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March 9, 2026 Westonka School Board Meeting

Westonka Public SchoolsTuesday, March 10, 2026
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I would like to call the West Tanka School Board meeting to order. If everybody would please rise the pledge of allegiance. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. Chair moves for approval of the agenda. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All in favor? >> All oppose. Motion carries. Announcements. Uh March 18th, facilities committee meeting, 7 a.m. right here in this room. April 2nd, finance committee meeting at 7:30 a.m. April 10th, teaching and learning special board meeting 7:30. and the um ESC conference room A and April 13th policy committee meeting uh 5:00 p.m. and regular school board meeting at 6 p.m. Are there any members of the public that want to talk to us tonight? Nope. Um that being said, then we move on to the student rep report, which they are not here, so I'm assuming everything's really good. So, or or really bad. They're really busy. >> Um um and then we'll move on to the construction report from Gary. >> All right. Back then work in February. Um so this last month we were um on the phase three edition just finishing up the fireproofing some of the mechanical roughins um the interior framework so all the walls have been framed up the sheetrock is installed the roofing is done and the slabs um are have been poured and then in the media center um a lot of the ceiling work is completed um the lighting uh paint carpet and then mechanical electrical finishes. Um installing piping in the penthouse. And then what we have coming up this month, um finishing the exterior walls, uh the finishing the rough in painting of the um admin spaces, um some interior brick, uh tile work, some of the the last of the finishes, uh media center, um finishing the ceilings, glass installation, some of the case work, the furniture installs, the punch lists, um and then final cleaning for for the handover. um in the gym. One of some of the next phases that we're jumping into, the gym demolition begins on March 23rd. Um and that's kind of the next the next phase that we're moving into. Show you a couple pictures. This is of the of the new addition. So, in construction, we can never be happy. It's either too cold or it's too it's too wet and marble out there. But um some of the pictures of the the admin space inside. Um you see some of the drywall going on, the tile work going in bathrooms. This is in the penthouse. The some of the equipment. This is the second floor of the admin space. Some of the offices. >> What do you consider the penthouse? >> I'm just mechanical. Sorry. Mechanical space where where it houses all the the units. Sounds fancy. >> I know. I was wondering the same. >> Yeah, we got to live there. >> Um, here are some some some pretty cool photos of the media center as it's starting to finish off. You can see the ceiling work in the >> lighting is so cool. I see. It's awesome. >> Yeah, >> it's it's amazing how that skyway of lights it before it was dark and you you noticed it, but it didn't really show itself. And now with the new colors and some of the other lights, it really shows itself entirely different. >> Yeah. >> Those are those door stairways. Yeah. >> Yeah. Really starting to open open things up and and uh get some light in there. Um some of the site work. Um as you can see, we've kind of we've been reconsolidating things on site. Um we got a new trailer up at the front. Um we'll be starting to demo the the tennis courts. Uh they have started the the the stadium projects and we started to clear the trees. That was the first thing that happened. Um >> is that earlier than planned? >> Yeah, we did get a we did get about a I think a week or two jump on on that side of things. >> Um there is like the weather's cooperating great. Um there is like this little there's still not all the frost isn't quite out. So it does you think like when you see the weather like why aren't they out there moving? It's like well because there's the top layer is mud and then there's a frozen layer there. So they're waiting for it all to kind of dry out. But um we are things are looking good. So get a jump on it. >> When did the the uh old tennis courts get the demo? >> Um those will be next uh I think it's a week and a half. >> Oh not till >> the track start at the same time I saw the big machine sitting out there. >> Yeah. Well, that one the um that'll start in probably a week and a half as well. But that's some of the machines just the um the tree clearing equipment come off. They were down in the back in the back corner. >> When's a good time for us to get another two or three? >> We can we can set that up for board members here. Probably a good time would be right after spring break and then we can give them the time to do the work over spring break. They're going to do a few other things. I think that'll be >> sometime round or before our next meeting. >> Thank you. >> So, yeah, it's uh we have Hilltop Shirley Hills planning for this summer. Uh we're planning on uh moving out of some of the different spaces. So, as we have uh the admin and the counseling going to go in on the north end, then we move things out of there because that becomes the new nursing area. They're going