School Board Regular Meeting- June 22, 2026

001Microphone check, school board special meeting, June 22nd, 2026. >> Mhm. >> Good afternoon. The Wyzetta Public Schools Board of Education special regular meeting for Monday, June 22nd, 2026 will please come to order. Will the clerk please call the roll? >> Good evening, colleagues. Uh Parus Skendry. >> Here. >> Sheila Prior. >> Here. >> I educate >> Here. >> Valentina Ears. >> Here. >> Dan Ginestra. Dan Ginestra is present. Uh Alicia Little. >> Here. >> Melanie Sahani. >> Present. >> Thank you. We have a quorum. Please rise if you are able to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance 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. >> [clears throat] >> Thank you and

002welcome everyone. We are glad you could join us this afternoon. Under normal circumstances, today would be the work session of the board. However, on June 8th, the board had a work session in lieu of the regular board meeting for a workshop on board self-evaluation. That's why today's meeting will be the regular board meeting. If you wish to speak during the audience opportunity to address the board, please fill out a form placed at the back of the room and hand it over to our district admin admin Amy Sitting to my right. The first item on the agenda is the approval of the agenda and the consent agenda items. Consent agenda items are considered routine in nature and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a board member

003so requests. In which event, the item will be removed as a consent agenda item and addressed. This is true of meeting agenda as well. The consent agenda and the meeting agenda items are listed in the materials. The recommended action is to approve the agenda and the consent agenda items. Do I have a motion? >> I so move. >> Second. Moved and seconded. Will the clerk please call the roll? >> Colleagues. Paris Pendy. >> Yes. >> Sheila Prior. >> Yes. >> Heidi Cater. >> Yes. >> Valentina Ayers. >> Yes. >> Dan Nester. Dan Nester votes. >> Yes. >> Alicia Little. >> Yes. >> Milan Sahni. >> Yes. >> Thank you. We have an agenda. It's a big big packed agenda, so please be patient. Next item on the agenda is recognitions and I will join Dr.

004Anderson at the podium. No retirements either. Okay. Nobody to recognize today, though. Thank you. Thank you. Next we have the audience opportunity to address the board. Amy, do we have anyone to speak? No. That moving along. Good. The next item is the administrative reports and recommendations. First we have the teaching and learning report. Executive Director Dina Miller will introduce the presenters. Minute, Dina. >> Um yeah, Director Rahonig, did you want to do the superintendent reports first on there or did you want to start with us? >> Let's go. >> Okay. Yep. >> I have a question here. >> Yep, okay. Thank you. All right, so at this time I would invite our peer coaches up to the front and they will be giving our annual Q-Comp report. >> Hello. Thank you for having us today

005and spending some time with us. My name is Christine Mishka. I am a first-year peer coach and transitioning into the Belonging and Achievement Partner Teacher role next year. I was at Sunset and Virtue this year. >> My name is Tara Parsons and it's also my first year as a peer coach. I was previously a seventh and eighth-grade language arts teacher at Central Middle School. >> Uh here's our agenda for our time together. We're going to be talking about how we were moving into living through our peer coaching mission. We're going to talk about some peer coaching data within that mission and how that impacted our work this year and some program shifts as a result of feedback from staff. We would like you guys to keep in mind the Center for Educational Leadership visioning pyramid

006that you see in front of you and how our work was rooted in really grounding through the district's vision for student achievement and how we were able to um be with teachers as they moved through each one of these components. >> We are going to ground our presentation in our peer coaching mission statement. Would someone from the board please read our mission statement? >> I'll go ahead. To cultivate a culture of continuous self-directed learning and growth among our staff through a coaching partnership that focuses on reflective conversations rooted in collective data with the ultimate goal of positively impacting student achievement and experience. >> We would like to draw your attention to the three pillars of our mission statement, those being self-directed learning and growth, coaching partnerships that focus on reflective conversations rooted in data, and

007our ultimate goal of positively impacting student achievement and experience. Our first pillar that we'd like to give you some information about is self-directed learning and growth, staff direct self-directed learning and growth, um, which is based on feedback from staff of Wayzata schools, uh, very important. They appreciate the ability to direct their own learning and growth. Um, in the peer coaching cycle, there are two peer review cycles. Those include a pre-meeting where we meet with the teach The peer coach meets with the teacher or staff member, and we talk about the focus of their observation cycle and their goals. Then we observe the teacher and collect data. And finally, we meet back with the teacher to reflect on the data that was gathered. This year, some exciting self-directed learning that, um, took place during these peer

008review cycles were a focus on professional learning. Um, this year teachers received a lot of professional learning on success criteria, and also student engagement, and so those showed up a lot in our peer review cycles. Additionally, many staff members strengthened their use of culturally responsive protocols, the portrait of the Wayzata graduate, and basic needs and interdependent learning. Several schools in Wayzata school district have been participating in learning walks with their staff. Those involved staff members observing their peers, and then those staff members bringing their learning back to their classroom or their spaces, and peer coaches really enjoyed working alongside teachers with what they were noticing in other in their peers' classrooms. And finally, the CEL 5D rubric has guided a lot of reflection in these peer review cycles. Teachers are able to dig into those

009components of the 5D plus rubric and use it as a tool to learn and grow their practice. Here are some quotes from our peer coaching feedback survey that was given at the end of the school year that highlight self-directed staff learning and growth. Please take a few minutes to review those quotes from staff, and we would love to hear from a couple of you just thinking about how staff self-directed learning and growth impact students based on what you're reading. >> Would anyone like to share the impact that um staff self-directed learning and growth might might have on students? >> Sure, thank you. Um I particularly, you know, I align with that second um quote of about being vulnerable and reflect in ways that help them identify strengths, opportunities, and uh for growth and actionable steps.

010And I've always believed, even in my career, my life, that if I'm not ready for criticism, constructive criticism, then I will never improve. And I think that is one of the ways to find identify my strengths, my weaknesses, and then how I can improve. So, I think that is very important. >> Thank you. >> I really like the reflecting on my practice. I think sometimes it's easy to get stuck in a loop of what's kind of working. And I don't I don't I want to hear more of the learning walks. That sounds just like a really cool open way of engaging with one another. But this just feels like an opportunity to maybe organically see what other people are doing and sort of have a conversation. And it's not a like, "Hey, this isn't working.

011Fix it." but more, "Hey, what could I take from what you're doing? Or what could you take from what I'm doing?" type of thing. So, and I think that helps build confidence when you feel like you're helping someone else, but you're also trying new things. So, I really like that one. Thank you. >> I would like to reflect as well with the second statement, um which feels close to me. Um It feels like the person who left this uh review is um trusting trusting that um uh that person can be vulnerable and discuss problem what uh she he experiencing in order to have growth. Uh so, that you you are not afraid to disclose some difficulties maybe you're experiencing, but at the same time it allows you to know what else can be done. At

012the end of the day then it helps the student and actually it helps the teacher to be successful in profession. >> Thank you. >> On our year-end feedback survey, staff 93% of staff positively responded to the statement, I value the choices I have in the peer coaching program to direct my own professional growth. So that was some data we were really excited about and we plan to build on those successes continuing to use staff feedback and reflection. >> Moving into our second pillar, the reflection reflective conversations that are rooted in data. Up here on the screen you have a couple of images for as peer coaches we utilize our time with our colleagues in a couple of different structures. We have cognitive coaching as a coaching structure that we use. It's really our foundational work

013that we use and then also pulling in the CEL frameworks with the steps that you see there and being able to really assist teachers in understanding what their current state is and just the next actionable step. We have a we had a lot of feedback from staff saying that image itself was really helpful and being able to know that I don't have to do all of the steps even this year but each little step makes a massive difference for students. Um some examples of data that we collected were one of them a lot of teachers really like student interview responses. So we have opportunities to interview kiddos and get their real-time feedback and information of what it is that they think about their learning and their experience and it we move it right to the

014teachers and they make some significant steps right away. So, that's one of the ones that teachers really enjoy. Uh students utilizing that success criteria, a lot of that came forward this year with the professional learning that was embedded from the district, and seeing how they were able to use success criteria in their own personal self-reflective practices, and then how teachers were able to use the students' reflection in their next moves and their next steps. And then, a third one we'd like to share is the teacher moves in regards to formative assessment and um how they were able to provide feedback within the learning process and not just at the end of the learning process, and what that looks like for teachers and what that looks like for students. Again, we have a few different direct

015quotes from staff that we would like you to take a look at and determine what was that student impact that happened based on teachers being able to have reflective conversations from their data. >> I'll kick us off. Um I think when there's an opportunity, because I think teaching is a a profession that is very busy. And even though you may want to take time to think, you sometimes don't get that opportunity to take time away. And so, having this these conversations allows you to kind of work it out and talk to somebody and talk out loud. Um and so, I can only imagine that on our students that has a massive impact, right? Like even if it's something small that you're adjusting within a classroom or or how you are relaying information to a student

016because sometimes and you know, parents know this too as it you your kid or your student may internalize something differently than how you intended it. And so being able to have that conversation with somebody else is just so useful and helpful. Thank you. >> Um, I like the third quote. Um, it basically to me it feels like there is that trusted partnership within the team and everybody is obviously expert in that area. But when you start talking about it once you get the constructive feedback, there are probably a few I'll call it low-hanging fruits which are more impactful. So you don't have to overhaul the process, you don't have to engage, you know, admin, but you can work it out within the given constraints if you will, but at the same time make those minor

017tweaks and have those better outcomes. So again, it it shows the trust and working together nature within the group. So it's it's really great to see that. >> Thank you. >> I can see from that third quote too. I'm going to go even further that allows let's say that you learn something new and then you started practicing and then you have more questions. But with that discovery, you can come to that colleague and say, well, by the way, I tried it, but this is how it goes. So that it will allow to have continual conversation. >> Yes, connected coaching conversations has been a big part of our conversations as a team of not living in silos, but really connecting all types of coaching that are available in Wayzata and our own cycles with each one

018of the our colleagues. Yeah, thank you. >> I'll go next. Thank you. This has been an excellent presentation. I found myself really reflecting on a combination of three and four how it can produce fewer surprises when you're talking to you know as a list administrators and really allow you to improve as well and just make those engagements less stressful. >> What I'm seeing here is like real-time feedback that's individualized for the teachers, which is you know, helpful for the teachers because they get then they get to practice it and again, there's somebody there that's kind of there helping them with their specific you know, situation. And that you know, it's not just one class that they take that you know, it's supposed to be applicable to everyone. This is like very individualized and seems like

019really good program. >> Thank you. And here is some of our data as a result. So again, in our end of the year peer coach survey our the question was my peer coach provides me data and feedback that helps me reflect on my professional practices with a strong 93.9% of staff reporting they agree or strongly agree. So um feels like what we're doing is is helping support their needs and that's what they're reporting out. >> Our final pillar of our mission statement is making sure that we have a positive impact on student achievement and experience. Something that we work on with staff through peer coaching is development of a smart goal or a collaborative inquiry cycle question. Um, we have been noticing that many teams and PLCs have been choosing to collaborate on their smart

020goal and their collaborative inquiry cycle, which creates really rich conversations in those professional learning communities, um, data data focused conversations. And is having an impact on student achievement experience through that. One example that we are excited to share is from a seventh grade language arts classroom or PLC at West Middle School. The teachers in that PLC in the past had students individually, um, do a webquest to gain background information on the novel The Outsiders. The PLC developed the following collaborative inquiry question. How does using a culturally responsive protocol during the chunk or two part of the lesson help students engage in deep learning and engagement? Um, during their first review cycle During their first review cycle, the PLC had their peer coach interview students to gain a better perspective on their learning needs and which

021protocols, um, impacted their learning and really engaged them. And then the teachers made a shift away from that individual webquest, um, to gain background information for The Outsiders and instead used a culturally responsive protocol in which students collaborated to do some research into the cars and the music and the culture of the 1960s and then share that information with their peers. >> [laughter] >> Um those These are some of that the reflections from those PLC members. Um I'd like to highlight a few of them. They said students were more actively engaged and reflective when we used the protocols. Um using the protocol created in the moment or the opportunity for in the moment formative feedback to students versus when they were working completely individually. And then um they reflected that allowing themselves to be uncomfortable

022and changing how they've always um you know, introduced that unit uh improved outcomes for students. Okay, we're going to get into an activity. So, to process what we just went through with our three pillars pillars of our mission, we're going to do a just the headline activity. This is cooperative in nature, so you will be working with a shoulder partner. And it is subjective. We would like to hear from you what you summarize our mission has Okay. How you would summarize our mission and the impact it had on teachers and intern had impact on student achievement and experience. So, how this goes is you on your own are going to jot down just some of the key points that you remember from our our presentation so far. When you're ready, you're going to turn to

023your shoulder partner, share your thinking, come up with a couple two to three similarities, and then from there create a news headline summarizing the impact our mission had on teachers and then intern students. We have a lot of 2 minutes for this, but if we need more time, we can definitely do that. We'll put the timer up there for you. When you're ready, go ahead. Questions before we start? All right, enjoy. >> We are at the one minute mark. Just information. Keep processing as needed. And when you are ready, feel free to turn to your shoulder partner to share your ideas. >> Okay team, if you are ready or let's go how many more minutes or do we need we need one more minute? You've got it. Okay, we're going to bring it back. And

024remember there's no wrong answer cuz it's your thinking. Any group can start, feel free. >> I'll start with our headline, late-breaking news. >> [laughter] >> Teachers and students gain benefit from collaborative learning environment. They can feel free to explore and be vulnerable. >> Thank you. We can try. I haven't said it out loud yet, so it might be bad. Um My Zeta educators affirm the impact of honest feedback, personal growth, and student achievement with peer coaching. Thank you. >> [laughter] >> So We had uh >> See you. Collaborative, feeling good. >> Yeah, we are collaborative, constructive feedback mechanism and data-driven approach that allows everyone's growth. >> Thank you. Okay, I feel like we're going to end We're going to end on a bad one. I'm sorry. Um Survey results show peer coaching is effective at

025providing a safe space for teachers to improve the student experience. Thank you. Yes. [laughter] Each individual approach was felt like it wrapped in um what we had in our mission. So, collaborative learning environment, explore vulnerability, impact, honest feedback, cooperative constructive feedback, safe space. Things are some of the things I jotted down. Thank you for doing that activity. I hope that met some of your engagement needs. Right, so just like all of our colleagues, the peer coach PLC uh created a collaborative inquiry question um to guide our our thinking and our our practice this year. The question that we developed together was how does a peer coach's focus use of probing questions during post observation debriefs influence a teacher's identification of a high-leverage next actionable step for student learning? So, we're really looking at the questions

026that we are asking during our reflective conversations as peer coaches, and then if the tea how the teacher um identifies a high-leverage next actionable step. On our feedback survey, we asked staff as a result of the work with my peer coach, I have implemented a next actionable step. And we are happy to report that 93% 93.7% of staff uh responded positively. Another >> highlight from our collected data is around this question of as result of pure coach process, I have tried new teaching practices and we've seen an 8% growth or 9% excuse me, 9% growth in the past 2 years on this one question. It's been the same question for 2 years. Um and we felt as a team that our focus of our collaborative inquiry process and how we were able to really dive

027into the types of questions we were asking and the responses we were getting to be able to move to some new teaching practices and that showed up in the survey results. And based on our staff feedback and our survey and the verbatim quotes that you guys had seen um some of, we have some program shifts that we determined would be beneficial for the pure coach team next year. Um and we'll highlight a few of them for you here. The first one is refining our CEL practices. So, uh continuing to dive into the visioning pyramid and use utilizing that in our pre-conversations, our reflective conversations with our colleagues, as well as the 5D rubric and making sure that when teachers are naming various components in our conversations that we're showing them, this is where you're at

028or where do you determine that you might be at and it can help inform them of the next actionable step also. >> We also identified that we would like to continue to deepen system-wide um connections between smart goals and collaborative inquiry questions, especially helping teachers see some alignment between their goals and the collaborative inquiry cycles and the building goals for student achievement and experience. >> Thirdly, um as teachers are picking their focus and choosing where it is that they'd like to make their next moves. Um, supporting the staff with the interdependent learning process that we've been focusing on here in Wayzata, utilizing culturally responsive protocols in a more fluid manner in teaching. Utilizing basic needs language as a way of being in classrooms with students. And also circling around that Wayzata portrait of Wayzata grad.

