enhanced safety and aesthetics. Contingency funds were set aside.
Kitchen and freezer replacement
Dissent: None
Moved by Board Member [00:37:05] · Seconded by Board Member [00:37:06]
The board approved the replacement of three key pieces of kitchen equipment for the Nutrition Services program: double-stacked convection ovens at Bay View and Southview, and a reach-in display freezer at Waconia Middle School. The equipment had reached the end of its useful life or was failing, posing food safety concerns. The purchase was funded entirely from Fund 2, with prior informal discussion at the Finance Committee.
Remote meal service compliance
Dissent: None
Moved by Board Member [00:40:00] · Seconded by Board Member [00:40:01]
This item addressed compliance requirements mandated by an administrative review from MDE and MDH. The board approved the necessary purchases (point-of-sale systems and commercial-grade refrigerators) to ensure each remote meal service location could operate as an individual site for accurate meal tracking and safe food storage. A combined quote from Bolster was found to be the most cost-effective solution.
Waconia Public Schools employee handbook
Dissent: None
Moved by Board Member [00:42:15] · Seconded by Board Member [00:42:16]
HR Director Jenny Supar presented the comprehensively updated employee handbook, emphasizing its goals of strengthening security, integrating board policies (e.g., 421, 424, 529), and establishing clearer guidelines. Changes included mandatory direct deposit, quarterly reimbursement deadlines, and explicit rules against propping open exterior doors and personal device use at risk. The updates were described as precautionary, aimed at enhancing communication.
Community Education Kids Space Leads and Site Leads work agreement
Dissent: None
Moved by Board Member [00:45:50] · Seconded by Board Member [00:45:51]
The HR Director outlined changes to the Community Education work agreement for '26-'27. Key revisions included a program name change, removal of 'one-on-one assistance' references, alignment of full-time definitions, and a new requirement for a relevant associate degree for salary step advancements. The agreement also included a 5% hourly pay increase and a 10% medical insurance benefit increase, funded by Community Education program fees (Fund 4).
Resolution relating to the election of school board members and calling the school district general election
Dissent: None
Moved by Board Member [00:50:00] · Seconded by Board Member [00:50:01]
The Finance Director presented a resolution, a required formality, to officially call the school district general election. The resolution confirmed that four school board positions would be up for election. No specific discussion points were raised beyond acknowledging its procedural nature.
Second read board policies
Dissent: None
Moved by Board Member [00:51:50] · Seconded by Board Member [00:51:51]
The board considered and adopted a set of board policies presented for their second reading. Discussions were brief, noting that the policies were largely 'vanilla' and had been reviewed in a prior meeting. A specific mention was made of Policy 423 having been previously deferred, and the intention to adjust Policy 623 from yearly to periodic reporting.
Notable Quotes (8)
So that is something, in all honesty with, as I cite the irony here of me using Gemini to do our handbook- ... AI has just become, it's running rampant, and really hard for our teachers trying to manage that.
So what is all in that policy is nothing that we haven't done in the past. But this year I was working with our grading committee, and I got policies from probably four or five schools. I was looking at everything they had, kind of put everything together that worked for us, and then molded it to what we have.
So tonight, we are asking the board to approve the district's fiscal year '28 ten-year LTFM plan, and this is something that's a state-by-state statute, and it's just an annual planning requirement, and we later submit it to MDE.
It is confusing. So where these documents come into play then is we submit them, and then this is what they actually start to use when they start to do our levy cycle runs, when we start getting those runs in August for us to actually present something to you then on a preliminary basis and a final basis in September. And then ultimately, when you authorize the levy in December.
I just want to say I'm very impressed with your PTO for raising all- Yep ... of this money. What a huge endeavor, and very impressive purchase.
I think it was part of we wanted to have it for some more privacy, especially with the- Hospital ... the hospital. And so it was something that we definitely wanted to make sure that we included it when we put in the new fence.
Hoping that this is precautionary and not reactionary. We always hope that, but there were some things that may have occurred over time that we want to just do enhance our communication on.
Just pointing out, too, and it's probably clear in the title, but for the board and for the general public, as a community education program, Kids Space therefore has revenue from the fees that people pay to be a part of the program. These are paid from that, so this is fund for not general fund.
Ordinances & Resolutions (15)
Meeting agenda adopted at the start of the session.
Minutes of the prior meeting adopted by the board.
List of routine items requiring board action without discussion, approved in bulk.
Individualized plans for summer school students tied to graduation or foundational skills.
Annual student handbooks for elementary, middle school, and high school levels.
State-mandated long-term facilities maintenance plan for fiscal year '28.
School board policy regarding gifts to employees and school board members, summarized in the employee handbook.
School board policy regarding license status, summarized in the employee handbook.
School board policy regarding staff notifications of violent behavior, summarized in the employee handbook.
Comprehensive document outlining policies and guidelines for district employees.
Work agreement for Community Education staff for the '26-'27 school year.
Formal resolution required for the upcoming school board elections.
Group of board policies presented for final approval after a previous reading.
Board policy that was previously pushed off for discussion.
Board policy that will now have periodic reporting instead of yearly.
Source document
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Other Topics from This Document
Student Handbook Annual Review and AI Policy
Long-Term Facilities Maintenance (LTFM) Plan Adoption
Southview Elementary Playground Privacy Fence Project
Nutrition Services Equipment Replacements
Remote Meal Service Compliance Update
Employee Handbook Revisions
Community Education Kids Space Work Agreement Changes
School Board General Election Resolution
Board Policy Review and Adoption
Board Committee Reports
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