Wayzata Public Schools — Transcript

Monday, August 25, 2025

School Facilities, Capacity, and Future Referendum Planning

Proposal for School Board Community Listening Sessions

Notable Quotes (11)

by 27 and 28 you're you're exceeding capacity

John Hunick [3:59]
Finance and Operations Report: Facilities Update and Referendum Planning

So in summary, we're talking about a new elementary school number 10. Okay. To make up for capacity, uh middle school number four... expansion to uh the high school is clearly, you know, with additional 900 students coming.

John Deutsch [11:13]
Finance and Operations Report: Facilities Update and Referendum Planning

So we will be convening um a task force of about 15 to 20 members representing a diverse cross-section of um different perspectives and they will be drawn from our existing committees.

Amy Miller [15:44]
Finance and Operations Report: Facilities Update and Referendum Planning

What are we going to do if we're going to build a building and um the amount I mean if it is for elementary on average it's uh recommended is 5,487 you fill it up 2,000 what are going to do with uh the uh one thing is to build the building it's one cost it's like one thing is to build the swimming pool another thing you have to maintain it

Valentina Ears [30:30]
Finance and Operations Report: Facilities Update and Referendum Planning

I think all these are really good questions and we don't want to overbuild either. So, we're, you know, going to be working the numbers really carefully here in the coming weeks and months... if we didn't have Northwoods and Metal Ridge now, I have no idea what we'd be doing.

Chase Anderson [35:50]
Finance and Operations Report: Facilities Update and Referendum Planning

Schoolboard listening sessions are in alignment with board policies 902 and 905 and authorized by policy 212... The purpose is to provide board and community members the ability to ga engage on governance issues and grant the board greater understanding of constituent interests.

Dan Janestra [38:09]
School Board Report: Community Listening Sessions Proposal

This is something that the community has in mind and they want to bring it to us. That is what is referred to as pull marketing. This is what we want. We want the community to come to us and tell us what they think is important.

Milan Sony [40:48]
School Board Report: Community Listening Sessions Proposal

I'm concerned when our our department that is in charge of community outreach and communications has a lot of questions that we make sure that we are making these decisions in collaboration with one another.

Amy Miller [44:59]
School Board Report: Community Listening Sessions Proposal

So I think what I hear you saying is that you will turn me away from a posted public listening session if you decide the topic I bring to you is not what you want to talk about on at that moment.

Sarah Johansson [47:35]
School Board Report: Community Listening Sessions Proposal

I didn't hear a lot of formation of concept, right? And so what are you going to do with the information that you get? Who's present at these meetings? ...if you ask for feedback and the mechanisms aren't there to solve problems then by asking for that feedback you can sometimes do more more harm.

Dave Lutz [1:02:16]
School Board Report: Community Listening Sessions Proposal

I'm hearing quite a bit of uh reluctance and resistance trying to even to work through uh how do we know what kind of problems can arrive or what kind of problems can be solved if we don't know them?

Valentina Ears [1:06:56]
School Board Report: Community Listening Sessions Proposal

Ordinances & Resolutions (9)

Review and CommentOther

Required document submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education detailing facility plans, enrollment data, and financial impact.

Strategic RoadmapPlan

District-wide plan used to guide goals and priorities, mentioned in context of community listening sessions.

Policy 902Ordinance

Stakeholder engagement policy, cited as supporting school board listening sessions.

Policy 905Ordinance

Community involvement in decision-making policy, cited as supporting school board listening sessions.

Policy 212Ordinance

Work session or listening session authorization policy, cited as authorizing school board listening sessions.

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)Other

Federal grant program for energy efficiency projects, considered for sustainable design in new facilities.

enrollment studyOther

Professional studies assessing student population trends and projections.

traffic studyOther

Ongoing study for the 86.6-acre site to plan for necessary road infrastructure (stop lights, turn lanes, roundabouts).

community surveyOther

Surveys conducted to gather baseline data and test recommendations from the task force for the referendum.

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