029>> We are going to continue fostering shifts in thinking and practice through intentional questioning with teachers and noticing the impact that has on them determining a next actionable step. >> And lastly, something I mentioned earlier is those connected coaching cycles and connecting the various types of resources that we have here in Wayzata. We have literacy coaches, instructional coaches, peer coaches, partner teachers are going to be new next year and ensuring that all teachers feel that they have wealth of resources at their fingertips and not forgetting that we are or not putting us each in silos but utilizing each other with each other. Um, to make the growth that they're hoping to make for themselves. >> This is all in service of each and every one of our students as they are with us in Wayzata

030schools transition or sorry, early learning through transition. >> This is our team this year, our coach team. >> Thank Thank Thank you very much for that presentation. Any questions or comments colleagues? >> Yes, Bosch. >> So, this is great. On that one chart where I think about 6% of participant surveys, they disagree with the approach. So, were there any other thoughts or ideas that were bounced around or why and again, it's a smaller percentage. I totally get it but just curious, were there any other ideas that others had thrown on the table or um anything on top of your head? >> As far as feedback from us from the survey, there wasn't anything like that was obvious that showed up through the verbatims. So, there wasn't a the reflection was was difficult when it doesn't

031show up. >> So, no recommendations as such that >> No. >> Folks just responded. Okay. Thank you. >> Not that not that we could >> Sounds good. Thanks. >> Heidi, you go first. >> Um I thought it was interesting how you phrased it, the next high leverage actionable step. Can you speak a little bit about because like Paris was saying, sometimes there's low-hanging fruit and there simple things to do, but then you can also elevate it and say, "Okay, I'm going to take a bigger chunk this time around now that I kind of hit every all the things that are right there and obvious." Can you speak to that high impact leverage? >> I think that showing teachers the staircase image and helping them really think about the ideal state as it pertains to their

032goal or the the work that they're doing in their classroom or any staff in our district. I think that really helps build the high leverage actionable steps cuz you're seeing how that gets you to your ideal state. >> And sometimes low-hanging fruit can be high leverage. You know, I'm thinking that just cuz it's there and it might be obvious doesn't mean it won't have high impact for kids. So, wherever it's hanging could have the leverage, it just depends on that teacher and those students and that classroom environment. >> I think also Director Katie over the last five or six years as we've been working to align the peer coaching work with the professional learning work of the district. Um what you're seeing is it's it's just really exciting to see the work tied, for example,

033two of the images are CEL. So, that next actionable step is really the training that we've had through CEL and Coaches Academy and with our teachers to to be able to break down like what is that what where do we want to get, you know, all students know no gap, right? So, what are some of those actionable steps that we can get there because sometimes when something seems too large then we we don't take a step at all, right? So, really deciding what is a high leverage step. So, if a building has a goal of a district has a goal, what what can I as an individual teacher impact that? And so, that's really I think the one step and I I did a shift in my teaching practice to see that go up 9%

034is huge because that says that we're trying some of this work. So, through those professional learning days, flex learning days, when we are providing teachers opportunity to learn those things, they're carrying that over into action. Um and that's just really exciting work. >> Yeah, I was just going to comment, too, and I'll give a little bit of a historical perspective since I don't have much time to do that at this point. [laughter] I remember back it was 19 or 20 years ago when I was in another district and when Q-Comp initially started. And I can recall in the district I was in hearing about the way Wayzata was starting and it was all focused on professional learning and it uh deemphasized or didn't necessarily focus primarily on the additional compensation that was uh associated with

035Q-Comp at the time and it just really became a model right at the start of this Q-Comp program and it's had several iterations as it's worked its way through, but reminded of a thought that comes uh that I think about periodically about how you start matters and I think Wayzata really started as a leader in this and it's continued and it's because it was all grounded in professional learning. And I think that's been a big part of why it's been so successful. So, kudos to you for continuing that tradition and keeping it uh moving forward in such a good way. I think it's really been a great program for us. >> Mhm. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Now, the question I have a question on I believe it's slide 11, maybe, on the student outcomes.

036And can you go back to that slide, please? Keep going. Keep going. Keep going. One more. That one. Hold on. So, student achievement and experience. So, >> [clears throat] >> have have these been created into smart goals yet, or is that something that's going to be done in the future? And if if you have done them, or if you are going to be doing them, >> [sighs] >> how would you connect? How would you relate the result as being the results of the achievement being a result of the peer coaching? >> Mhm. >> You know, so I I always try to see connect the two two entities, you know, instead of relying on causal ambiguity, you know, so we don't know if I'm not saying that it it's not true, but peer coaching, how do

037we connect peer coaching to the results we achieve for student outcomes? How do you make that connection? >> Mhm. It's one piece of the puzzle. Mhm. Seems like just another opportunity for teachers to engage in a reflective practice independently and with their um community their teaching community, and their data, as they're in a PLC and have their data-driven dialogue, drives their moves, and often times will drive the cycles that they'll do with us. So, they'll be in their PLC, they'll be doing whatever their PLC might be doing to move achievement and student experience forward. And then as they're engaging in coaching cycles, and again, it's just one small piece of a thousand piece puzzle, but they'll say, "Okay, this is what we're doing as a PLC. Now, this is what I want to do to

038help support that work." So, another supportive factor. >> Okay. All right, thank you. Yeah, I just >> I was just going to follow up with that. I mean, I think as I hear you talking about this, and again, I'm new and still learning all of the ins and outs of how this works, but being as somebody who's been in education, it's kind of like parenting at times where you never really have a quiet moment. It feels like you're always around people, but you can also feel really isolated at times. And so, this just I think you can't lose the fact that all these connection points of being able to connect with your peers and other educators, that is going to benefit I mean, that's benefiting the students just right there, I think, if it's helping

039our teachers feel supported and not that like on this island alone trying to figure out some things that are coming up. So, that's one thing that just kept coming to mind through this whole process is just, you know, I remember the days where you would just like, I don't know what to do, and I'm not even sure who to go to to ask about this. And so, it feels like this is a natural, consistent, built-in opportunity versus waiting for the next, you know, education day, you know, what am I trying to say? Uh >> Professional learning day, yes, it's a Monday. Um so, anyway, that's just something that I was thinking is you maybe can't measure that directly, but I do wonder if that was taken away, I think that would be felt really quickly

040by the teachers who are clearly saying that this is helpful. So. >> And it's not an eval cycle. So, that was some of the feedback that we did receive was this is something I get to choose for my own learning from what where I know I am as an educator and where I want to go. So, that independence in our first pillar really was touched on through a lot of the feedback of this is something I value cuz it's not within an eval cycle, it's low low stakes, or it's it's not being leveraged for anything other than my own learning, so >> I think to Director Sahni and and to get back to Thank you. They're worried about me Monday, too. You can see to get back to the data piece of it. I think

041we've talked a lot in here about education being hard because there's not a cause and effect data in education, right? But we do leverage what we know about coaching. So we know that teachers are our greatest resource. We'll talk tonight about some of our budgets, and we know that that's where we put the majority of our money. So we want them to be the best that they can be, and the research is really clear that coaching cycle job embedded professional learning is the lever that most greatly impacts student achievement through all the meta-analysis and Hattie's work and so forth. So then to hear that our teachers are saying 93% of them, I think it was, say, I tried something that I know was instructional practice that you taught me as high level. I tried that,

042then that's directly tied to the teacher's capacity, and we know that high capacity teachers produce high capacity student results. So that's really where that data comes from in kind of a linear way. >> Sure. So that's an indirect way to associate the cause and the cause and the effect, right? Thank you. Thank you for that answer. >> Thank you for that. >> Right. So nobody has any questions. Thank you for coming here. Thank you for the presentation, and keep up the good work. All right. So next we have superintendent reports, and Dr. Anderson will present some policies for approval and some for sunsetting. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair, members of the board, and uh staff in attendance. We have a number of policies that are um being changed, added, deleted, sunset, whatever the appropriate terminologies

043might be, all the above perhaps tonight. And attached review are the following policies for your consideration. Keep in mind and be reminded that we have a policy committee that meets monthly or regularly to review policies and and bring recommendations to the school board. And I'm just going to read through the list here and then turn it back over to you, Mr. Chair, for recommended action. The policy approvals in the board packet for tonight include policy 201 legal status of the school board, which was previously listed as policy 200 renumbered to 201 to match MSBA and combined with sunsetting policy 201. And I'll just share that we've been on this mission of renumbering in better alignment with the MSBA policy manual and Amy Geist has been focused on that and working on that and we appreciate

044bringing us into to good alignment with that. Policy 202 school board officers was previously policy 207 renumbering to 202 again to match the MSBA and combining regulations in the policy. Policy 205 school board meetings open and closed was previously policy 210 renumbered to policy 205 again to match MSBA and combining regulations and policy. Policy 210 conflicts of interest school board members previously policy 205 renumbering to 210 to match MSBA and sunsetting two policies which are listed here policy 201 school board powers and duties and 206 board organizational meeting. And before I turn it over to you to recite the recommended action, I might just ask Sheila Prior she has anything additional to add about the work the Policy Committee has done as the Policy Committee Chair? >> Thank you, Dr. Anderson. Um I would like

045to point out that the sunsetted policies 201 uh School Board Powers and Duties um MSBA does not have a School Board Powers and Duties policy. It was a repetition of what what is in policy 201 School Board Legal Status, in case anyone was wondering why we're sunsetting that. What was in School Board Powers and Duties has been incorporated into School Board Legal Status. Um and School Board sorry, Board Organizational Meeting um the language from that policy is being incorporated into policy 202 School Board Officers, so that language is not going away. Um and then there was some rewording on policy 201 that has previously come before this board for discussion, and we now have the rewording here for your consideration. >> Thank you both. Um So, Board colleagues, the recommended action is to approve the

046policies as presented in the attachments and sunset the recommended policies as well. Do I have a motion to approve? >> I move. >> And do you waive the second reading? >> Second. Do you waive the second reading? Sorry, I waive the second reading. >> second. Okay. >> Sorry, I didn't know better. >> And do you you second, Alicia? Okay. Thank you. Moved and seconded. Is there a discussion? Yes, Valentina. >> I brought to attention policy 201 um and I'm uh what we used to have it's uh just a friendly reminder. We are sunsetting the language uh which states that the School Board is a representative body elected by the citizens of the district to provide for and oversee the operation of the public schools as mandated by uh Minnesota state law. It intends to exercise

047the authority in a manner a responsive to the best interest of the community in general and the district student students in particular. I realized when I was preparing for this meeting that we are losing that language. And with new proposed MSBA uh um uh language which is called school board legal status uh adding I I'll the statute statutory language and MSBA language states that school board has responsibility of governance, management, and control of the public schools in the school district. Our policy um has another sentence being included. Consistent with this authority, the school board governs through policy and oversight. And delegates management and administration of the district uh to the superintendent. I had been for 2 years at um policy committee and when I was asking to add some additional language to other policies, I

048had been told that uh the language is already existing in other policies. Let's not work uh too much. Uh we already know that in different documents where is a statement that superintendent um has a delegation of managing. When we um including the word management and delegating in in the policy which is related to school board legal status it creates um the idea was originally to have separate to have policy school board policy 201 and uh policy for superintendent because that's uh has a hierarchy. The board possesses the authority, the superintendent exercises delegated authority, uh and the superintendent remains accountable to the board. Uh this means the board owns the authority. By adding this of the language about superintendent in the school board policy, we are watering down the authority authority of a school board. Um

049that's the reason I'll be voting no. >> Okay. >> If anybody would like to motion for a change of the wording, that would be an appropriate thing that you could do, and somebody would have to second that. Um I just want to throw that out there. Um I I do recognize that in policy 201 that we're sunsetting. >> [snorts] >> Again, this is not from an MSBA recommended policy. That the general statement of policy on there is not written out in the new 201. Is everybody okay with not including that, or do we want to add that as a What are people's feelings on adding that as like a C under general statement of policy? >> So, removing removing the sentence which says we delegate the authority? >> Well, that's an option, and also adding

050in the language from our old 201. School board is a representative body elected by the citizens of the district. I don't know that it adds anything, and again, it's not an MSBA um recommended policy. >> I have a question. >> Sure. >> If I might ask. So, as I look at 201, uh in the redline version, in definition, it says school board, quote unquote, means the governing body of the school district. Is that encompassing of elected by citizens? >> Yeah. >> It would be, but I think her objection is not to that. Her objection is to surrender our management capacity. Not surrender, that may be the wrong word, but you know What's that? >> Delegates. >> Delegate. The management authority to the superintendent is what I think. Am I right, Valentina? >> Uh My saying

051that that we have separately in documents written that our school board delegates the authority to superintendent. It's already written. That's what I heard during policy meetings when I was trying to add something else to our policies, that this language is already existing in different document or in different policy. When we are including language in a school board related uh duty, we are watering down the authority of a school board. That is my concern. >> So, if it is in another document, why would it why would you be concerned if it is also in this document? >> The same comes to me to my mind that uh the next uh school school board policy uh not not 202, what was it? Um 207 has um it it says school board officers for the care, management, and

052control. There looks like our policy committee didn't have a difficulty, but for some reason, so it remains from a statute language. This language is from statute. >> Right. >> It is uh it is legal language. That's why I am I'm not comfortable with. >> So, do you want to make a motion to amend that and see if we have support? Or a second and >> Okay, I would like to make a motion to remove the language proposed language consistent with this authority of the school board govern governs through policy seen and oversight and delegates management and administration of the district to >> Is there a second? I can second, right? >> You can second if you want for the discussion. >> Yes. Okay, I just for the for the sake of discussion, I'm going to

053second that that amendment. Um, we now need to take a vote. >> Can we have discussion? Discussion first. >> Yeah, discussion first, of course. >> Um, so the language about delegating has been moved from our old policy 201 into this new policy 201. So, it was there before. It's not anything new per se. Um, >> hang on, Sheila, just to clarify the language, the red line language, >> Yeah. >> was in another policy previously. >> So, not exactly, but in policy 201, it said, "In carrying out this function, the school board recognizes the following general responsibilities as paramount." And number three under that is delegating administrative responsibilities. >> Okay. >> So, that's where the part about delegating was previously, um, in an effort to consolidate and have, you know, again, to more to better align

054with MSBA recommended policies and to to make sure that that delegation point is there somewhere. It was moved to this general statement of policy under our new 201. >> Is and did I hear this correctly? MSBA also has a recommendation to delegate responsibility to the superintendent in their policy model policy. I know we had in 201, the previous 201 policy, we had that statement number three, right? >> That is I I don't believe that is an MSBA policy. 201 is not an MSBA policy. They don't have it at all. It was just and it's a To me, it looks like a repetition of a lot of what was already in um the new 201 and we do delegate. I mean, that is effectively how we run our board as >> And if I remember correctly,