to start working on the courtyard when they start working on the courtyard. The entrance will be on the north end. So, we'll be switching that over. Um there's obviously um end of year activities that we've done quite a bit of planning on everything from graduation to some of these special events. So how does that work in the phase of construction? >> What will graduation be a weather? >> Well, we're going to have good weather. We're going to be on headwork. I'm >> sorry I asked. >> We'll just leave that as that. Think positive and just go ahead with it. So Gary, is everything pretty good on materials and stuff? >> Yeah, so we've been tracking um you know, we had a little bit of some issues right away on the addition, but we we're on track with the schedule that we that we have. So we're looking good. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. >> It's exciting to see each time. All right. >> You have a preference. >> Yeah. He doesn't mind. >> Treasures report for uh February anonymous Hilltop Primary School $40 American Heart Association Shirley Hills Primary School $700 West Middle School PTO West Middle School $4,495 Black Giving West High School $20 speech boosters West Taka speech team $1,400 Ohio File Prince, West Tanka Athletics, $15.92. LPL Financial, West Tanka Community Theater, $100. Butch Humber Cross Country Scholarship, $100. LM Partners LLC, Blue Stem Wealth Scholarship, $500. Tyler Russell Hill Sunshine Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation for the Tyler Russell Hill Sunshine Scholarship, $2,000. Spring Creek Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation for the Spring Creek Scholarship, $10,500. Alan Alma's Center Hold Corporation, Alan Alma Scholarship, $1,500. Katherine and Jeffrey Schulty, MWanka High School, class of 1975 scholarship, $200. Blackbod Giving Fund, Captain's Club, $40. Eco Lab, West Tanka High School boys lacrosse, $125. Snap Mobile, West Tanka High School wrestling cheerleaders club, $737.50. Choir Boosters, Westa High School choir, $16. Be like Tommy Project, Westa High School DECA, $460. Year-to- date total $214,45545. Thank you everyone. >> Thank you. >> Kathy starting with the um enrollment. Um and this enrollment it shows the the light blue on the far right hand count is our March 1st count. And uh you can see we're reporting in six of our our nine school months. So it means we're twothirds through the way of this the school year. So when I see that filling up, that means we're getting closer to fiscal year end. Um our count as of March 1st was 2452 students. We had um a couple families move. Um so that bounced it back to our um January count. Um but really feeling good about our enrollment. we are um not only at but we're above our revised um budget assumptions. >> Great. And then uh financial data um through the end of February um shows that we have um received 19,397,000 of our revised budget or 42 43.2% and we have expended 25,889,000 or 58.2% which um both the revenue and the expenditures are trending um um appropriately as compared to the prior years. Just a couple other things. Um we're busy working on the adopted budget for next school year. We'll be presenting that at the June board meeting. And um as Gary mentioned, we have um a board finance meeting in early April. they'll be able to take a sneak peek at our progress and and how our assumptions are are trending. So, that's all I have this evening. Any questions? >> Thank you. >> Move on to the superintendence report. The couple couple action items that you have in your agenda today. One is uh you'll see an updated ticketing pricing structure. Uh we've switched to electronic uh tickets. That's worked really well. Uh but when uh there are some people out of convenience that we've allowed a cash option that does require more labor for our staff and how to handle that. And so we are giving a further incentive that people do the online tickets and it also speeds up in the uh you'll notice that we're going fives and tens instead of going with ones. And so the purpose of that is we still feel like we should offer a cash option. We don't want somebody running in the spot that they don't feel like they can come to a game. But we really want people to do the electronic. It's it's better for a lot of reasons. Um but uh hopefully this incentive just continues to drive people that direction. Uh you'll see a Lester building uh that is outside the scope of the bond, but it's connected to the bond. This building is an affordable way that we can provide storage. Our our building by the headfield uh that's existing is a Lester building. And so we looked at some different options in which we could do storage and we decided to do this one directly which KA will help oversee that get implemented and so that'll serve uh activities in community at on the multi-use field. Uh we um you'll see again that we are continuing to review some of our equipment uh what should be sold and then you get into an annual agenda item. every uh March we go through our budget and we try to align our budget with our staffing and so we go through the exercise of making sure it is prioritized and as tight as it can be and then also adheres to our budget. And so you're going to see some uh a few additions, a few eliminations, but overall this will help us in meeting our goal of uh saving of 200,000 