[Music] Welcome to our school district podcast Oho minetonka I'm your host superintendent of minetonka schools David law we kicked off this school year with a great podcast episode with two of our Schoolboard members to talk about our goals and the year ahead now just past Midway through the school year we've invited the school board back to talk about how the school year is going and we'll f focus in on finances facilities well-being and Community engagement joining me today are two of our Schoolboard leaders Vice chair kenry Foss and treasure Dan Olen welcome to both of you tell me a little bit about your background with the district and why you chose to be on the school board sure thank you uh let's see I'm on my second year of the school board uh the vice chair this year and I been involved in around the school district for many years first as probably as in the kindergarten as a room parent and then PTO PTA and then on the minaka public schools Foundation board raising money for the schools and then realized that I really wanted to continue supporting for future gen generations and join the school board and I've really enjoyed it so far awesome how about you Dan uh kind of a parallel story I wasn't as involved in in advance of my time on the school board as kemry but I've got twin boys and we love this district and they're probably only halfway through their public School Journey so it just suddenly became really important to me to to get involved and want to leave this place better than we found it so uh one of the things community members don't know is like what do you do as a Schoolboard member what's the weekly cycle what are some of the things that are assignments what are some of the uh challenges we do a lot of committee meetings uh you know a lot of committee meetings um you know I'm on the finance committee and and some other Financial related committees but the and then we meet as a board twice a month once in a formal meeting and then once in a study session that's a little a little more informal that allows us to discuss things before it they they come before us to vote on but the the primary job is being out there and listening to the community and trying to put yourselves in as as many places as possible to hear as many different voices as possible to bring those perspectives to the work that we're doing as a school district I would say our our main goal is um goal setting for the district so that the administration the staff and the teachers can work toward those goals and really our primary focus is our one employee which is superintendent law and making sure that that the the district is following the goals that we set and there's really as a board we have seven of us and there's no one individual on on the board that has power so we work together as a cohesive unit and we do that really well I would say one of the things the public probably doesn't realize are all the ways you gather input to inform goal setting what are some of the things that stick out in your mind as ways you've gathered broad Community input that was persuasive to you for goal setting uh I mean you know it starts with the the surveys that our Communications Department runs every year reaching out to teachers reaching out to parents talking to students to see what they want but we've gone to the high school and sat down and done student listening forums with them we're each tracking with a group of students in a specific grade as they progress through their High School Journey we've gone into all the buildings to meet with teachers and faculty members and get their feedback on our goals and and to to ideate on what the next iteration of these things might be and then I think it's it's just as individuals you know you you grab a coffee with another parent or something like that whenever you can to hear what's important to them yeah I it's been my experience that the board hopes to meet Community expectations with goal setting and you you and and our goals that we have the big buckets of work are excellence in uh student climate experience you know welcoming belonging connectedness excellence in student learning and excellence in leadership and organizational support under each of those buckets there are some uh action items let's talk a little bit first about student learning what are some of the areas of focus in student learning this year that you we've reported at the board or you feel like we're making progress one of the the biggest areas that was a priority before kry and I even join the board were our middle schools and programming available to our middle school students uh we recently voted to I don't know what is it a block schedule is that what we call the so we recently voted to change the curriculum from its current six-hour iteration to a block schedule and that's going to open up a buch more elective opportunities um that our students can take in advance of getting to high school so they can explore those interests earlier and figure out where they want to be when they land in nth grade and it's also going to allow us to do you know special interventions in social emotional learning and things like that without having to pull them out of their classes and take away instructional time so it's it it's really going to offer a great breadth of opportunity and allow us as Educators to do a lot more for the kids and do right by the kids and that was from listening to the community and really wanting to to take part in What a lot of other schools around us were doing as far as um Middle School programming and it'll help with advisory and having the Spanish Immersion program now have advisory as well so it's we're really looking forward to it it'll be a little bit of a transition but it'll be in the long run it'll provide a lot of advantages as well yeah one of the sometimes we hear from the community you should be focusing on the basics and one of the big buckets of work we're doing this year is literacy from a board member perspective what does it look like to be uh receiving this information you know how would you put in your own words the work that we're doing with literacy well and I think uh our recent podcast that just came out today with Dr Amy Leo they have been on the Forefront of keeping up with the react and updating the board consistently on staying at the Forefront ahead of the react that's been sort of a little bit of a moving Target from mde um from a professional learning standpoint they have been ahead of keeping our teachers very informed training updating all of the materials uh and then providing the board really updated on how that's going and they've received a lot of positive feedback about that um staying ahead of the achievement Gap and making sure that the students are um being assessed regularly and making sure that all of those um uh materials are updated as well from an assessment standpoint um anything to add about that I mean I think a lot of what happens that's prescribed legislatively like that when it comes to the read act in L literacy that's out of our hands as a as a board but um it's just about giving the administration the teachers the tools that they need so when admin and teachers come to us and say that they want full days of professional development instead of these halting half days that are harder to schedule and harder to really dig in or quarter days or or quarter right where where it's harder to dig in and do this professional development um it's just being responsive to what those folks need and making