055the last time we brought this policy up for approval, that language was removed and now we have added that back in. Is that correct? >> That I don't know. What language was removed? The Did it just say this Yeah. >> Right? So, last time, sorry. Last time would have been um in 2004? >> No, no. This was tabled a couple of months ago. >> Oh. We reviewed those. >> That's when I think >> Last time This is the language that you agreed upon at the work session, but we can change whatever you'd like. >> No, I know. I know. I'm just trying to jog my memory why that why this policy was tabled a couple of months ago and that was because we had taken out that delegation line, right? >> It was I I

056I at least asked and challenged that one because MSBA language is stating an MSBA policy has that a statute language. It says a governance, management, and control. >> Mhm. What What came to the table, the word management was removed. That's That's when I opposed it. >> And And then I recommended that we add the management back with the addition of the delegation to the superintendent. Am I right? >> Yes, and and so that language was added back in and now that that sentence that's in statute is there in full. And then an additional sentence of delegation was added. >> Okay. >> So, my understanding, and help me if I'm if I'm stating this incorrectly, is that you're concerned that we're watering down our responsibility. >> Yes. >> Okay. I am not I personally am not

057seeing how that could be because in any case, [clears throat] statute, and somebody correct me if I'm wrong, statute overrides anything. >> Mhm. >> Um and we still have responsibility for governance, management, and control over the public schools in this wording. >> Correct. >> But I What I'm seeing is actually a more accurate reflection in our policy of how we are doing things. And in my perspective, I think it's actually very important for us to have that clarity um because it sets expectations, and then everyone knows what their role is. And it's clear what each person or each, you know, each person's each um role is is obligated to. That's my perspective. >> Did everybody have had a chance to say or So, I'm not I'm sorry. Overtaken. Yes, you are right that uh statute

058language uh supersedes uh if uh school board did not uh do correct with policy statute language supersedes. But my uh point is uh here what I'm saying that we have documents already stating that superintendent is uh get we authorize superintendent to manage. Uh this one is specifically policy for school board and it's it is repeating the statutory language. And it also the same language is being used in 207. Where that one for some reason was not challenged. It It left as is. It says uh for the care, management, and control of a public school um of the public schools of the school district. Uh that's the only thing. Since it's already uh documented in other places that uh we delegate the authority so to superintendent, I'm not sure why we are cutting our school our

059responsibility, our our authority here. What when we include that language in school board related uh function? >> Um I would say as Heidi said that this is an accurate reflection of how the board has historically been running the district um by delegating. And so it's it is more accurately reflective reflective. Um Can I ask one more question? Well, I was just going to say that a majority of four board members can vote to do other things. It doesn't take away the voting power of the board to later change the policy or to do something that is not even consistent with delegation, um um which as a board, if we ratify this policy, we're saying we uh we support the delegation. Um but it it by no means prevents again, a majority of four people from

060doing something different later. >> Yeah, go ahead, Heidi. >> Um my question was uh and if somebody could help me out with this, I'm pulling it up now, but it looks like the last review date of 207 was February 14th, 2022, and that was the last amendment date. So, um I'm not sure that it um it may not have gone through the same conversation that's happening now. That's all I'm trying to get at is it's 2026 and that four-year gap may may have we have may have learned and seen more things in that time. >> On the other hand, it may have gone through the same conversation, but but it's possible that they decided >> It's possible. >> to leave the leave the language in, right? So, so I I had objected to the removal

061of the word management and suggested addition, you know, that additional sentence. So, I am okay with with accepting that as is as is as amended. Okay. Yeah, Paresh. >> Yeah, so I agree with how it is written. So, no questions or concerns there. Um and Valentina, just so I'm following your concern, are there other policies where we have to make similar change? Maybe we have original statement in other policies and now we have to replace with the revised version of delegate. >> Um possibly, but I just want to raise that in policy 207, section 2, uh subpart B, it reads, "The persons who perform the duties of the officers of the clerk and treasurer need not be members of the school board. Those duties may be delegated to appropriate district personnel. So, um it is

062in the policy 207. >> But that that has I don't know if that has any any connection with with the discussion at hand, right? I mean >> I think it does because she was referring to 207. >> Right, but she was referring to another statement in 207, nothing to do with the clerk and the treasurer. She was referring to the statement >> The purpose of the >> Right, that the delegation of management to the superintendent. Is that still Is that still there? >> 207 is school board officers. The topic is school board officers. Superintendent's at the final though, it's E. >> Yeah, Alicia. No, okay. Then, do you have anything? No. All right, I think hopefully we have had enough discussion. Let's go around the table and see if if this if this amendment has

063a majority or is not acceptable. >> May May I clarify, please? Uh what which language is going to be applied? >> wanted to amend the approval of the original of the policy as recommended to amend it to take out that >> that sentence, right? So, you moved, I seconded, and we had a discussion. >> Okay, thank you. >> Now, that amendment is being voted on. >> Okay, yeah. >> Am I right? >> Can we restate the the verbage? Let's Could you restate how you would like it voted on, exactly? >> I propose to My amendment is to remove that uh region, I mean the last proposal of adding consistent with uh this authority of the school board governs through policy and oversight and delegates management and administration to the district to the uh superintendent. >>

064That was my understanding and that's what I seconded, so. All right. Let's take a vote, see. Oh, yeah, roll call. >> Mr. And just for uh point of information, so then removing the line in A starting with the word consistent, are we is it proposed to substitute anything in that place? >> No. >> Just cross it out entirely, okay. >> Yep. >> All right, the um motion being made and seconded, I'll start with the roll call vote beginning with myself, Dan Janestro. Dan Janestro votes no. Alicia Little. >> No. >> Parus Bendy. >> No. >> Sheila Prior. >> No. >> Heidi Cater. >> No. >> Valentina Ayers. >> Yes. >> Milan Sohani. >> I vote no and so the motion to amend fails. We go back to the original motion to approve the policies as

065recommended and sunset the recommended policies. Um I guess yes, we have finished the discussion on that, right? Okay, so this is also roll call vote, yes. >> All right, colleagues. Uh Dan Janestro, I vote yes. Alicia Little. >> Yes. >> Parus Bendy. >> Yes. >> Sheila Prior. >> Yes. >> Heidi Cater. >> Yes. >> Valentina Ayers. >> No. >> Milan Sohani. >> Yes. The motion carries. Thank you. Thanks to the policy committee, that's a lot of work. And uh hopefully we have sorted many of the policies now going back to having them numbered like just like MSB has, so. And thank you, Jamie for doing that. All right, we're moving on to the next item. It's the finance and operations report presented by Executive Director Trevor Peterson. Trevor will first present the combined financial reports

066for the month ended April 30th, 2026. Trevor. >> Yeah, thank you Chair Sahouny members of the board. I am actually asking Jen Welk, our student accounting and finance manager along with Jack Sterns, our Director of Finance um [clears throat] to present actually the next two agenda items for us. >> Thank you. >> Okay, good afternoon school board, uh Superintendent Anderson. Uh thank you for having us today. We're going to start with the uh financials for the month end April 30th, 2026. So this will be 10 fiscal months out of the year. Um I wanted to point out that the budget was approved on April 20th. So the budget column now is reflected of our revised budget. So beginning property taxes are all coming in in line with previous fiscal years. Um you'll notice that it's

067at 97.5 while the previous two fiscal years were at 100%. That's just because of one small payment that's still coming in. Uh you'll see it in May uh on the May statement. So that will also be at 100%. But other than that, state aids are over our permitted state aid payments are coming in as expected. Um Jen, would you like to talk to federal? >> Yeah, our federal um the draws are a little bit higher this year. We chose to process some of those before we changed over to new finance systems. >> Thank you. And then finally is the uh miscellaneous local revenue. Uh you can see that is right in line with previous fiscal years as well. Uh we did revise the miscellaneous local revenue down a little bit at um due to the

068investment income or the interest income. Um so that is why last year it's a little bit higher than this year just because of interest income, but everything is coming in as expected. Um you'll notice that all the other funds, food service, community service, and debt service all are in line as well with the total all funds being right around 82%. So moving on to the expenses, you'll see that salary and benefits are both in line with previous fiscal years with when it comes to things such as purchase services, supplies, capital. This is all based on timing for the most part based on when projects are being completed, timing of payments and things like that. But you'll see at the bottom line the total general fund expenditures are right in line with previous fiscal month fiscal

069years as well. You'll notice that food service and community service are both a little higher than previous fiscal years. They were just doing a little preemptive spending before the end of the fiscal year, but everything is coming in as expected to budget there. And then you'll also notice that that service is 100% which is really good. So here's a statement that has been new the last few months. This is just where we're breaking out the general fund operating against the restricted fund balances or restricted budgets. It's just a another way to kind of look at our financials. You'll see that our unrestricted revenues all coming in right around 78.8 with the previous two years being about 79 and then below that is the tech levy our long-term facility maintenance and operating capital which are all

070also coming in similar to previous fiscal years. Below that you'll see with the unrestricted expenditures that is all coming in as expected and then we broke out on on that side as well the tech LTFM and operating just to kind of show like I said a different view of it. This is also been updated for the revised budget so I'd like to point out that the bottom where we have the unassigned assigned portion. This has been updated and the projected 6 30 2026 unassigned assigned fund balance is um comparable to the revised. So we're projecting about that 4.5 million dollars addition to our unassigned fund balance there. And finally is our cash on hand. We in April we received our first tax tax payment for the year or for the second half of the year.

071So that's why our cash is higher. It will continue to be higher next month too as we receive our other tax payment. It was fun to see over 100 million dollars in the bank for the first time that's how you know that we're in a good financial standing and enrollment's growing cuz I don't know when the last know the last time that that's happened. So that was really exciting to see. I had opened the bank bank account and I was like, "Oh my gosh, that's a lot of money." >> [laughter] >> So but like I said, we received the first tax payment. We'll get the other tax payment in May. And the other cash amounts there are the old facility bonds which we spent by the end of this summer. So that we're projecting to

072be completely spent up on payment projects. And then there's our capital facility bonds which is the 2025A bonds for West Middle School which we did a large draw in May for this. So you'll see on the next month's financials that that does take a that that does drop because we're projecting that project to be wrapped up by the end of the summer. Any questions in in regards to the financials? >> Thank you, Jack. Any questions? Nope. So the 100 million dollars will not be with Miss Laugh, right? They will be in the in the bonds part of the >> Um no, that would be in the Miss Laugh. So >> It will be in the Miss Laugh. >> Yep, so that's just from our state aid payments, our federal and our tax payments. So in

073terms of cash flow we're on our high end of the cash flow and then we'll trickle down a little bit as the year goes on and our meter payments will continue to come in and as Jen Gross draws over that money will come in as well. >> Dr. Soni, are you referring to the 100 million dollar bond sale that we're coming up later? >> I am. >> Yeah, that'll actually probably show up in a separate line >> Okay. >> on your >> Yeah. >> But not in the mislaf fund. Or will it be in >> Possibly it could be a mislaf fund, but we aren't sure yet cuz I don't >> If I see if I I'm on the board of trustees of mislaf, if I see it there, I will make sure that they

074understand that it's our money. Thank you. Anybody else? No, thank you, Jack. Let's move on to the next one, which is There's no There's no action on this one, right? No. Uh Next one is a preliminary budget, right? Okay, go ahead. >> Okay, next up is our 26-27 preliminary budget. Uh this is our Jen my third time presenting this, and we get better each time, I'd say. Uh we've had the joy of presenting to the CFAC committee as well as the finance committee of the board, and received feedback and answered questions, and it's been an awesome opportunity for us. >> So, looking at the agenda for tonight, uh we're going to discuss the background information along with some assumptions and components that went into creating the budget. It's the overview information of our prelim fiscal

07526-27 budget, which includes the general fund, food service, community ed, construction, and debt service, and then we'll have some time for questions. You've probably seen this slide many times. It's just a summary of our government fund structure. Um the general fund is up on top I'm not going to read it. You guys can if you haven't already. Um the general fund up on top, and then the four underneath that are stand-alone funds. So, here's our timeline. Today we are at the yellow arrow, uh seeking approval for the preliminary budget. In January, the finance team will get together and and look at revised budget assumptions, and then come back to you with the school board in February with our revised budget. And then in April we'll come with a capital budget and then April and May

076any budget updates we have, we may come to you again. So getting into our key assumptions, um our sources of revenue for the general fund, 60% of it comes from state, 34 from property taxes, three from federal, and three from other. So key assumptions that go along with the general fund is our formula allowance. It is the dollar amount per pupil unit used to calculate the district's basic general aid revenue. For fiscal 27, the percent increase from prior years 2.69%, which is $202 more per student. Keep in mind that fiscal 28 and 29 and beyond, uh the actual increase will have a floor of 2% and a cap of three. So one of the main components of putting together the budget is the enrollment projections. Um as you know, we're a pupil-driven revenue system. So

077the projections are based upon combination of our internal trend data as well as the demographic studies that we did in 2000 fall of 2024. We took our original assumptions of high migration and low kindergarten and then updated that with the current enrollment we're experiencing as well as the developments that are actively building in our community. For the preliminary budget, the district is estimating 13,349. Now, please keep in mind that that includes all of our students early childhood through age 22. It is an increase of 285 students from our prior year revised estimate. So if you look at the grid down below with the formula allowance being $7,683 and an increased student projection of 285 students, we're estimating a revenue of increased enrollment at just under $2.2 million. So, as we look at the revenue projection

078information, we're looking at enrollment increases, as I mentioned, with the 285 additional students. Um with the formula allowance, that brings in roughly 60% of our revenue. And then we have our levy dollars, which is 30% of our revenue budget, and that's a roughly a 5% increase with the adjustments made for 26-27. Federal allocations were estimating similar revenue from prior year. >> So, moving on to the expenditure side, uh when it came to salary and benefits, we utilized the settled contracts, as well as um there are some contracts currently in negotiation, so we um worked with our HR team to figure out the best um way to budget this uh via staffing for 26-27. Uh we budgeted in 7% increase for health insurance costs. Uh there was no increase for the dental insurance costs this year.

079Uh transportation, um as everyone remembers, we went out for RFP for a new vendor for this. So, with this, we did budget roughly a 5% increase for 26-27 for transportation services. Uh utilities, we budgeted an overall increase of 3%. Uh LTFM, this is similar to previous years, it's the $15 million that we levy for um for long-term for long-term facility maintenance projects. Um for special education, we did budget an increase of more than 7% due to higher projected needs, and increased um expected uh increase is expected in the future for this as well. Um some of that being the $1.5 million that we shift from federal to state education um for tuition. And then finally is the tech levy or technology, um and this increase is offset in the revenues via the tech levy that

080was approved. So, here is another way of looking at what I just kind of talked about. Um, you can see the 25-26 column and then the 26-27 column. Um, and then all the various health insurance, dental, TRA, all of this was baked into our budget when we did the prelim um, for salary and benefits and all this uh, supplies and capital and things like that. I really enjoy this uh, slide just because it gives a good kind of show of where our expenditures go um, via the various locations. Uh, you'll see that 52% is in salaries, uh, 19% is in employee benefits, uh, 16% is in purchased services, but I would like to point out that Y is that is a little bit different than other school districts in that our transportation services are outsourced.

