Wayzata Public Schools — Transcript
Monday, February 23, 2026
CTE Referendum and High School Expansion
Benefits of Centralized CTE Space
Vision for Future CTE Programs
Importance of CTE Investment
Votes (1)
Discussion of CTE Referendum and High School Expansion
Dissent: None
The podcast detailed the reasons for the upcoming referendum to fund a new Career and Technical Education (CTE) innovation center at Wisetta High School. Key points included addressing projected growth of 900+ students, alleviating overcrowding in academic areas, and creating a centralized, flexible space for experiential learning. Speakers explained how modern CTE encompasses health science, business, technology, and family consumer science, moving beyond traditional 'shop' classes. Benefits such as enhanced collaboration among staff and community, real-world skill development, industry certifications, and the 'test-driving' of careers were highlighted. The Compass program was identified as central to the innovation center, leveraging community mentors. The discussion also touched on comparisons with other school districts' innovation models and future programming aspirations like student-run clinics and early child care. The importance of investing now was underscored by the need to meet current and future economic demands and student learning preferences.
Notable Quotes (8)
So five years ago we started the process of taking what is health science, family consumer science, business and technology education and putting them under the umbrella referred to as CTE or career and technical education. And we did that from a a better way to serve the needs of our learners and our community.
And if we were to move our career and teched classes into a new building, it would allow for that 900 plus students to have space to grow.
One of the things that CTE all pathways, one of the things we all share is that we lean on community, not only to help us teach our students, connect with our students, but also provide authentic audiences and learning experiences for our students.
We also have programming that could really work well together that because of where they are located in the building makes it really challenging. So one kind of kind of out there idea if we could help our students run a food truck.
And currently from a safety and security standpoint, uh we're inviting a lot of adults from the community into the building at um you know a lot of different times and touch points. So to have a separate facility that they could access in a more safe and secure manner really allow for that collaboration to continue to happen and feel different in more of a innovation center type feel.
So, we do offer a CT internship program and students are earning while they're learning and the value ad of that for the four of us sitting around the table is you really while you're 17 or 18 years old get to test drive a career and figure out is this a fit for you andor of equal value maybe it's not a fit.
It allows us to meet our community's demands in terms of those high demand high wage careers. Um, and it really would allow us to, to Don and Scott's point, reinvision what schooling looks like the next 10, 20 years ahead of us.
I love connecting young people to their why. like if I can find tools or resources or community connections to f to help a young person at 15 or 16 really figure out like ah that is where I want to be when I'm in my early 20s like that lights my fire and CTE has been the vehicle that's allowed me to serve the needs of young learners in that capacity.
Ordinances & Resolutions (4)
The ballot measure for the proposed high school expansion and CTE innovation center.
Website providing information on the referendum and high school addition.
An educational framework or vision for the qualities Wisetta graduates should embody.
A document providing more information about the high school addition.