the changes that just make their lives easier so they can absorb everything they need to and turn it around and unleash on our kids another area that um the board has as a goal is some of our opportunities at the high school level to be future leaning in career and college Pathways and um like our Vantage and momentum program as a board how do you gather input or hear from the district on topics about you know what's next or do you have any thoughts on those things like uh Aviation or those types of programs it's I mean again it's just you're trying to to listen as much as possible and I think it's incumbent upon somebody who's on a school board or who works in public education to pay attention to societal Trends and what's going on out there there being it the that you know the way Ai and technology is changing how we work or the increased demands for the trades that we're going to have down the road it's it's just staying AB breast of those needs and recognizing opportunities like Aviation um or our foreign language and immersion oper offerings when they come along so that we can you know get those in front of our kids as soon as possible so they can develop an interest I think one of the things our community doesn't realize is as a board you know it's all the programs and all the grade levels each year so it's there's a lot to keep track of is uh the another op uh another board goal excuse me is belonging and connection and there's a little bit of bullying prevention in there how does that continue to be a board goal or why and how does the board view those goals sure I I'll take this one um I think one of the things that I'm most passionate about is is that students need to feel connected and like they belong to be able to learn obviously and this has been a board goal since Dan and I really started on the board but what I've seen is that it's progressing beautifully within all of our schools and we see this at each board meeting when the staff and the teachers and the principes come and present to the board it's it's it's my favorite part of every board meeting and most recently principal Freya sharker of um mmw Middle School West came and gave us a great example of these awards that she has recently created called the full sale Awards and they are done twice a year uh and I think there are about 40 students each that they the teachers and the staff select and they are they select students who are not necessarily they're not based on academic achievement but they are based on for example a student who has a fantastic sense of humor or a student who has perceived uh against challenges that you know has like some something that's really been challenging and they've worked through it and they've Perce you know kept going um things like that and the the response has been fantastic from the parents as well as from the students that they've been recognized not just academically but for something that makes them feel that they do belong and that they're connected in on a different level than just acing a test or something like that so I really thought that that was a great way of feeling connected and that they belong in a different way than just you know studying so we do get great examples of that with all of our schools I would say and it's it really does meet one of our goals as belonging I agree that is one of my favorite parts of the board meeting too Dan any other thoughts on belonging you know I think our job is just to make our community as uh City and all all the cities and towns that make up the Min minona School District in our schools as as welcoming as possible you know there's a lot we can't control be it what's going on with national politics or anything like that and it's important that we just recognize that you know some folks might be nervous about what's going on out there some folks might look to us for answers and things like that and that we're just here to make sure we've got our communities back and we're always going to be there for our kids and making sure that they're the most important people when they come through these doors yeah our schools are about academics but first and foremost kids need to come in and feel comfortable and connected excellence in leadership and organizational support has been a big bucket of work this year there are two things we're going to talk about facilities and finances and Dan I'm going to lean first in on you on an update on finances and why does long-term Financial stability resonate more today than it maybe did five years ago well I think 5 years ago and for the 10 years before that you know minona had a really great run of increasing enrollment not needing to cut its budget and that's what's allowed us to build all the great programs that we have Vantage momentum everything that we offer to our to our kids in elementary and middle and high school and Beyond um and it it we we've just sort of hit a point in the state and we're we're far from alone here where there are Financial headwinds facing a lot of districts I know the three of us were at the capital yesterday speaking with our legislators emphasizing the critical importance of funding public education so our our job is to be responsible stewards of the taxpayers money and ensure that those dollars are here and used responsibly and that we persist in providing the great programming that we've been able to yes we've got to make some tough choices and maybe tighten our little our belt in some areas a little bit but um we're working really really hard on the legislative front and the revenue front to uh balance that out as best we can so we don't have to keep cutting in the future so one of the things community members might wonder is why don't we just ask them if we need more money why can't we just ask that'd be great I'd love to be able to just put this to our community members but but School District financing you you you get onto the board and you learn about a little bit and it's really really weird there are lots of these different bu of Finance you have a a bucket of of Revenue and expenses for nutrition services and Community Education and facilities and general operating expenses and you can't move your money between those buckets so even if one section of your budget is doing really really well and you have a healthy Reserve you can't necessarily move it over to make up for a shortfall somewhere else and we're also in the position where we've got a very generous and supportive community and we're at the state limit for what we're allowed to ask for so that's why we were at the legislature the other day to to ask them to increase those limits so we can go to our community for support to continue this programming and and keeping these great teachers in our buildings you reference those buckets you know one bucket is the operational side the people and another bucket is the facilities and the board has a board goal about facilities do either one of you talk about why the why there's this facilities study and and why would we consider doing that now if there's some Financial challenges yeah I I think that it's been 10 years since we have um really done a referendum for facilities from from our understanding and it's it's important to keep our buildings improving and looking looking you know like they like we're coming into the next the next time period of keeping up with you know our buildings are great and Paul has done a great job of of keeping them looking good but now is the time that we need to um you know to start