081Um, so, we're not paying for buses or bus drivers and things like that. So, about 9% of our purchased services is transportation costs. Um, 9% is capital purchases, 3% is supplies and materials, and 1% is other expenses. So, now we're getting into the budget, uh, compared to the So, on the left side is our 25-26 revised, in the middle is the change or the amendments we made to the budget, and then the 26-27 is the prelim budget. So, that's on the right side there. Um, I would like to point out that this is the total general fund. So, this is everything that is related to our general fund budget. So, all of our restricted uh, fund balances as well as um, our operating. So, um, the next slide is another general fund slide uh, that

082we'll get into that kind of shows a more clearer picture of our operations. Um, but for our total budget for the general fund, you'll see that we added uh, $4.4 million to our local property tax revenue. Uh, this is via the um, property tax statements. So, that was approved last year. And now we're budgeting it for 26-27. State aids, we'll see that we added $9.8 million to this budget for the prelim for prelim 26-27. A large portion of this is our state aid of course the state aids, but a large portion is the special specialized education revenue. And then the rest of it is based on enrollment increases. >> And then our excuse me, our federal aid there is a decrease because we are estimating fiscal 27 to be current year allocations. Prior year of

083the 4.1 million there, it did include a higher amount of carryover from prior years due to having the SR funds a few years back. And then we don't get prelim allocations for our federal special ed until August. So, we're going based on just some trend data. >> So, the last last revenue up there is our other local revenues. So, most of this is our interest revenue as well as our fee based revenue for athletics and student activities. We like to budget this conservatively. So, we did decrease this budget from revised. I have expectation that we probably will revise it up when we get to that point, but for now we want it to be conservative here. So, that brings our total revenues just over $250 million. Expenditure side, as I mentioned the salary benefits, we

084utilize all those the settled contracts, the negotiated contracts, paid family medical leave, all of our health benefits, dental benefits. And we in total we added about $10.1 million to salary benefits for this year. For this coming year. Purchase services, there was a slight decrease bringing the total to $36.3 million. Supplies and materials, we added here bringing the total to 9.6 million. Supplies and materials I just mentioned that one. Capital was is another decrease. Um, this decrease was primarily just due to our West Middle School project and then the referendum and things like that coming up. Um, long-term facility maintenance projects will be using other funding sources for capital. So, this was an area that we could decrease on the general fund side. Um, and then miscellaneous and other uh expenditures is about the same as

085the revised at three uh 1.1 million dollars. This is another look at our general fund budget. The only difference between this and the last slide is that I took away the LTFM. Um, as as you all are aware, we're still receiving some adjustments on the LTFM side on the revenue. Um, this year for 2026-2027, we are receiving 11 million dollars in revenue and then the expenditures are still budgeted at 15 million. Um, so that's why it's all sitting in a restricted fund balance, but it does nothing to it it doesn't affect operations in in that way other than it's just as a sitting that restricted fund balance. So, we wanted to strip it away um, on this prelim budget slide to show you what um, the increase to our unassigned fund balance could be or

086what we're projecting it to be for um, this coming year. So, at the moment we're projecting revenue over expense to be about 2.4 million dollars for the general fund. So, with the help of our uh of other wonderful members of Waunakee Public Schools, I'm talking about Jenny Ebert, um, the director of community ed as well as Michelle Segedahl, the director of Waunakee Cafes, um, we are going to present their budgets for them for 2026-2027. Uh, first was Michelle's budget for Waunakee Cafes. Um, in total she's adding about four 414,000 dollars to her revenue budget. Um, most of this is on the federal and state side for meals. Um, she uses a mixture of participation rate for meal sales as well as enrollment um, and then the I guess the rates aren't out yet. So, she

087was using the 25-26 rates to estimate the increase for revenue there. And then the expenditure side, she budgeted about 309,000 for salary and benefits. Um she did budget an increase for food. Um a large portion of this is because of inflation. And then on the miscellaneous other, within there is the uh capital or operating equipment um for the 25-26 budget year, she did spend down her fund balance a little bit on projects at the high school, and she's not projecting to do that for 26-27. So, that's why um there's that large decrease there or change from 25-26. So, at the moment she's expecting to add about $55,000 to her fund balance. And then moving on to community ed, uh you'll see total revenue addition from revised for for community ed is about 1.1 million. A

088large portion of this or the largest portion is the fee-based revenue. Um she's added a lot of programs after school, so after school programs, and you can see what our enrollment and the addition of those extra programs are doing to her fund, which is amazing. Um that raises her total revenues up to 17.2 million. Um and then on the expenditure side, she added salary and benefits, similar to our general fund and uh wise that cafe's decrease purchase services, supplies, and then as well decrease capital and dues. Um but she's projected to uh add about 516,000 to her fund balance. And the last two funds are going to be our debt service and our construction fund. Uh first is our construction fund. You'll see that there's a fairly large change for from 25-26 to our 26-27

089prelim. Um that's primarily just that well, it's completely due to those 2025A bonds for the West Middle School project. Um the total revenue in 25-26 was those bonds, and then since we currently don't have any bonds, we could budget it $0 for the revenue side of our construction fund here. And then the expenditure side, the West Middle School project is expected to be completed by the end of the summer. So we just budgeted our expected spend for July and August there in 2026-2027. And then we're also expecting within the construction fund are those abatement dollars that I talked about during the revenue expense summary. There's about 500,000 sitting there. We're John's John Voych is going to spend that this year. So we did not budget that for 2026-2027. So the only thing budgeted in 2026-2027

090at the moment is the remainder of the West Middle School project. And then the last one is our debt service fund. All of the revenue on this is from property taxes, so that's coming straight from our levy certification. And on the expenditure side is our principal and interest payments for the 2026-2027 school year here for all of our debt. >> And this is just a reminder as to why we're here today seeking approval on the fiscal 2026-2027 preliminary budget. >> All right. Thank you Jack and thank you Jen. Uh so the recommended action colleagues is to approve the preliminary budget for this for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. Is there a motion? >> I so move. >> Second. Moved and seconded. Any discussion? No discussions, but just wanted to commend all the work that finance team

091has done. I especially wanted to call out our CFAC meeting. And I think most of you are aware our CFAC audience is very finance and business savvy. So we get a lot of good questions and the way you guys handle those questions, specially around bond sales and Trevor, you have done really good job in terms of explaining everyone in simplistic terms. Um so, really kudos to you all. You've done your due diligence. You are always prepared. So, there is never a follow-up. There is always answer and clarification. So, just wanted to call out great job in those meetings. >> I have one more piece. Uh I also want to I'll tag on to that. So, thank you to Jen and to Jack and to Trevor for all the work that you've done. I know you've

092been intelligently building this budget for some time. We're always working in 3 years at one time. So, this is a lot of work. Um it is typical board colleagues. Since we have a new board colleague, I just want to highlight it's typical for us to come to the very end of June to approve the budget so that we have the most accurate numbers for our upcoming year. Um so, it's typical that it's at a special meeting around our work session. So, today is um the same kind of a a situation. Um I also want to highlight the work that Jenny Eberg and her team are doing. Uh it is the first time in a long time that we are going to open enrollment again for Wayzata Kids and that is a big reason for her

093increase in revenues and I'm just so excited not just for Jenny and for Wayzata Kids, but for all of us. Uh because if you're looking for a spot, make sure that you go in when it's time to sign up. Keep your eye opens on on Parent Square and get in when you can. Um again, thank you to Michelle Saget. All the food is delicious and the kids are happy. Thanks. >> Okay. Yes, I I also want to thank the finance committee, Heidi, Boris and Dan, right? You're on the committee. Thank you for all the hard work and obviously the this the administration as well uh led by Trevor. I do have a question. This could be for you, Jack or Jen, or for you, Trevor. So, we all know that the the special education the

094the the enrollment in special education kids is growing for the last several years. The federal government it's not doing its part under the IDEA Act which uh under which they promised 40% um contribution in I think it was 1974 when that act the act was enacted. Now, we know that there was a an executive order to transfer the education department. I don't know if it is completely to the HHS or partly to HHS and another department. But, any idea on what that might do to the little bit that we still get under IDEA? I think like 13% or something like that. Will that drop a lot? >> Um frankly, I don't know if anybody knows. Um it's still pretty fresh, pretty new. Um I mean, I think [clears throat] that news came out last week

095as to what that what is happening there. Um I think everybody is waiting uh to see what that might look like financially. Um quite honestly, we probably don't have those that information yet. So, um I I I do want to point out though that that is a huge variable. Um we do a lot of work. We have a high confidence, high level of confidence in the budget that we bring forward to the board for approval, but I think everybody understands there's still variables. Um especially of a district our size and um small things can become big big dollars attached to it. And special ed it is one of those both on the expenditure and revenue side of that, too. So, um what what we don't talk about a lot is even our special ed revenue

096that's currently at about what are we even at? $30 million or so. Um give or take a little bit is we don't know what our revenue for 2026-2027 is going to be um until 2025-2026 is finalized um because it's based on 2025-2026 expenditures and we probably won't even know until February or March of next year. So um that's just one example of many variables. So um I know that's not a direct um answer to your question, but um you do point out one of those things that's a huge variable for um districts across the state. >> But my basic question is of the 30 million in spared revenues, what how much is how much comes from the federal government through that IDEA contribution? Is it a big chunk, small one that we don't have to

097really worry about, or >> Yeah, I see Jen is turning on her microphone, so take it away. >> Uh we do not have a large uh allocation for federal special ed. >> Okay. >> Um and then we do use some of that to cover tuition costs for our students. Um I haven't heard anything this year as far as fiscal 27 what's happening. I think like Trevor said, there's a lot of unknowns. Um I'm reading everything I can trying to keep up on stuff. Uh we never get our prelim allocation until August. It's been that way forever from the state. We get it in August and we don't even get a final until March. So like for fiscal 26, we just got our final allocation in March. Um and so we just have to go based

098on what we're seeing for trends and the information we have. Um I think there's just a lot of unknowns. >> Sure. So just wait and watch then. >> Yeah, and Jen also mentioned in the presentation about our carryover. We're very strategic about how much of our federal allocation we carry over from year to year. So um what that does is that allows us some flexibility um should we get a decrease in federal allocations in any given year, we have the ability to um utilize some of that carryover from previous years that will allow us to not have to react as much to the current news but be able to Yes, we would have to plan for that in future years, but it allows us some time to figure out a new plan going forward should

099a federal allocation come in a lot lower than what we were expecting, but it is important and I know a lot of districts do not have use the carryover or they use all of their funds in any given year. We are not a district that does that just to safeguard from those things happening. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Can I just lift up one point out of that, Trevor? As you were talking, the carryover doesn't just allow for flexibility, but it protects the programming that's available to our students and our families. Is that correct? >> That would be accurate, yes. Yep. >> Thank you. >> All right, if there are no other comments, let's uh I'm going to read the recommendation again. It's It's to approve the preliminary budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Roll

100call vote then. >> All right. >> Colleagues, Sheila Prior. >> Yes. >> Heidi Kater. >> Yes. >> Valentina Ayers. >> Yes. >> Dan Janstra. Dan Janstra votes yes. Alicia Little. >> Yes. >> Par >> Uh yes. Thank you, and the motion passes. Okay, next thing we are moving on now, it's going to be Trevor, right? Yeah. Trevor will recommend approval of the general obligation school building bonds series 2026B. >> Yes, thank you, Chair Sahni, members of board, Dr. Anderson. Thanks again. Um I'll kind of let him introduce himself, but I'll do it anyways, too. Matthew Hammer, Ehlers Financial Advisors. Um he's been a pretty regular visitor to the seat over here. Ever since um we received good news and thank our taxpayers for what happened on April 14th, uh there's been plenty of work going

101on behind the scenes as to what this means for us going forward. Um one of those things is um identifying what a um what multiple bond sales would look like to um receive the $496 million, and um Matt, you can talk about it far better than I can, so I'll defer to him in in a little bit, but um as of right now, um because of the length of the construction projects that will be occurring in our district and affecting every building within our district boundaries, um we um are currently planning to do four bond sales um to make up the $496 million of voter-approved funding. Um so tonight, um we are bringing forth the first of that um for $100 million. Uh again, Matt, you can talk about the rhyme or reason as to

102why that amount, uh the timeline of that, but as of right now, of the four bond sales that we are planning, which can change and probably will, um maybe the timeline of it or the dollar amounts of it, >> [snorts] >> um we do project, based on our draw schedule, working with our um construction partners, Wold Architects, as well as well as Kraus-Anderson, um to do the best we can for a draw schedule, and by draw schedule, I mean identifying which projects will be happening when, at what price, um so we know that we have funds in hand to be able to pay um the contractors for the work that's being done. Uh so at this time, we are um planning for this first $100 million to last us through the first quarter of the

1032028 um calendar year. So again, I'll I'll turn it over to to Matthew to talk about more of specifics of that and yeah, and then later on we'll we'll seek your approval to do so. >> Yeah, thanks Trevor. Good evening members of the board, Chair Solon, members of the board, Superintendent Anderson. Matthew Hammer, municipal advisor from Ehlers. As Trevor said, we've been working with the district administration and the construction manager Kraus Anderson pretty extensively to identify the overarching construction schedule. And that really ties into the overall plan as we set up the financing plan. And from a big picture perspective, we don't necessarily want to be paying interest on dollars that we don't need until we actually need them for construction. And when we look at these large construction projects over number of years, it's

104important for us to try to align the timing with the the funding needs in a strategic way to try to optimize the plan and and keep the cost down for taxpayers as much as we can, as well as providing flexibility for the school district as we go forward. So with all of that planning, we've identified the first issue is going to be a hundred million dollars of the 496 million. As Trevor pointed out, that is going to get us through based on the preliminary schedule of brown the winter of early winter of 28. So the next phase which is scheduled to be a little bit larger in phase two would happen February of 28 and then about every year after that until we get through the project. >> [gasps] >> That will change, right? As

105we get into the actual timing of the need. If we don't need the money as fast, we likely won't necessarily be issuing as fast and we also will be monitoring market conditions along the way if there's advantageous times for us to be looking at an additional sale. Um the reason for why we look at this is kind of twofold. One, um we try to give the district flexibility, try to manage interest costs, but we also have considerations from an IRS perspective, which is called arbitrage, um and we're trying to align that timing to to minimize that arbitrage liability or rebate that the district would have to be owing between now um and when you need the funds. And there's there's a lot of detail behind that, and I won't get into it, but big picture,

106um the timing matters, right? And there's some um timing limitations that as we if we can get funds in play for the district and they can get spent on a schedule based on what we've identified with the construction firm, um we don't necessarily have to give money back to the IRS. And what arbitrage big picture means is is you're going to borrow at tax-exempt rates. We're going to go hopefully invest them at a higher return, um and you'd want to be able to keep those funds in your construction fund to help support the project. Um so as we uh continue forward, that'll be some of the pieces that we are accounting for as part of the overarching plan. Um with this issue, you'll see that there is a call provision in um right now we

107have an 8-year call. That's what market um is kind of dictating when we go in, and we're going to be taking competitive bids on the bonds. Um and it'll look a little different than the tender refinancing we did. This is kind of our typical process here, where we're going to go through a competitive bond sale. It's scheduled for August 10th, the morning of August 10th, and then the school board will award um to the low bidder who's offering the lowest true interest cost that day at your meeting that night. We're scheduled then to close on September 3rd and then those funds will be available to um go to pay some reimbursements that the district will have cuz you all have some costs and then be invested between then um and when we get to the

