Tag: Chace Anderson

Ongoing budget shortfall at Wayzata Schools forces district to reduce costs

February 27th, 2023
- District seeks $7 million or 3.5% General Fund budget reduction in 2023-24 school year; and $2.5 million or 1.0% reduction in 2024-25 school year
In the face of ongoing budget woes, the Wayzata School District is faced with some difficult decisions. Funding from the State of Minnesota has not kept pace with inflation for several decades among other issues, according to school officials and committees charged with studying the funding shortfall.

These changes will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the district and its students, leaving many parents and educators worried about what the future holds. As the budget comes into sharper view, the district must weigh the consequences of each decision, knowing that the choices they make will have far-reaching implications for the community.

Superintendent Chace Anderson identified three main drivers causing issues for the districts budget woes in a press release:
- The on-going financial impact caused by the pandemic, including decreased student enrollment in the 2020-21 school year.
- The fact that state funding for education has not kept pace with inflation for several decades. To emphasize this point, the general education per pupil funding formula increased by only 2% for the current fiscal year. Special education has also been underfunded for decades.
- Additional inflationary pressures for some operational functions impacting the district, such as the transportation budget increasing by about 13% in the current fiscal year.
According to the information provided, staffing salaries and benefits of personnel across many different employee groups are the largest expenditure the district faces.

2023-24-Cost-Containment-Process-Summary Download

To ensure that staff affected by these reductions are personally notified, program-specific and other identifying information is being withheld from the details at this time.

2023-24-Cost-Containment-Process-Details-1 Download

School officials encourage stakeholders to contact their elected representatives in order to advocate for the district to benefit from these actions:
- Support school districts by increasing the education funding formula with no new mandated expenditures attached to the new funding;
- Fully fund the special education cross subsidy; and
- Develop a long-term system that can consistently address inflationary pressures.
Residents can find their elected officials by visiting the Legislator webpage at the School District website.
Wayzata Schools To Present Hybrid Learning Plan To School Board

August 6th, 2020

In a letter to Wayzata Public Schools families and staff, Superintendent Chace Anderson announced that the school district will present a hybrid learning plan to school board members next week.

Below is the text the school district sent out in an email Thursday afternoon.

Dear WPS Families and Staff,

I am pleased to share Wayzata Learns—A flexible plan for the 2020-21 school year. Safe learning is at the heart of our planning for the 2020-21 school year. One thing the virus is teaching us all is to be flexible. This plan reflects that flexibility, preparing us for the possibility of in-person learning and the necessity of distance learning as the year progresses.

Based on the current trends of COVID-19 in our community, we are proposing to practice safety by beginning the year with hybrid learning. Our Wayzata Distance Choice scenario is an option for families who are not comfortable with hybrid or in-person learning.

The Wayzata Learns plan is being presented to the Wayzata School Board at a Work Session today at 4 p.m. A link to the meeting can be found on our online District Calendar.

Please share your feedback by completing the survey that can be found in the Wayzata Learns plan no later than noon on Saturday, August 8. The Board is planning to take action on a recommendation at its August 10 regular meeting at 7 p.m.

Thank you again for your continued support, patience and understanding as we do our very best to plan for the 2020-21 school year.

Sincerely,

Chace B. Anderson

Superintendent

———————-

Gov. Tim Walz announced last week that individual Minnesota public school districts will determine their own instruction plans for the upcoming school year as a part of the Safe Learning Plan.

COVID-19 cases in each school district will impact how school districts determine the plan for fall.

Gov. Tim Walz at news conference July 30, 2020

The State of Minnesota recommends the following learning models according to the number of COVID-19 cases.

These are recommendations that are given to the individual school districts to help determine what is best for their students and staff.

There were basically three options on the table: 1.) Students return to class full time, 2.) Students return to class part time and do distance learning part time, 3.) Students do only distance learning.

According to a recent survey of families done by the Wayzata school district, more than half of parents interviewed were either very comfortable or comfortable with in-person instruction.

Meanwhile, more than half of school district staff stated they were very comfortable or comfortable in returning to their school/work location this fall according to a school district survey.

RELATED CONTENT: Back To School: What Will It Look Like For Wayzata Schools?
Wayzata School Officials Monitor for H1N1 Flu, Watch Orono High Stay Closed

May 5th, 2009

Orono High School will remain closed today, with all acitivities cancelled, according to their website and numerous media reports. Students in Grades K-8 will return to class at the following schools: Schumann Elementary School, Orono Intermediate School and Orono Middle School. Also reopening today will be the Discovery Center.

Bob Noyed, Director of Communications for ISD 284 (Wayzata), described Orono’s closing yesterday and today, “As I understand it, Orono administrators consulted with the Minnesota Department of Health when they learned of their probable case. We would do the same and would follow their advice. We currently do not have any probable cases, but are continuing to monitor the situation.”

Wayzata Superintendant Chace Anderson echoed Noyed’s comments, indicating that WPS has been in touch with the Center for Disease Control, and was carefully watching for any indications of swine flu. Anderson also expressed some relief that the Swine Flu appears at this time to be acting a like seasonal flu than a strain of killer virus.

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