looking at improvements and we went out to our community and we have a a wonderful task force that's been has been about 10 months8 to 10 months of of reviewing every single building that we have and they did a fantastic job um headed up by Carrie Lindberg and really went through every nook and cranny of our buildings and talked to all of our um principles and administrators and really got a a very thorough understanding of what was in need and and really boil it down to really the basics I would say of what was most important and needing to really go out to our community and and and ask for that money that we have not done in 10 years so that is a different bucket of money um so when we're talking about budget cuts like Dan was talking about that's completely separate from um having to look at our other Financial situations so so now would be a good time to do that from our understanding and one of the things um Dan you're involved in finance our our teachers made these recommendations I I think the original amount that was recommended was 190 million and the board has winnowed it down to 85 million to be considered the community um it's actually been 25 years since we've asked has it been 25 um why would the board consider improving our buildings during budget cuts I mean you've talked about these being recommendations we haven't made that decision yet and that would come in August but why would the What would prompt the board to consider that well I mean it's been 25 years so we're talking about the year 2000 right think about how much the world has changed in the way we communicate and the way we learn in those past 25 years you know a lot of our facilities are uh you know 20 60 80 years old in some of these buildings and it takes constant Improvement to continue to make sure the buildings in the physical facilities are suited to the way the world works the way people communicate and the way students learn now Co came along 5 years ago and and drastically changed the way we learn and the way we collaborate so yeah even though we we are facing a a budget shortfall on the operational side this is this is really a a really modest investment that's that's focusing on the needs of the students and the principles in all of our buildings to just improve the educational experience and they'll stand our buildings up just to be better facilities for years to come in the years when hopefully we aren't facing these financial difficulties and one of those pieces that um we is in that ask potentially is safety in every single classroom in the district so that's always we hate to think that we have to consider that but that is a consideration the last piece I want to talk about is engagement Community engagement and student engagement you've both been involved in some parent listing sessions some staff listening sessions why is engagement in the board goals and so important to each of you sure uh well we need to we need to be a reflection of the community and the students that's that's our whole intended purpose and I personally have enjoyed really going into all of the schools with you and actually with Dan we've been involved in quite a few of them and really just being transparent and saying tell us what's working tell us what's not working and we really want your feedback to to make sure that our goals are reflective of what's working and uh I think they've been really successful so far as a board we have also split up uh by board members two of us and taken on each grade level of the high school so my grade level is freshman yours is Junior yes and we've engaged twice a year by by yearly with um with those groups and you have said really really wisely you know we've been out of high school for a very long time and your parents might think something is going on in the high school that is not really the case so really tell talk to us and tell us what what's going on and what we can improve upon and I think that's been a really effective way to engage and get more student voice to the board so that's one example there's many ways even podcasts which you've invited students and students are usually at the board meetings giving us a lot of good info and so we've really really Ed that as a goal um to engage this year as well I think for me I've used this analogy a lot lately like the the Great Value in in connecting with students and constituents as much as possible is that in in in our official business as school board members sitting in the in the district service center voting on resolutions looking at the budget and everything everything that gets to us by the time it gets to us it's hearsay you know it's it's it's come through a lot of filters and not that that's bad that's the nature of the system right that's how it operates efficiently but being able to get you firstperson impressions of the people who are living within the system on a daily basis as the teachers and students are or the taxpayers who are contributing to this system and understanding what their priorities are there's no real substitute for for one-on-one interaction and just those direct Frank conversations about what what do you enjoy that we're doing what what's the value that we're providing that you'd like to see us continue doing and how can we improve and leave this District better than we found it which I think is the goal for all of us sure putting you on the spot you're Midway through your board term year and you're 204 what are you most proud of and what are you most excited about I'm I'm both proud of and excited about the Middle School curriculum opportunities um both of my I have twin boys in seventh grade at mmw and you know just a couple weeks back we went through the list of all the new electives that were available to them so it's it's really really exciting to see just such a wealth of opportunity that they've got something completely unlike what I was exposed to when I was 13 years old so it's doing that and then you know I I'm not I'm I'm proud of our work with the budget it's hard work um but it's really really necessary work and important work work and we've got a very very serious job to do being good stewards of taxpayer dollars and it's not always fun but um I'm proud that we're working collaboratively and being responsible and doing everything we can to maintain what we've gotry I would say I'm most proud of being a a new board and coming in and really working together very collaboratively um it's it's been a a real pleasure to get to know these people that I did not know at all we've had we've had a really successful time so far um I'm looking forward to the challenge of the budget because that has been School District finances has been a challenge and so I have really appreciated Dan being kind of my right hand and helping me through all of that and a challenge is is what I'm looking forward to the most uh because it's it's difficult so once we get through that we'll be on the other side of it and that'll be a good thing thank you both for being so sincere and and honest about the role of the school board and the things you're working on and some Legacy already some change that will last for a decade at least hopefully uh I appreciate you taking time out of your day to join us I know that you have other obligations so thank you and thank you to the community members who watched us on this episode of a manat tanka I hope you learned a little bit about the behind the scenes of a Schoolboard remember and we'll see you again next time for aoy and a Tonka [Music]