108next issuance. Um that timing is you see that calendar we do we will go through a rating process again. Um it'll be a a little bit abbreviated cuz we're just coming off of our other rating. Um we'll be going through due diligence and we'll have another offering document called the preliminary official statement that will go out to bidders about 10 days ahead of the sale um and then [clears throat] um the bidders will be offering their bids typically that morning of uh um October or August 10th. Um so right now um we're in really good shape. Uh we've had some recent sales. There's been some stability from what we've seen in the bond market which has been good. Um and we're looking at an interest rate that we've identified our true interest cost on this

109initial sale. We have an estimate of I think it's 439 which has about 50 basis points of cushion. So we're expecting if we were in the market today, we'll still be underneath 4% um for a true interest cost when we go to market. >> [sighs] >> Did I miss anything? >> No, I I I think it's probably a good time to add um just because Jack and Jen just went through the the budget presentation and there was once again um multiple slides on there um as we continue to work through our LTFM adjustments and um while this isn't this doesn't have anything to do with it, the bond issuance that we're bringing forth today. Um I do think it's important to um let the board know that um through this work that we're doing with

110Ehlers um and we have been pretty um I guess [clears throat] up front with the the board the finance committee of the board as well, CFAC that there is opportunity while we're doing construction for the bonds. There are some projects that have been identified that are eligible to use LTFM funds for that makes sense to do that while you're at the building doing other things. It just helps optimize and maximize resources to be able to not have to mobilize multiple times if you have a contractor on site. Provide some bidding flexibility. So the timing of that makes a lot of sense. But in order to accomplish that, we're going to have to stray from our LTFM practices that we've done in the past, which has been called what is um pay as you go format

111where you basically estimate what your annual expenditures are going to be and then do projects that match up to that. So in order to make that happen, we are going to need more cash on hand during these next four or five years to increase our LTFM projects. So rather than in order to make have more cash available, but to be able to keep the the debt service level, we will be using utilizing some LTF bond issuances to do that. And again, those will become for those will come forward later on. But I think it's important to know that this is all part of that plan. It doesn't have anything to do with the action that's recommended tonight, but know that that is a significant part of what the district will be seeing in the next

112four or five years, too. The [snorts] other thing Matthew did talked about the reimbursement. So the resolution brought forward tonight is not only to authorize the issuance of the bonds, but there's also the reimbursement language in there that allows us to go back for expenditures that have already incurred essentially to utilize these funds to pay ourselves back or pay the general fund back for those expenditures that are eligible for bond construction funds. So, I I think with that we would um open up for any questions or the the recommend action is before you, too. >> I would do that. Thank you, Trevor. Thank you, Matthew. So, board colleagues, the recommended action is to approve the resolution relating to to general obligations school bonding school building bonds series 2026B authorizing issuance, providing for sale and covenanting

113and obligating the district to be bound by and use the state credit enhancement program and establishing compliance with reimbursement bond regulations under the Internal Revenue Code. Is there a motion? >> I so move. >> Second. >> Moved and seconded. Any discussion? >> I have a question about the um LTFM funds and what you just told us. Um I guess I want help understanding what will that look like that's different than before. The we would pay as we went before and now we will take from and replenish or >> No, that's a good question. So, I let's look at this from a 10-year window. Um so, our current practice is to um identify $15 million per year. That's fluctuated a little bit, but for the most part it's averaged $15 million a year um that we

114would do $15 million worth of projects. Um so, over the course of those 10 years is $150 million. Um over the next 10 years, we will be doing $150 million worth of work. Um but we're going to be doing maybe 12 million next year and maybe 39 million the following year, 20 million after year after that, and then it drops down to maybe six or seven million dollars. Um so, the bonding mechanism would be used. So it looks like it's $15 million a year to keep the debt service level, but it allows us then to carry over any unused funds to to future years, which we do not have the ability to do that on the pay as you go method. Um, and that's where our LTFM adjustments have been the last few years. So

115if we do pay as you go for $15 million of LTFM, and you only spend $10 million, that's where a negative adjustment, your revenue is negatively adjusted $5 million to make up for that. So that is what we have been dealing with recently. So to be able to use bonds to have that money available to carry over from year to year will eliminate the LTFM adjustments as well. So kind of a win on both sides. So if that if that makes sense, I'd answer your question. >> Yeah, but then >> Thank you so much for the excellent presentation. It was really great to have these conversations in committee. I was curious about kind of anticipated interest in the school district's debt. Um, have you received solicitations? Have you received any indicator of you know who

116all might or how much interest we may see? >> Um, we'll we'll see you interest in your district, right? You have a triple A rating, so that's obviously going to carry a lot of interest out in the markets. The size of the issue is also going to be a in a good spot, right? For what purchases are looking for. That'll go public, right? So nothing's officially publicly released until the POS is released, which will be about 10 days ahead of the bond sale. And for regulatory reasons, right? There's really nothing that the district can do until that that document goes out to the public markets and everybody then has a chance to to bid at it competitively on the on the DSL. >> Thank you. Okay, I have three questions. Uh You will So, in

117simple words, tell me if LTFM and this this the the proceeds from these bonds, are they going to be separate buckets or will they commingle? >> They will be separate buckets. They need to be in order for us to track the expenditures accordingly. >> Okay, so yeah, that's good to hear. Okay. >> Yeah, and and that will get a little difficult. Um it'll be um it'll take some effort to do that because like I said, we we there will be projects that we want to bid together, um but we'll have to identify in those cases how much of it is for the bond and how much is is LTFM. So, they will need to be separated. >> And that will be transparent. Everybody will know what >> Yep, correct. Yep. >> Thank you. Um So,

118we somebody Matthew, I think spoke about interest rates. Um From from now until August 10th is a is is a couple of months. And we know that Kevin Warsh, the new FBI not FBI uh >> Federal Reserve >> governor of the Federal Bank um has announced that he may increase rates. That's a very strong possibility. So, are we hedging that against that happening? And and how much >> We have We have cushion built in, right, to our our rate assumptions on purpose, right? So, we had about 50 basis points on on what we have for pre-sale. It'll be interesting to see how that kind of plays out, right? Cuz there's the short term and the long long end of the curve, right? In the grand scheme of where things are at. So, um we're comfortable

119with where we're sitting right now. Um and even if we were all the way up to what our pre-sale estimate, we're really positioned really well for the the long run, right? Cuz this is a journey. As we go through this process, we have this initial bond sale Um and we were carrying higher interest rates assumptions as we went into the pre-election estimates. So right now we have this initial bond sale estimated at not quite 440. Right, if we were in we think that's about 50 basis points of cushion based on where the market is. And then we're still carrying higher interest rate assumptions as we go through the plan. So over this duration and as markets go and as as you look at your own investments, right? There's going to be fluctuations over time and

120that's one of the things that we'll be monitoring too. I will say from a big picture perspective, right? As we looked at the planning if we were COVID rates like 2021 2022 was planned to look a little different, right? When interest rates were 2%. So but as we kind of go forward here if there is some opportunities it could change and dictate what this looks like as we go over time as well. >> And then the last question is about the draw. I heard that um after this one the next draw will be in February of 28 and there will be four more draws, correct? So 28 29 30 and 31. >> Yeah, there will be three more is what our estimate is now. So this is the initial sale then we're looking at three

121additional sales. >> 100 million every time then approximately >> be it's not 100 million every time because your construction schedule needs different amounts of cash at different times. I think the next issue is about 170 million. 175 million and then it's subsequently followed by another larger issue and then the last one is smaller at this point in time. >> Yeah, right now that's scheduled to be 100 million and then in February of 28 175, February of 29 150 and then February of 30 would be 71 million. >> So that that means that the timeline is going to be 2030 when we will make the last draw. Is that Is that what we had anticipated the timeline to be for this project? >> Yes. Yeah, and I I think that's an important point, too, because um

122it's impossible to do um this amount of construction in 1 or 2 years. Um not only from a capacity standpoint, contractor standpoint, but also um our buildings are used year-round. So, we really need to be thoughtful of not closing certain buildings in certain summers at certain times. So, all of that um all of that had to be considered into what we have as a master schedule right now. Um and that master schedule will change. Um some projects might get accelerated, some might get pushed back. That's how this goes. Um and when if that happens, those future bond amounts that I just listed could change. Um you know, we don't expect them to change a lot, but you know, you could change from 10 to 20 million just based on if the schedule does change at

123that time, too. So, a lot of things to consider. >> Sure. Thank you. >> Mhm. >> [clears throat] >> Yeah. >> I just [snorts] want to highlight something that you reminded me as you were asking your questions. All of the scheduling has been done in collaboration with building leaders and um principals. And so, it's important to understand that this isn't done in a vacuum at all. >> Of course not. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. There are no more questions. I'm going to read the recommended action again, long one again. Is to approve the resolution relating to general obligation school building bonds series 2026B authorizing issuance, providing for sale, and covenanting and obligating the district to be bound by and use the state credit enhancement program, and establishing compliance with reimbursement bond regulations under the Internal Revenue

124Code. This is a roll call vote then. >> Colleagues. Heidi Cater. >> An emphatic yes. >> Valentina Ears. >> Yes. >> Dan Nester. Dan Nester votes yes. Alicia Little. >> Yes. >> Paris Binnie. >> Yes. >> Sheila Prior. >> Yes. >> Milan Sahoni. >> Yes. And the motion carries. Thank you, Dan. And then I think you have one more item. Uh Trevor, is the res- seeking resolution on certification of population levy. Thank you, Matthew. >> Yeah, thank you, Matthew. >> Um yes, Minnesota statutes um do a lot do allow a school district to submit um to MDE um population estimates for your school district um from the state demographer based on recent estimates. So, um we try to do this every year for a a couple of reasons. Um first of all, it's good just

125to have accurate information. Um secondly, it continues to show the growth within our district the population. And And um one other thing, too, is it's um it does provide additional revenue um for our community education our fund for. So, um with that, we we do have a resolution before you that would increase our district population from 74,015 people um to 74,762, an increase of 747 students. And uh just for a little additional context, I mentioned the community service revenue that would generate an additional $5,811.66 for the community education fund. So, it's not a ton of money, um but it's more than zero, which always helps. So, um with that, the recommended action is before you. >> Thank you, Trevor. Uh so, colleagues, the recommended action is to approve the population estimate of 74,762 as of

126June 2026. Is there a motion? >> I so move. >> Second. >> Moved and seconded. Any discussion? >> Yes, Chase. >> May I just indicate that the increase is residents, not students. And some of which would be students. Just offer that clarification. >> Good point. Yeah. Okay. >> Mine. >> Go ahead. >> And then also that it is for done so that it is for funding for recreation, summer and after-school programs, too. Correct? >> Yes, that is correct. So, that it's three different funding sources within the community ed budget. It's It's for general community ed. It's for youth service and then for after-school services. So, a portion [snorts] of that additional population goes to those three programs. >> Thank you. >> Mhm. >> I have a question, a clarification question, actually. So, is there a

127threshold at which we have to report this or get it approved by the board? Because a number could be within the margin of error, also, right? What if 30 There's an increase of 30 people. Do you still have to report? >> Yeah, no. The answer to your question is no. A school district can do this. It doesn't have to. There are actually school districts, if their population is decreasing, they choose not to. Um so, they can maintain existing revenue. >> Okay. Okay, thank you, sir. Um again, the recommended action is to approve the population estimate of 74,762 as of June 2026. This is a roll call vote, as well. >> Colleagues, Alicia Little. >> Yes. >> Par Spendi. >> Yes. >> Sheila Pryor. >> Yes. >> Heidi Carter. >> Yes. >> Valentina Ayers. >> Yes.

128>> Dan Genestra? Dan Genestra votes yes. Milan Sahni? >> Yes. The motion carries. Thank you, Dan. All right. Thank you, Trevor. So, the next item on the agenda is human resource services reports. We're We're getting near the end, guys. So, we're getting there. So. Laura Huffman Hardick. I'm hoping I pronounced that correctly. Director of human resources will first recommend approval of unaffiliated salaries and handbook changes. >> All right. Good evening, school board and Dr. Anderson. Thanks for having me this evening. Um while I present uh for Dave while he is out. Um So, um I have the pleasure of presenting the next two items. And um the first thing I'm going to go over are the unaffiliated changes. Um our proposed changes. So, um included in the summary um is information about increases to salary

129schedule and the district's contribution to health insurance. Uh for the salary schedule, we are recommending 3.4% increase across all three unaffiliated handbooks. Uh health insurance, we are um increasing in the district contribution of 12.75% um and just for reference, 12.75% is the known premium increase uh for the 2026-2027 school year. Um the total package for this one-year cost is 5.61%. Um and then just a few items uh that helped us or that led up to this recommendation. Uh human resources did a study of comparable positions in similar districts. Uh we primarily use the Lake Conference districts uh when doing these types of um, compensation studies. And um, we also did a review of settlement levels from the last 10 years, which reflect a lower salary increase average than other groups with a notable difference in

130the last three fiscal years. From 2023 to 2026, principals and teachers averaged a 2.68 salary increase, while unaffiliated averaged a 1.75 increase across those three years. A survey was sent out to all unaffiliated staff, and follow-up meetings were held by level to discuss priorities for the 26-27 handbooks. Across all level, while there were various ideas proposed in regards to specific contract language, the common sentiment around the last three settlement salary levels was notable. The one-year total package of 5.61% is still below the one-year settlement cost of the 2025-2027 WA contract, which is 5.69%. Uh, the recommendation has been reviewed and is supported by the executive director of finance, Trevor Peterson, Superintendent Chase Anderson, and incoming Superintendent Dr. Rob Virgin. Um, and it has also been reviewed by the HR committee of the board, and the

131recommendation is before you. >> Thank you, Laura. So, the recommended action is to approve the 2026-27 unaffiliated salaries and handbook changes as recommended. Is there a motion? >> I so move. >> Second. >> Moved and seconded. Any discussion? Yes, Valentina. >> Um, I have a question, actually. I sent obviously ahead of the game clarifying questions, but right now one of them comes to my mind. When we have 2.69% uh, formula increase per student, uh, how are going how are are we going to be affording this kind of increase we are suggesting? Uh where money is going to be coming from? >> Yep. >> So, the the 2.69 is one of many formulas. So, the 2.69 is um an additional formula increase not only for current students, but then for additional students as well. So, um

132>> [clears throat] >> we we will see the growth in enrollment um which will um help alleviate some of these costs and and also um our local property taxes is is another chunk of our revenue that um needs to be considered. So, again, the the 2.69 is just one of many formulas that produce revenue for us. Um but with the with the growth in enrollment, we we do expect that that to be a a key player um in our um contract settlements not only this one, but also going forward for the next couple years as well. >> And may I just add to and Trevor, you can correct me if I'm wrong, but it all comes from the general fund for all of our employee groups. So, any of the salaries and benefits that we've

133indicated and been speaking about in our budgets are all coming from the general fund. Is that accurate to say? >> Yes, there we do have a um some uh employees that are paid through the food service fund fund too as well as community service fund fund for us. Not all of this is would be a general fund impact. >> [snorts] >> And uh thank you for clarification which brought to me yes, we are planning uh according to projections to have 285 uh more students and obviously money comes with that. But uh we ended up with budget cuts obviously one year when things did not, uh came to fruition. What is the contingency plan if revenues do not meet projections? >> Once one once a budget is established and and once a school year starts, um

134we're not going to lie, there's there's not a lot of opportunities to to make budget cuts once once those things start, so um that is why we are really fortunate and comfortable where we are with our fund balance. So, there are times where um that might have to be used if um if for example, we we underestimate what our enrollment projections are, um those are things that have happened before. Um we have also underestimated what um enrollment growth would be, too. So, uh we continue to monitor enrollment growth, our enrollment um our enrollment applications every day. Um we are really really confident with where we are with the 13,349. Uh we started with that number, what was it about February? Um and we continue to monitor that daily and um it is not wavered. Uh

