March 2014
Excellence. For each and every student.
Communicator WAYZATA SCHOOL DISTRICT VOTERS APPROVE TWO SCHOOL FUNDING QUESTIONS
W
ayzata School District voters overwhelmingly approved two requests for increased funding to address growing enrollment that were on the February 25 ballot: • Building bond, approved 78% yes (3,818 votes) to 22% no (1,107 votes): $109.645 million in bond funding to expand Wayzata High School, build a new elementary school and upgrade safety, security and technology infrastructure district wide. • Technology levy, approved 80% yes (3,922 votes) to 20% no (988 votes): Renewed existing technology levy, which funds technology equipment and support district wide with approximately $2.7 million annually for 10 years. “We are incredibly grateful to voters for these results. Approval of these two funding requests Continued on Page 2
Pictured is a preliminary schematic drawing of the additional space planned at Wayzata High School. The 172,000 square feet in additions will include space for: classrooms/labs, music and performing arts, physical education and an expanded cafeteria. There will also be one or more entrances added to the high school site.
Thank You Voters! Trust and Teamwork Contribute to Successful Referendum
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irst and foremost, a huge thank you to our voters and volunteers for the record-breaking “yes” votes on the two district referendum questions. The bond question received 78 percent “yes” votes and the continuation of the technology levy 80 percent “yes” votes — remarkable figures and an all-time high level of support for our district. The entire Wayzata School Board, both the current Board and the immediate past Board, join me in deep appreciation for this show of community support. Upon reflecting why the referendum was so successful, it seemed to me that there were two overriding factors that came into play — both teamwork and trust played major roles. I’d like to elaborate. An enormous amount of teamwork was evident — many, many different parts working in concert with each other. For instance, a Citizens Task Force was brought together, representing our school community, to research and thoughtfully consider a number of alternatives to make a recommendation to the Board about how best to address space needs for our high school students. The Board carefully considered this
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recommendation, along with many others, to make the best decisions for the future. The administration also worked very closely with the Board Facilities Committee to meticulously plan exactly where every dollar of bond money would go. Not only was there teamwork among the various groups, it was also very evident within each of the working groups. Parents and community members who came together in support of the referendum explained that many of them did not know each other at the onset, but they became a highly functional group focused on the needs of our students. The spirit of cooperation permeated the endeavor. The second factor, it seems to me, that played a crucial role is trust. We thank the community for their resounding support of the carefully prepared plan. It is very much appreciated. Among the various teams that I alluded to above, and within those groups, members listened to each other and both developed and demonstrated a trusting approach. I believe that there is trust between the Board and the administration, among Board members, between the administration and the staff — and between
From THE BOARD CHAIR
the district and our community. We take that vote of trust very seriously. We will move forward to implement the facilities and technology plans in the same thoughtful manner as they were developed. We hold dear the trust that this community has in the Wayzata Public Schools and we will work hard to continue to earn that trust. We so appreciate the community support to continue providing each and every student with an excellent education. – Linda Cohen, Chair, Wayzata School Board