is what our goal is this year. And so a key piece of it is that we keep on working on staffing. Uh one thing that we continue to prioritize is that we have low class sizes and also a lot of opportunities for our kids. And when we look at the metrics and the comparisons of the metro, Westonka shows itself very favorably with class sizes. So we uh we continue to be in a very strong position uh with that which we know both staff, parents, students appreciate. Uh that's really what we have before you. Otherwise, it's um it's an exciting it's always exciting as you get spring because you're starting to enter uh you get out of your winter sports and you start your spring sports. So, today I saw lacrosse players already on field three and when it's uh this stage of March and they're playing outside, you know, you were given a gift even for one day. It was a gift that they could do that that the fields were dry enough and they were able to do it. But excited for those sports to start getting and then it's really you get back from spring break and it's a lot of different uh events, celebrations, things that you're gearing up for the last quarter of school. In the midst of that is a lot of construction which as you saw pictures of the media center, more and more spaces get turned over to us. Uh this weekend I took um some people through a tour of the school that hadn't seen it. And it's it's so much fun to see eyes on it that haven't seen anything and knowing what it used to be and what it is now. Just the audible gasp of excitement of what's happened. And so I just would thank the board again. uh you're the ones that made this possible that we could bring this to the community by your vote and leadership and uh I think it's being received really well. So, thank you. >> Thank you. >> I just have a quick question because I saw track out here too today which is great. At what point will the track be closed or I mean are they able to use it still right now or because I've seen people out there >> very minimally right now. uh that for almost every activity we were able to work around, we could not create an additional track. >> Yeah. >> And for us to be able to offer track next spring, >> we needed to start right away. And so uh our coaches uh have been nothing short of phenomenal of looking at alternative ways that we can help our kids. One of the things that we will be doing is busing to a neighboring district to get some time on when you can only practice pole vault with the full vote. I mean there's some things you cannot recreate and so we're trying trying our best to make sure that this can help those kids be competitive this >> they won't have it because I mean once they start tearing apart there they won't have >> they have limited access right now and pretty soon it will be completely out. He just said they're tearing it apart in a week and a half. >> A week and a half. Okay. Is that they were out here on the sidewalk? Do they running up or down? Well, >> aren't you open the track one? >> Yeah, I think there's right right now um to go fully around the track with some of the tree clearing that's been prohibitive. >> And they're also using the u the whack. they can practice handoffs and other things have the school go to whack to >> yeah also >> again um just a huge shout out to our coaches on trying to find a plan that can can work >> I had one other question also on they're going to the state competition now >> oh they completed state I haven't got the international Okay. All right. Just curious. >> More courageous when deck of bingo is good. >> I love the one of that. >> Um chair moves for approval of the consent agenda. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All in favor? >> All opposed? Move on to discussion items. Chair moves for approval of action item 8A. Approval of the updated ticketing pricing structure. Is there a second? >> I can second that. >> All in favor? >> I. >> All opposed. Motion carries. Chair moves for approval of action item 8B, approval of contract award with Lester Buildings for the storage shed. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All in favor? >> All opposed. Motion carries. >> Chair moves for approval of action item 8 C. Approval of obsolete equipment to be sold recycled. Is there a second? Second. >> All in favor? >> All opposed? Motion carries. >> Chair moves for approval of action item 8D, approval of position um elimination, reductions, and additions and increases for um school year 2027. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All in favor? All oppose? Motion carries. Chair moves for approval of action item 8E. Approval of the first reading of policy uh 3712 which is video surveillance other than on buses and um policy 8100 which is school board process and procedures. Is there is there a second? >> Second. >> All in favor? I all oppose. Motion carries. Anybody else have anything else going on? >> If not, >> in spite of our best intentions, we did really well tonight. So, >> well, you don't get a lot of them that go. >> Yeah, we'll take that one. >> Yeah, we'll take that. >> Bottle it. >> So, we got a lot ahead of us coming up here. So, um is there any further business? Anybody? If not, the chair moves for uh for adjournment. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All in favor? >> All oppose? Meeting is adjourned.