135we're really comfortable comfortable with what that is, so um do we know for sure until school opens in September? Um no, we are not. Um so, that is um certainly one of those things as a contingency plan that we would rely on fund balance for if needed. >> And I would suggest also that what we're doing for that for next year is the same process we've used every other year. It I mean, it's always a little bit of a guestimate and we're projecting and overall since the fall of 2008, we've grown an average of about 200 students per year, so we have a pretty good trend line to uh give us some confidence to do our budget planning based on the the enrollment uh numbers on what we're seeing currently. >> Yeah, and there also

136are other opportunities as the year goes along if we decide to cut off the purchase of supplies and materials. Um if we postpone some capital improvements, those kind of things. So, um there are other things you can do, but again that gets a little bit difficult um what what school begins and um we we see the uh the students in our classrooms, but um there certainly are things that we can do um to manage expenditures as the year goes along, but there are also things like uh utilities that we don't have any control over. So, you hope for a warm winter and um those kind of things. >> Hold on one second. Are you done? Okay. >> I have a follow-up question. Um so, as you budget and as you plan, you look at conditions

137around you and we did go through cost containment. That's something that happened over the course of 3 years. Um my question is as you were planning for this budget and you're thinking about raises. I mean, I think part of the reason that increases were lower in past years is because of the conditions that we were under um as a community, as a society. There was, you know, that big C word that nobody wants to hear anymore. So, can you tell me about how as you're planning when conditions change, how that's reflected in the budget? >> Yeah, first and foremost that what is being proposed tonight in in both of these contracts and I know Laura hasn't presented the second one yet, but um what is being proposed is included in the 26-27 preliminary budget. Um

138and and we do know that um there are usually retirements and resignations that occur um within those contracts too that that change all of those proposals. Um it it's it's a constant movement. Um We also know that there are We are carrying some unfilled positions that his history has shown we don't sometimes fill those positions too. So, there are those kind of things within there, but I think what's really interesting is when you look at I don't want to jump ahead and and and do the second one, but both of these groups that are coming forth tonight, if you [snorts] look at the percentage of the total salaries and benefits that they have within our budget is not changing from our 25-26 revised budget to our 26-27 budget. They're the exact same percentage of total

139salaries and benefits for these two groups. >> I'm glad to hear that looks like where is the plan, but I'm still concerned seeing how much money only we receive and how much we are proposing because why I had been questioning during some committee meetings and as a parent I've seen during budget cuts where programs had been cut. Like for example with an affiliated we had in the past it was 1.5% increase and in second year it was 2.25 increase, but as if right now we are offering 3.4% and also an affiliated has steps and levels. It's not like we're not valuing them at all. And again, in my case it's not even about being against, it's about at the end of the day we cut programs for students and school we're big about three A's:

140academics, athletics, and art. Art is the one being cut and it's it did not come back and I don't hear that much of a talk about the reestablishing these programs, which at the end of the day will affect the students because some students we discovered not as good in academics, but they will thrive in art, for example. Uh therefore, I don't feel comfortable with these numbers. >> Another question or comments? I'm going to read the motion again. >> [clears throat] >> It's to approve the 2026-27 unaffiliated salaries and handbook changes as recommended. This is again a roll call vote. >> Colleagues, Valentina Ears. >> No. >> Jen Nessler. Jen Nessler votes yes. Alicia Little. >> Yes. >> Paris Bende. >> Yes. >> Sheila Prior. >> Yes. >> Heidi Sander. >> Yes. >> Milan Sahani. >>

141Yes. The motion carries. Thanks again, Dan. Okay, next Laura will seek approval of the Wayzata Principals Association contract. Laura. >> Thank you. Um So, a summary of language changes for the Wayzata Principals Association 2026-2028 contract was shared with each board member this week. The WPPA membership voted unanimously to approve this tentative agreement. Included in the summary for the school board is information about increases to the salary schedule and district contribution to health insurance, which are um typically the two largest costs associated with any contract settlement. So, for the salary schedule, um 3% increase in year one applied to step five of the salary schedule, and then with the removal of step one, um and replaced the current values for step two. Um, so the new step two through four values represent an evenly distri- distributed

142scale between the new step one and the new step five. Um, this change is due to our step one principal salary falling significantly below our comparable districts. This compression will allow the district to utilize more steps of the salary schedule when making competitive offers to new principal candidates, which lowers costs over time. And due to over 90% of current W WPA members occupying step five, the total package cost of the salary compression in steps one through four is relatively low. And then 2.9% uh increase was applied to all steps in year two. Um, the health insurance, the district contribution of 12.75 in year one and 5% in year two. And just for reference, the uh 12.75% increase is our known premium for 26-27, and then um, an average premium increase of approximately 6% in the

143last 25 years. Um, so the total package cost is 4.56 in year one and 3.45 in year two. Uh with 8.01 total package um, for both years. Uh the MSBA cost is 6.3 uh sorry, 6.37% um, and then for reference 2024-2026 sorry, 2024-2026 settlement was 7.99 uh two-year cost in the MSBA. Um, the recommendation is before you. >> Thank you, Laura. So the recommended action is to approve the contract with the Wayzata Principals Association for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 20th, 2028 as agreed upon by the bargaining teams and ratified by the WBA membership. Is there a motion? >> I so move. >> Second. >> Moved and seconded. Any discussion? >> Yes. Um again, I don't want to make a It's not that I pointed out pulled out just an affiliated. It's

144the same principle comes here too that our principals also have levels and steps and uh my understanding also our principals on a higher end right now since many of them are experienced. I would like you I would like to urge board members to have a picture of a student student in a classroom who is sitting in a very overcrowded classroom and the teacher has to deal with rising special ed students, rising behavioral issues, and also on top of that there are more students being added because of a cost containment. Right now we are not but we are keeping our teachers in the same position. These are the ones who are delivering the work. They need some help. They need some help with adding like maybe at least pairs. I understand there are constraints with the

145buildings right now but at least if I would have pairs and adult adult help adults helping, that is what will change the life of a student. Therefore, I don't feel comfortable with these numbers. >> No bonus. >> So, I don't think we are saying we are reducing teachers or not increasing teachers or paras because of these increments. And again, just looking at the numbers for school year 26-27 for general fund, we are looking at about 2.5 million surplus, which is on top of our current cash balance, if you will. Even if we look at for this as well as previous bucket, let's just assume 3% right, not the number that is given, the actual delta is not significant enough, in my opinion. So, even if I look at just the preliminary cash balance, 2.5 million,

146we are talking about 20% or less. So, again, we're not reducing teachers, we're not reducing paras. We still have an opportunity to add if we need to, which will get reflected in the final budget. So, considering all of that, I think this is fair, in my opinion. I don't see any issues or any significant impact to cash balance. In fact, our cash balance is much stronger. Um and I think just looking around the table and it all of you, if there is a need for us to add more teachers or more paras, I think we will look at it. I don't think anybody is saying no, we won't increase the staff because we are increasing you know, salaries, if you will, for these two affiliated groups or non-affiliated principals, sorry. Is that fair? Yeah, Shita.

147>> I would just like add to what Para said um that this this you know approval of this contract is not mutually exclusive with lowering class sizes and in fact we've heard from you know human resources in the past about class sizes and that we're keeping the lower class sizes that we had in place you know when the kindergarteners didn't materialize we still had a certain number of teachers. We didn't you know reduce that and so you know this is all part of the conversation going forward of a lot of things that we do we talk about in teaching and learning and human resources and and this is like one piece again that is not mutually exclusive from doing the other things that you know we would like to do for the district. >> I

148also want to add um I I'm I will say my thank you's now with it because I think it's pertinent to this conversation at this point. Um I want to thank the negotiating team. They came in with an incredible amount of professionalism and integrity um to the conversation and um I think it is I think I have personally benefited a great deal from being a part of the negotiating team um whether it's for teachers whether it's for Y's and A kids whether it's for principals over my past years and I encourage every single one of my board colleagues to do the same. An incredible amount about the professionals that are in our buildings and how they run such fantastic buildings. Like our kids are safe and healthy and are learning and achieving. Um Our principals

149would be the first to to say what our kids needed. Um and so I just want to call that out and that they come to the table with a very keen eye on student needs. Uh and I just think that's important to say. >> Yeah. >> When we are going to be uh in that case, I was actually uh involved with cafe negotiation. In that case, I feel like if anything to for them, uh the percentage was not uh that high. And when we are talking about equity, uh teachers' contract was 3.75 first year, uh second year was 3%. They are the ones with boots on the ground. And uh I I'm not trying to be uh I'm talking about where the money is going to be coming from other than money has to come

150from somewhere. And uh as for class sizes, we joined uh this district and the teacher told me that uh for fourth and fifth grade, the um the class size was 25 students. At that time, she had 27. She said, "These are two students way too many." And it was before COVID, before behavioral uh issues, uh before uh special um ed uh students being on the rise, and ELL students being on the rise. We are asking our teachers to do so much more, almost like uh being parents and all. But at the same time, money has to come from somewhere. That's the the whole reason. When I'm looking at what's what kind of money is going to be coming and what kind of money we are offering, then in that case, there is a big uh

151discrepancy also in between uh which groups we are offering what. Stud- Our teachers are the ones who are delivering this uh work. They are the ones with boots on the on the ground. And uh as I stated our art programs are not being reinstated. We keep still keep running them the same way. This one at the end of the day, I would like to remind our board that this is about students. This is about what as I said picture of a student who is sitting in overcrowded class, came ready to learn, but instead of that has to deal with some constant noises, some uh behavioral issues and all. That's that's our big picture supposed to be. I'm not against I just want to wherever money to point it out wherever money is coming from. It

152is coming from somewhere else and it we it Sorry. >> Mattis, do you do you want to say something? Okay. Mattis. >> I just wanted to offer a couple of insights here. Um there's been some mention of steps and lanes for principals and for non-affiliated staff. I think all of our bargaining groups have some schedules that are probably all schedules that have those steps and lanes. So there are those incremental increases. I think the superintendent might be the only one that doesn't have the steps and lanes, but there are probably some positions maybe in community that may not either. Um over the last couple of years I just want to mention too that and I shared a document with the board that demonstrated that over the last from 3 years ago we have decreased the

153average class size at the elementary level by two students. So that has gone down. And there's always going to be anomalies in my 20 I don't know 3 years or so of doing staffing uh, within the school district or being closely involved with staffing, there are always going to be some grade levels in some buildings that are going to be above that class size average target. Um, in the document that I shared with the board, I think over the five-year period, there were only three grade levels over that five-year period that I think were over the staffing allocation staffing target. If you remember that shading that I showed, the orange reddish color, I think were the three areas. The others were equal either equal to or uh, lower than the average class sizes. So, even

154though we have we have increased those targets, um, but I think it's important just to to get into the uh, messaging here as well that we have lowered that by two. We've also added significantly to our special education staffing and support, uh, both with teachers and, uh, uh, paraprofessionals and leadership within special education as well to be responsive and I just want to acknowledge, and I haven't heard anybody suggest differently than this, that uh, principals and district administrators really have a tremendous impact on student learning and you know, a lot of times behind the scenes, and it isn't always evident and may not look like boots on the ground or like, uh, there's active engagement with it, but uh, research shows that, you know, the the most impactful individual on a uh, student or group

155of students is the classroom teacher, which makes sense because they spend um, a lot of time the most time with their students. Principals are a close number two, and they if you if you uh, like cu- look at a cumulative perspective, because of the work they do in a building that might have 600 to uh, 4,000 students in it, they have a huge impact on student learning, uh, maybe not with each individual student, but multiplied over all those students. So, I just want to throw into the narrative as well that, you know, I really appreciate the work that our principals and district administrators do, and a lot of it really goes unnoticed and on off hours and all hours and 12 months out of the year. So, I appreciate the work that they do and

156and I just wanted to to share some additional insights to go along with those that we've heard today. >> Okay, if there are no other questions, I think I'll pass. >> Do you want to ask a question? >> Oh, yeah. And again, the class size is is definitely critical. I mean, nobody's denying that. The whole point is, again, in my mind, those are two separate issues. If there is a challenge with class size, we have to tackle it, whether it is extra teachers, paras, that has to happen. All other contracts and bargaining group was the term I was looking for. So, all bargaining groups, I think they have been negotiated really in good faith. All the increments are they look pretty good in terms of where we are with inflation and all of it. So,

157again, and I was just pulling numbers. As of April, our unassigned fund balance is close to 12%. That is like money in the bank, if you will. Plus, when I look at how our next year is looking like, again, it is in surplus. So, when you talk about 1% 2% difference in all of these discussions, that is not a significant money, which would cause any issues or concerns from budgetary standpoint. On the other hand, all of these positions are very critical. These are leadership roles. And I think we have to be at or above that industry standard to to attract and retain talent, because that is going to be very critical. These leadership positions, they we need the right individual in those roles, and we have to attract and retain retain talent. So, again, absolutely

158critical that we have to have right class size, but just looking where we are financially today, I think we can handle both of those. I don't think it has to be one or other, in my opinion. >> I totally agree that all these professions are playing role. Nobody is arguing. My argument is wherever money comes from. That's my my major thing. When we're talking about class sizes, again, I'm quoting a teacher. It used to be 2017-2018, she told me for the fourth and fifth grade, it is 25. When we're changing what kind of size we can have in from your document, it says it states 30. This is a plus five students. We asked our teachers to do at least I'm talking about from for fourth and fifth graders to do to take five more

159students. Uh I have to trust the teacher who had been uh who had quite a bit of years experience, and she's my belief is she's still working, and I loved her. So, I would like uh that that teachers instead of getting bigger numbers because all of a sudden we're reporting the class size of 30 students is a new normal. It's not uh that um It's changed. The the goal post changed. Uh that's that's how we can report, but although many of us do know that the these class sizes way too many for our teachers to handle. Uh and for And I heard about achieving achieving, I mean, that's one of the thing of for the governance role, uh we need to discuss how our students actually achieving. Are we even back to the point of

160where we used to be in 2019? No, we are not. So, there's something need to be done so that students achievement is changing. And again, it is not that I'm against unaffiliated or I'm against the principals. It is at the end of the day where the money is coming from. >> All right. If there are no other questions or comments, I'll read the action Recommended Action again is to approve the contract with the Wayzata Principals Association for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 2020-2028 as agreed upon by the bargaining teams and ratified by the WPA membership. Again, roll call, board member. >> Colleagues, Paris Bende. >> Yes. >> Sheila Prior. >> Yes. >> Heidi Gater. >> Yes. >> Valentina Ears. >> No. >> Dan Nester, Dan Nester votes Yes. Alicia Little. >> Yes.

161>> Milan Sahani. >> Yes. >> The motion carries. Thank you again, Dan. >> [clears throat] >> And then the final item on the HR recommendations is the request for approval of the 2027 and 2028 school calendars. Dr. Anderson will present this. >> Mr. Chair and members of the board, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak about everybody's favorite topic of calendar creation. Having done this in a previous life in another district, um I know of the uh challenge that comes with it. And there's The reason it's a big challenge is there are multiple right answers. And I think that's evidenced in uh no matter how many versions of a calendar that you put out there, there'll be almost equal slices of the pie as to who votes for which. If you have three,

162about 1/3 will vote for each one. If you have four, it'll be 25% that votes for each one, etc. So, it's always a challenge and a a complicating factor because everybody takes a look at different uh variables in regard to uh what it is that they would uh like to have with the committee or with the calendar for uh the future. So, um you'll note that this is one full year out. This is for the 2027-28 calendar year. We always try to get the uh year uh approved at least a year in advance, typically in the summer prior to the start of the next school year. We haven't always accomplished that. Periodically, we've brought it back to um make some amendments or modifications based on that. Every year is different. Uh the state of Minnesota

163has a law that you can't start school prior to Labor Day. Uh they made an exception for this particular year because the uh it's so deep into uh September, I think, this year and maybe even the the one coming up, um that there was some flexibility afforded to districts to be able to start prior to Labor Day if they so chose to to do so. Um so, to get back on script here with the narrative, um the the calendar recommendation for '27-'28 is included. Uh the attached memo includes a summary of the process utilized to establish um the calendar, um including the utilization of the district calendar committee. And while the four calendar versions are included in the the packet for context, the version that's being recommended is what we've called revised option number one.

164Some of the highlights include are listed here. 184 teacher contract days, 170 student contact days K-5 with two elementary planning days, 172 student days for grades 6 through 11. School will start Monday, August 30th. That falls into what I had shared with you before about the fact that Labor Day is later and the legislature provided the opportunity to do this without special provision. Two additional flex learning days consistent with previous calendars for PD and asynchronous student learning from home. 11 district holidays. One thing that's somewhat unique with this is a full two-week winter break. Which I think I've been an advocate for the entire time that I've been here. Once again, referencing back to a former district I worked in, there was always a a full two-week. I think uh it's a really great half-time

165break for those families that travel nationally or with even within the state or internationally in many cases to have that extended time frame with fewer students hopefully absent for those families who might take those full two weeks anyway. So, there's probably an advantage in there for less absenteeism and less makeup work being planned for by teachers. Particularly if you can get a full two weeks and three weekends, that's a really nice extended period of time to accommodate that travel. Last day of school is for for early ed K-11 and transition is June 6th, 2028. And the last day of work for teachers would be the day following, which has been our tradition. And seniors days are often times are typically fewer than 4K-11. And the semester balances always looked at to teachers, particularly at secondary

166level, always like to try to balance it out by quarter. So, there's a comparable number of days for teachers that teach um quarter classes, particularly at the high school, but to some degree at the middle school as well. So, the recommended action is before you. I'd like to thank Dave Lutz, who's not here today to present this to you, but he was the point person and convened the committee and probably we worked with other team members to collect the input and and feedback. And um I I might add some wording here to suggest that what's being presented to you tonight collectively is what was considered to be the the best of the imperfect options. >> Thank you, Dr. Anderson. So, the recommended action is to approve the revised option number one proposed 2027-28 school calendar.

167Is there a motion? >> I so move. >> Second. >> Moved and seconded. Any discussion? >> I just want to highlight the work of the committee. I was not a part of it, but I know that this is one of the most difficult agreements to come to in the district. Dr. Anderson, I'm sorry you won't have a two-week break, but you'll have a longer break at this point. >> [laughter] >> So, I'm sorry. You You You got it done in your 18 years. Um it'll be a good it'll be a good thing for us to try out, see how families feel about it. Um I'm also a proponent of a full two-week uh break. I think it's it's healthy. I think it gives us three weekends. Um and I also want to acknowledge that for

168some students and some families, two weeks is a long time. Um and I think that there there are other conversations that we can have with our community partners about how to help families through that. Um and so, I would encourage us to to keep that on the on the on the front of our minds as we move forward, but I just wanted to to say that I'm glad to see the committee working so hard on this. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Um 2 years ago I asked of the same questions I'm going to be asking today. It's going to be about at home learning, which is right now a change into flex uh flex days. It doesn't matter how you call it. It is students who are keeping students at home on while we're counting them

169as a uh contact day. Um my first question would be what evidence do we have that students actually complete assignments on flex days? >> There we go. Thanks, Director Valentina. Um I don't know if you're able to get a copy of the question and answers that we submitted to you, which um answered that question. Um the high school treats this as part of their regular um scope and sequence of their curriculum. So, the same um both formative and summative assessments they use at any time during with any of their curriculum work would still apply to the at home learning days. Um that they do they primarily use our Canvas pages for that work. And then at the elementary level we really leave that um to the teachers or more likely the grade level teams. Um

170that work is created in with teaching and learning for grade levels, also part of the scope and sequence of our work. And then um in collaborations with teachers and it's generally extension opportunities that teachers don't feel like we have the opportunity to get to in the regular classroom and provide a lot more hands-on opportunities. As far as assessment of that work goes, again, like most assessments, um, that is at the classroom teacher level. >> I might just add to it if I may. Thanks, Dana, for sharing that those insights. Um, a lot of school districts and and this is primarily to help create opportunities for professional development. Would that be fair to say? >> Yes, we went to this model during, um, cost containment and there's, just like many things in education, there's no perfect

171way to accomplish this, but as we heard from our peer coaches tonight and I've heard you, Director Ayers, tonight say that our most important investment is our teachers and we know they make the greatest impact. So, we need highly trained, um, teachers and so we have to etch out that time somehow. Um, there's never enough of that and so we went to this model about four or five years ago during cost containment because we cannot secure substitute teachers easily and so our teachers are also out of the classroom during those times. So, rather than, um, not being able to do that, we have put into place these two flex learning days. I believe we were at three maybe in the beginning, but we have gone to two flex learning days as a way to pull

172all of our teachers together so we can do entire grade levels together, um, and across the entire district. So, when you heard, um, the peer coaches tonight talking about Read Act training, talking about CEEL training, we will have our new Bridges math curriculum, for example, in the elementary when we need all of our fifth grade teachers, all of our third grade teachers together. These two days allow us to be able to to do that as a district with full district support. So, we believe that, um, again, it's an imperfect world and an imperfect way, but, um, the best that we can do at this time short of buying more contract days from our teachers, which is always something the board can can look into. >> I I also suggest that, um, there's a lot of

173districts that do late starts or early dismissals, maybe eight times a year in order to accommodate what we do with the two full days. So, again, to use the term I like to use the the best of the imperfect options, you know, then you're disrupting eight school days, you're shortening class periods at the secondary level if you do it if you implement it there, and or you go to modified schedules that has a serious impact on transportation and being able to accommodate the bus routes. So, um, it it it's a little bit like the calendar. No matter what model you choose, and I've been around as a principal at a lot of levels when all these models have been implemented, and I know that there are always challenges with it. There are also uh contractual

174obligations for uh equalizing or approximating similar uh total uh preparation time during the course of the school year as well. So, there are a lot of variables that uh come into play for this, and uh this particular model, although I know that it has its limitations, um, we continuously monitor it and we'll keep looking for ways to improve and do it better if we can, and enhance or strengthen the at-home uh the learning that occurs on the the flex days, and and uh keep finding better ways to do it. I think I can speak on behalf of teaching and learning that that would be the case. I know that that's what they always do. So, thank you. >> Yeah, go ahead. >> Um, I just also wanted to highlight as part of our conversations in

175HR committee, we do talk about those days and the and the contact days. Um, and I know that in the coming year there is going to be a survey that's sent out to parents to also gauge how families are feeling about it. Um, but in the absence of having that information, I I think we need to move forward with our current model uh until we can figure out exactly what would work for families because I just feel like if we were to shift it now without having the information it would be more of a disruption than is necessary. Families have gotten used to it. They may not all be happy about it. It may not work great for all of us, but I do think we need to take some time to study it and

176understand it before we make a shift. >> I when 2 years ago when I asked you a question, the answer was it's about cost containment and teachers have to have professional development days which right now we are not in cost containment. This actually comes to that mind where money goes. It looks like at the end of the day we ask for half of a billion from our constituents and we on top of that adding this burden on them because arguably these two or even three days I need to remind that at the beginning the first day of school is not happening for seventh, eighth, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. And I'm questioning what kind of learning is happening on the first day when they did not even meet their teachers. That's comes one to my

177to my mind. As for professional development, I asked teachers and I learned that in the past we still had professional development, but it was done such way that teachers would be gathered substitute teach it would be it was done in waves. So it's not like the whole building will have a professional development. It was the let's say third grade teachers will be gathering and then during that time substitute teachers will be coming. So both sides are being covered. Teachers needs are being covered and students are at school and learning, especially after COVID. And then, on top of that, our families are not being asked, and arguably, working families are have to carry that burden even more cuz some families can work from home, they can keep an eye on their kids. We are doing it

178to our students. That's another thing comes to my mind about best practices. I keep hearing that we are comparing with other district. Well, other district, I actually asked, other districts are moving away from flex days because they discovered it doesn't do anything good to our to the students. That's where I would like to encourage us also to then to look at other district practices. Other districts are moving away from flex days. We need to We are not in cost containment. This is where I would be asking. This is where we are removing money and making our families to work to work around again. They already taking care of a burden of a half of a billion in additional taxes. Then we have to take care of a And another thing, learning is not happening. As

179a parent with elementary student, we receive a packet which states on top, you don't need to return this packet. So, what are we talking about? They are stating, you don't need to return this packet. Learning is not happening on that day, then let's call what it is. It is not learning, then it is vacation. >> Mr. Chair, if I may. I would like to respectfully suggest that now we're perhaps veering a little bit away from the intended, you know, purpose of the approval ask in front of us. And if there are concerns about how uh, is being fostered over a specific individuals child and perhaps those are taken up um, at the building level between the individuals um, uh, concerned. Um, you know, examining this um, you know, proposal in front of us, I'm satisfied

180with the work of our different teams and I think that this um, you know, underscores a little bit of a difference this year labor becoming at a different time and I think we'll tackle the moment um, as it arrives and um, if there are no other further you know, statements to make uh, Mr. Chair, I call the question. >> You have you have a comment? >> have a comment. Um, I I know that the flex days have been a consistent you know, thing brought up by many people, many board members um, in the HR committee, you know, we talk about moving forward and considerations for next year. Um, we all received the same information from director of human resources, executive director of human resources Dave Lutz. Um, so we all know that this stuff is

181going to be discussed for next year's calendar. We have a new superintendent coming on board. Um, we have, you know, changing something like flex days is going to take a lot of work behind the scenes and a lot of decisions being made and a lot of the ripple effects that happen like with um, you know, with the teaching, with the the coaching and the professional development like all of that needs to be taken care of. So it can't just be done right away. I'm glad that our conversation is has reached the point where we're talking about it in human resources again as a consideration for the next calendar. So I would just say that like we hear we hear all of the concerns and the discussion around it and we are not we can't just

182you know, we can't just make a change at the board table. Um and you know, we need to work with the administration to make sure this is done intentionally and again in a way that um takes care of all the ripple effects that will happen when flex days should we end up taking them away, what what do we do then instead? So, I would I've been supportive of this calendar and I I look forward to the future conversations. >> Let me Let me also ask a question first of Chase. Is Is this required to be approved today or is this is for the 27-28 year, right? So, next year's is done. We don't have a calendar yet for 27 and 2028. Is this required to be approved today? >> Well, it's not required. >> I'm

183asking that. >> Okay. Second, once you once you tell me >> I would recommend the board take action on it tonight because a lot of work's been done. I don't know what else is going to get infused into it to come up with a different plan. Um I think Valentina makes valid points. All those are things that we've had conversations about. What you're describing or what she was describing is what we moved away from because it wasn't working because we would pull a lot of teachers out of classrooms during the day. The students when subs were available then would have a teacher that wasn't their teacher that shows up every day. So, if we pull a teacher out for 3 days of professional development, they the kids have a substitute for 3 days. And that

184was a challenge in and of itself and then the pool of substitutes got so small and we were having a lot of classrooms that were uncovered and teachers needing to fill in the gaps during the day and they were getting frustrated with being overloaded and always being called into action to help out when they needed their prep time and other opportunities. So, you know, it's it I get all of the inputs and they have all been heard and, you know, this runs in fluctuations where you do this because of the concern you move back to where you were before. And um so, my recommendation is to support the recommendation to move forward or to take action on it. You can do it you can vote how you want, but um I think the work has

185been done for now and we can always continue looking at options for the future. >> So, the reason I asked you if this has to be approved today is because of my concern about the parents and the staff not being taken into consideration, not being surveyed, right? Am I correct? >> The staff were surveyed, I believe. We surveyed parents a couple years ago. I I Right. And I I don't think the feedback today would be a lot different from what we just we recently did. >> And I'm concerned about that specifically because of not because of the flex learning days. Maybe she makes a valid point, but I'm concerned about the movement from after Labor Day to before Labor Day on August 30th. There are parents who want to enjoy that weekend going on vacation

186somewhere, right? So, they are affected. 2 weeks is a great great number of days to have. I used to enjoy them or I I I used to want them when my kids were in school because we But not all parents want 2 weeks. What are they going to do if they're not traveling anywhere? They are working, right? And they have to be home. So, that that is my concern. So, I think in the future, as soon as possible, we should take into account parents' feedback as well. Okay. And that I think Director Lutz has said that that is being considered in the for the future. >> Yeah, it's been done before and it can be done again. >> Okay. Right. And so, that's why I asked you why if there is a deadline for this

187to be approved today or can that be done between now and when this this can be approved? >> I wouldn't recommend it for this calendar if the board wants to encourage your incoming superintendent to solicit annual feedback. I don't think it'll vary significantly from year to year other than when Labor Day is varies from year to year and there's only so much creativity you can thread into a calendar with all the guardrails around it. So it's really complicated and and really challenging and I do think I haven't looked at it recently, but there was a change we made either to the policy or the regulations for calendar development that we will try to approve the calendar I think in July a year and a half in advance of the school year. >> The direct correct.

188Yes, the direct language is from policy 607 the school calendar and it does say that it will be complete 14 months prior to the first day of school. >> So we're right on with the July 1st. >> Correct. >> Right. It's about 14 months in advance and that is that was in direct response to parent feedback about can we please know the calendar earlier because we want to get our vacations booked or our travel plans in place. So that that was implemented as a result of parent feedback which I think over the years we have collected. >> At that At that time the two-week vacation was not there. August 30th start date was not there, right? So they these parents didn't know that this was coming. Um nobody >> The two-week >> Yeah, and it

189it's not uncommon actually in school districts. I found it uncommon I guess what when I moved from one district to the other and I think a you know whole another subgroup of individuals that it has a deep impact on are for those 12-month employees that don't have the extended opportunities over the summer months to take those kind of breaks. I think you know that it it really is a a more conducive calendar to a large percentage of our staff that do work uh the full 12 months. >> Sorry Don, you caught my action right so I'm going to Sorry we meant >> What was than >> Dr. Sahni, if I if I can add as working with Dave on the calendar, we have committed to doing another parent survey for the So, it'll be the

190'28 '29 calendar. So, we are going to do that. Um and we did do one 2 years ago with many of these um actions in it. We also looked at student attendance data and staff attendance data at this one. And we do find when we do those short weeks before winter break, our attendance of both staff and students is drastically impact, which is part of the reason we went to that 2-week window here is that really we felt like a many of our students and our staff were voting with their feet and not and aren't seeing those attendance drops. So, our hope is um and a way to try that with the 2-week break um this year is to see if our attendance of both staff and students improves not only right before winter break,

191but we um get some winter fatigue going on as well. And so, we're hoping we also see improvement in attendance. So, it's an opportunity for us to test that out, come back with more time, survey our parents as well so that we can bring that to the board table the next time. >> agree. I totally agree, but I in my mind, in my opinion, asking the parents before we even decide about these things is a better way to do it. Just my my my opinion. >> We would agree. There just wasn't time this year to really get into a high-quality um survey. So, I believe um what Dave Lutsen is that is our full intention in the up next upcoming, but with the timeline we needed to move forward with this one. >> All right,

192thank you. >> You bet. >> I think I just want to talk Let's let's yeah. Dan, if >> What is the calendar for next 10 years? It's this year, 2026 and 2027, when we have that gap. For next 5 years, we'll be right back to where we were before. So, it's it's >> Right. >> It's not 2 weeks. 2 weeks is what I'm mostly concerned about also. The two weeks vacation or you know break. >> Winter break. >> During the winter. >> Yeah. So that's that's good part. >> What's that? >> That's good that there's two >> Good for you, but it may not be good for other parents. So it's we can't >> we are showing why this is such a complicated thing. >> Two weeks doesn't work for other parents. >> And just

193>> So we want to see we we went by a vote, right? For the selection of the calendar we went by a plurality vote. 41% 43%. So why not this one as well? That's that's that's just my argument. That's it. Go ahead. >> I was just going to say as someone who is, you know, newer and on the HR committee and not on the calendar committee specifically, but able to get a lot more info. Everything we are all saying is exactly what has been coming up in the conversations and when you look at the staff summary that all staff were able to feedback, it's not like this calendar won by a long shot. Everyone has very different feelings and I think I felt better through some of the conversations we were having on the HR

194committee about when you start digging into things that I maybe hadn't thought about like how many days per quarter align and how many days we get with our seniors with one calendar versus another. Some of the calendars would have shortened how many day contact days we would have been closer to the minimum rather than maybe having a few extra. So there's just so many different factors going in and I personally I see and have also brought up can we talk to parents cuz yes, full disclosure I was one that said two weeks for Christmas is a lot for my family, but I can also see that it's a great thing for other people and I think it's not I think there's been a lot of thought in here and I do appreciate that our families

195would like to know something. >> All I can say what's good for the goose is not good for the gander. So it's just because some of us feel like we're you know, two weeks is good. That does not mean and we also have to even if it's a minority we have to also give consideration to the minority because we just don't cater to the majority all the time, right? So, um that's again, I'm glad that that survey is going to be done in the in the future. And right now I am I'm going to say yes to the calendar, but with a little heavy heart. So, let's move on. Um I'm sorry. Yeah, let's I'm going to read the recommendation again to approve the revised option number one um proposed 2027-28 school calendar. This is

196a roll call vote. >> Excellent. Colleagues, um I'll begin with myself again. Uh Dan Genestri, Dan Genestri both yes. Alicia Little. >> Yes. >> Para Spendi. >> Yes. >> Sheila Prior. >> Yes. >> Heidi Cator. >> Yes. >> Valentina Ayers. >> No. >> Milan Senoy. >> Yes. >> Thank you. The motion carries. Thank you, Dan. Okay, we we have come to the final item of this evening, which is a resolution seeking approval of the board handbook updates. So, as of January at the January 12, 2026 board meeting, the school board reviewed its newly adopted WPS school board handbook on the recommendation of the superintendent evaluation and school board development committee consisting of Heidi, Valentina, and myself. The handbook was approved for implementation at that time. The handbook will undergo a bi-annual review by the board.

197As part of this review, the superintendent evaluation and school board development committee is recommending updates to the handbook. The redline copy of the handbook is attached for review. Some updates that were recommended will be brought to a work session after a request is made by sending an email to the chair and superintendent requesting to add handbook discussion as as a topic for an upcoming work session. This is specified in on page 484? >> Four of the handbook. Thank you. So, the recommended action is to approve the WPS school board handbook updates as presented. Is there a motion? >> I so move. >> Second. >> Moved and seconded. Is there a discussion? >> I have a question about bringing um recommended um changes to work session, would then there be a vote at a regular meeting

198whether to accept those changes then? Okay. >> Let me clarify. >> And the reason for that if I may So, there were some questions that were brought up at the committee meeting and those we thought were not appropriate to recommend unless we had the board you know, consensus or board consideration or board feedback. And that's the reason. So, they are not as simple as the other ones that were implemented. And so, if you have a recommendation or Dan has a recommendation, anybody has a recommendation, you just email me that this is my recommendation for an update and copy Chase on it, obviously, and then or whoever the superintendent is and then we will bring it up at at a convenient work session, discuss it and then take it up for a vote at the at

199the December, next time it'll be December when we will take it up for a vote again. Any other questions? >> We'll bring it just a clarification. We'll likely bring it to the organizational meeting in December to be voted on in January, correct? >> Correct. Correct. But if it is urgent, if somebody wants it done quickly, immediately, we can take it up at a work session. >> Okay. I I doubt there will be anything at this point. I think we're in a pretty good place. >> All right. If there are no other questions or comments, I'm going to read the recommended action again. Is to approve the WPS school board handbook updates as presented. This is going to be a voice vote. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed, nay. The motion carries. Thank

200you. There are no board reports this evening. So, before we adjourn, I'd like to make a couple of I'd like to take a couple of minutes to say something. Dr. Anderson, our superintendent is retiring after 18 years of solid service. Thank you for that. I'm going to just make a small statement and then I'll open it up to the board to the table board table for other board members to say anything if they would like. So, Chase, as we come to the end of our of your final board meeting, I want to take a moment to recognize your 18 years of service to this district. 18 years in public education reflects a steady commitment to students, families, and staff through many seasons of change and growth. Over that time, you have helped guide the district

201through a wide range of decisions, some routine, some complex, that come with leading a large school system. There have been areas where the district has moved forward during your tenure, and also challenges that are part of meeting the evolving needs of our schools and community. Through it all, the work of keeping the district functioning every day for students is meaningful and significant. I also want to acknowledge your long relationship with the board. We have had many conversations over the years, sometimes aligned, sometimes in disagreement, but always with the shared goal of doing what we believed was best for the students. On behalf of the board, thank you for your 18 years of service. We wish you We wish you and your family all the best in the next chapter ahead. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair.

202>> Opening up to anybody that wants to speak. >> Yes, I would just like to say, Dr. Anderson, it has been a pleasure to work with you. Thank you so much for your dedication to the school district, and I wish you well in your well deserved retirement. >> Well, thank you so much Superintendent Anderson. It's been very special knowing you for a little while now seeing you in buildings when I was a student starting as a little first grader at Kimberly Lane Elementary and then all the way up through now it's just been really special and I was actually reflecting for a moment on the first time I met you. And it was on the day of the presidential primary in 2020. I was an election judge. You came into vote and I saw right

203there your commitment to student engagement and public advocacy and how much it meant to you just people being out there and advocating for their community. So I wish you well and a long and lengthy retirement. You've definitely earned it and I don't think there are a lot of folks around there who can say they now have 61 years of a first day of school. That's a very very special achievement. So congratulations and we're very excited for you. >> I wrote a little something. As a new parent to the Waesda School District with my oldest child entering kindergarten in the fall of 2015, I was looking forward to meeting my child's teacher and connecting with parents of his classmates. Quicker than expected I got to know the principal. Parents if you know, you know. And so

204many amazing staff members at the school. But when I attended my first ever PTA meeting held in the school library sitting in tiny chairs in a circle with other nervous parents, I was surprised to learn that Dr. Chase Anderson Superintendent of the entire school district was our guest speaker for the day. Having worked in multiple school districts over a decade myself and rarely having direct contact with a superintendent, I was pleasantly surprised to see him not only attending a local PTA meeting but clearly more comfortable in his kitty chair than the rest of us and presenting in such an open and engaging way. Chase, that was the first time that you and I met and I'm pretty sure you were wearing the very same suit. Maybe not but >> [laughter] >> It didn't take long

205for me to see Chase all over our district, at the high school basketball games, the middle school plays, and the elementary fun runs. I continued to see him at PTA meetings, and eventually joked that his welcome back presentations each fall deserved an admission fee, and maybe even a bingo card containing key phrases like strategic road map, enrollment, and transportation. Hey, did you know that our buses drive 10,000 miles each day, which is equivalent to two trips around the Earth's equator each week? >> [laughter] [gasps] >> Okay, two and a half. You must have to update your report. >> [laughter] >> When I joined the District Liaison Committee back in 2020, I was able to regularly observe Chase in action. His ability to share district updates in a way that felt accessible, his willingness to engage

206with questions and feedback in a genuine matter, the fact that he consistently showed up for all the things to the point that I started to wonder when he found time time to sleep. Without me ever realizing it, Chase was inspiring me to get even more involved in the district, to share information with my friends and neighbors, and to feel comfortable asking him their tough questions in response. I can say with confidence that I would not be sitting in this seat today without the last decade of watching you lead. You've inspired so many individuals in our community, and I'm proud to say that I'm one of them. >> So, Chase, um at your retirement celebration, I walked up to you, and I froze. The only two words I could say was, "Thank you and congrats." So,

207I decided not to make that mistake again. So, I've I've written my notes as well, which I usually don't do, but I'm going to do it today. So, leading a district of this size and complexity is never easy. It requires vision, sound judgment, patience, and above all, the deep commitment to students. Throughout your tenure, you have helped guide Waunakee through tremendous growth, significant change, and many challenges challenging moments. At the same time, you have kept educational excellence at the center. I also want to say this not as a board member, but as a parent of two children who have benefited greatly from Wayzata schools. Our family has been incredibly grateful for the education opportunities, support, and experience they have received here. That gratitude is deeply personal, and I know so many families across our community

208share the same feeling. What has always stood out about you is your steady leadership, your deep knowledge about the district, and your relationship you have built with staff, students, families, and broader community. The strength of Wayzata's public school today reflects your leadership and commitment over the years. On a personal note, I truly appreciate the this opportunity to work with you, learn with you, and see firsthand the care, thoughtfulness you bring to this role. As you leave this meaningful and lasting legacy behind, we wish you and your family very best as you begin your next chapter. Congratulations on your retirement, and thank you for everything that you have done for the school district. Thank you. >> It'll be hard to follow you guys. Um in my case, how I met with you, it is um I

209know first one was very interesting to hear about uh during graduation party that you started working 18 years ago when these graduates uh are just born. My first son is born 18 years ago. So, I was wow, actually I didn't think that way. Then 15 years ago, we moved uh from Minnetonka to also still I mean, requirement was to have better schools. And my neighbor at the time uh was a teacher. I have another teacher right now, but uh she was giving me all the examples how quickly I need to sign up for Peppermint Fans and all. So, it is there. When I was coming from Peppermint Fans, uh leaving my child, uh we were walking, I think it maybe with her. She said to me, and I can say that uh where is um

210where are She always uh knew all uh people at board table, and uh also obviously you. She said, "This is our superintendent." I have to admit at the time I didn't even know what does it mean. Again, I'm from different culture, but at the same time for me it was interesting again from different but you're that kind of big figure and just walking without any bodyguard. So, it no no driver, uh no personal uh drive uh driver kind of feeling. >> [laughter] >> Uh kind of uh feeling. So, it's I mean, at the same time I can uh from my neighbor I learned uh this I mean, the way how she introduced you, "This is our superintendent." Okay, so I I memorized your face obviously. And um then through years, my husband got involved with

211Scouts and all. What what is amaze amazes me is I heard from him feedback, "Oh mine, his memory is so good. He remembers all the kids' names, and he is asking uh So, this kind of examples brought to me that you are very personable. Uh you out and about in community. You're not just saying random hi and go. You remember the facts about families and about um and you are keeping it. And also um when I attended your retirement uh party, that was very obvious to me that anywhere you went through your life, you you made such kind of friendships which are lasting. So, that is, uh, I mean, uh, any person would like to to do the same. So, um, I can see and respect how much you are, uh, personable uh, with people,

212how much you uh, pay attention to details. And I would like to say, uh, thank you. Hopefully, you will be able to find something as interesting as, uh, this journey had been for you. But, at the same time, uh, will have some relaxing days for you. Well deserved. Thank you. >> Well, shoot. I'm last. Um, you all know I'm an emotional person by now. Chase, your leadership style is incredible. You're committed. You are kind. You make people feel special and seen. And you have an incredible capacity to listen and reflect. And I think that has made this district so successful. When I see you talking with students, you really see them and they feel special and it makes them want to elevate. You, one of my favorite sayings that you say, there are many of

213them, but one of my favorite is, "Bloom where you're planted." And boy, did you do that. You planted here 18 years ago and you have been under so much intense pressure for somebody to run an organization that is our size for so many years with such steady commitment is kind of unheard of. And so with the pressure, you turned into a diamond. And we're lucky to have you. And I'm so happy that you and Barb will continue to stay in our community and will speak the praises of what you've already done. We stand on your shoulders. I'm going to miss you. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Thank you for all your service. >> And you expect me to speak after all that? Well, thank you so much. I'm a little overwhelmed in the moment, but

214uh I can't thank you enough for your kind comments, but just overall your kindness and all of your predecessors who have served in this role for 18 years. I'm just so appreciative to their leadership and your leadership and for all that they did to help make this uh journey enjoyable, rewarding, fulfilling. Um it's a uh has been a tremendous opportunity for me and it's been a wonderful place for us to call home and for our two kids to graduate from Wayzata High School. Um they both are productive tax-paying citizens now, which I often times say, which I'm always very happy about. But it's just really and wonderful community and and uh I've appreciated the the wonderful team members, many of whom are here tonight and all those who served in similar or the same positions

215over the years. I've had a lot of help. Nothing ever gets done in isolation and uh anything I've enjoyed that resembles success, as you might have recalled I said it uh my comments at the retirement event is only because I had a lot of people that were helping me. And that's really how we get things done and and uh uh moving forward in in the best possible ways. I've loved interacting with students. I've loved interacting with uh the staff. I truly have really enjoyed my engagements at um all my favorite hangouts, I guess, Hy-Vee and Target and Lowe's and Home Depot and uh been known to uh look for students who may be selling popcorn or I bought a lot of popcorn in my day. And uh many other things over the years, but it's

216always been a a a really fun way for me to engage. So, it's it's been a a place that's been easy to work hard within. I couldn't really have imagined, although I can still very clearly remember my very first board meeting. If somebody would have told me that Monday night that I'd have 459 more of these in my future, it's an approximation, but it's not too far off. Um I never would have dreamed that it would have uh gone for 18 years in the way that it has. So, not only myself, but my wife and my two kids are incredibly thankful and appreciative and they got uh both of our kids got a great education here and we loved uh being within the Wayzata community and we made this place our home and plan to

217continue to stay here and you'll probably see me at a sporting event or two or uh theater performance or concerts and other things, but it's just truly been uh the honor of my life to serve in this role. And I just want to say thank you to all of you and to the community and to my team, not only those here, but all those I've been fortunate to work with in the past. We have a good thing going here. I'm committed to helping Rob in every way that I can. Uh we have a really good relationship established. You've hired an outstanding uh superintendent and I know he's going to settle in and keep things rolling forward and I'll do whatever I can to be helpful with that. So, as I always do, I've gone on

218too long, but thanks so much. I really appreciate all your kind kind comments, and keep up the great work and serving our students in the community. >> Thank you. >> Okay, this concludes the Wayzata Public Schools regular board meeting. There is a closed session of the board scheduled for next Monday, June 29th at 5:00 p.m. Is there a motion to adjourn? >> I so move. >> Second. >> All in favor, say I. >> I. >> Opposed, nay. The motion carries. The Wayzata Public Schools Board of Education regular meeting for Monday, June 22nd, 2026 is adjourned. >> Congratulations. >> Yes. Congratulations. >> Thank you. >> I want to let them know that I voted for my