Wayzata Public Schools voters approved the district’s bond referendum in an off-cycle election, backing all three ballot questions — including the district’s main $465 million school building bond request. Unlike a general election held alongside broader federal, state, or local races, the vote was decided in a standalone school district election focused specifically on the referendum questions.
The centerpiece measure, School District Question 2, passed with 5,650 votes in favor and 2,385 opposed, or 70.32 percent to 29.68 percent. That question authorized the district to issue up to $465 million in general obligation school building bonds for projects including a new elementary school, a new middle school, an addition to Wayzata High School, safety and security improvements, and other capital work across the district.
Voters also approved School District Question 1, renewing the district’s expiring capital project levy for technology. That measure passed 6,283 to 1,751, or 78.21 percent to 21.79 percent. According to the district’s election results, the levy renewal will provide funding for software and technology equipment, along with technology support and maintenance, and is projected to raise about $7,039,362 annually for taxes first levied in 2029 and payable in 2030, for a total of roughly $70.4 million over 10 years.
Question 3 also passed, with 4,850 yes votes and 3,169 no votes, or 60.48 percent to 39.52 percent. That question, which was contingent on passage of Question 2, authorizes up to $31 million in additional bonding for construction of an 8-lane swimming and diving pool.
The main bond question carried at all five polling locations listed in the district’s results. Hamel Community Center voted 1,477 to 469 in favor. Wayzata Creekside Building supported it 925 to 349. At Wayzata City Hall, the vote was 980 to 670. Plymouth Community Center Room A backed the measure 1,350 to 458, while Plymouth Community Center Room B supported it 918 to 439.
With all three questions now approved, the district has voter authorization to move forward with a major package of facility, technology, and athletic infrastructure investments.
Wayzata Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Chace Anderson presents details of the district’s proposed April 14 referendum during a community information session March 4 at the Creekside building in Plymouth. About 20 residents attended the two-hour meeting and asked questions about the proposal.
Wayzata Public Schools officials outlined details of a proposed facilities referendum during a March 4 community information session at the district’s Creekside building in Plymouth. The proposal, which voters will decide April 14, could invest nearly half a billion dollars in new school construction, facility improvements, and a new swimming pool across the district.
Wayzata Public Schools serves one of the fastest-growing areas in the Twin Cities metro. The district currently enrolls roughly 13,000 students across eight elementary schools, three middle schools and Wayzata High School. District leaders say continued residential development and family turnover in western Hennepin County have steadily added students in recent years, putting pressure on classroom space and shared learning areas in several buildings.
According to the district’s FY 2024–25 audited financial statements, Wayzata Public Schools currently reports approximately $411 million in land and building assets. Because school district property is tax-exempt, those facilities do not carry the same taxable market value assigned to residential or commercial properties. The $411 million figure also reflects accounting depreciation of existing buildings rather than their full replacement cost. If approved, the proposed referendum — which approaches $500 million in new construction and improvements — would represent a major expansion of the district’s physical infrastructure relative to the depreciated value currently reported on its balance sheet.
Superintendent Dr. Chace Anderson led the presentation and answered questions from residents during the two-hour session. Attendance appeared modest, with roughly 20 community members present for the meeting.
Dr. Chace Andeson.
The Referendum Overview
Voters in the Wayzata Public Schools district will be asked to decide three separate questions on the April 14 ballot, each addressing different aspects of district funding and facilities.
Question 1 asks voters to renew the district’s existing technology levy. District officials said this renewal would maintain current funding levels for technology, safety, and security systems without increasing property taxes and is worth about $15 per month on a typical $650,000 home or $1,800 over 10 years.
Question 2 is the largest portion of the proposal and focuses on facilities and capacity needs. The request would fund construction of a new elementary school and a new middle school, an expansion at Wayzata High School designed to accommodate additional students and support career and technical education programs, and a range of improvements to existing school buildings across the district. The district estimates the facilities request would add about $29 per month in property taxes for a typical $650,000 home or $8,700 over 25 years.
Question 3 asks voters to approve construction of a new eight-lane swimming pool at Wayzata High School. This question is contingent on approval of Question 2. If approved, the district estimates the pool would add about $4 per month to the property taxes of a typical home or $1,200 over 25 years.
Taken together, the proposed investments represent nearly $500 million in construction and improvements across the district’s facilities, making it one of the larger school referendum proposals in Minnesota in recent years.
District’s Case for the Referendum
In his presentation, Superintendent Dr. Chace Anderson said the district’s referendum request is rooted in continued resident enrollment growth and the need to add space before schools become overcrowded. Wayzata Public Schools currently serves about 13,000 K-12 students, and Anderson said capacity pressures are expected to intensify quickly. “By the 27-28 school year we’re anticipating that the elementary, middle school and high school will be beyond that capacity to accommodate the number of students that we’ll have, so it’s only two years out,” he said.
Anderson argued that the district cannot wait until buildings are already over capacity to act. He said planning, design, construction, and attendance boundary changes take years, making advance action necessary. He also pointed to the district’s earlier efforts to expand existing buildings before proposing new construction, including additions at several elementary schools and the opening of Meadow Ridge Elementary in 2016 and North Woods Elementary in 2019.
A second major point in Anderson’s remarks was that the district’s planning is tied to resident growth, not open enrollment. “We have been building to accommodate our resident students,” he said, pushing back on the idea that the district is proposing new facilities to serve students from outside district boundaries.
Anderson also emphasized the district’s financial position, noting that Wayzata is one of only a few school districts in Minnesota with a AAA bond rating. He said that rating reflects financial stability and allows the district to borrow at lower interest rates, helping reduce long-term costs for both residential and commercial taxpayers.
Beyond capacity, Anderson said the referendum is intended to support broader educational goals across the district. Those include creating additional career and technical education space at the high school, updating classrooms and shared learning areas, improving safety and security systems, and renewing the district’s technology levy so devices, software, internet access, and technical support can continue without a tax increase under Question 1.
Audience Questions Focus on Cost, Growth, and Communication
Communication and Enrollment Questions
One attendee, who said her children had been educated in Wayzata Public Schools, opened her remarks by noting that she believed the district had served families well but raised several concerns about the referendum process. “My kids were well served in this district,” she said.
She questioned whether the referendum had been widely communicated across the district, saying she had only recently learned about the proposal after receiving a mailed flyer. “I very much disagree that it was well communicated,” she said. She also raised questions about the district’s community survey, asking what percentage of households were represented by the approximately 400 responses referenced in the presentation.
The attendee further questioned the district’s enrollment projections, noting that while the district expects continued growth, some projections suggest enrollment could begin leveling off within the next decade. She also expressed skepticism about relying on outside consultants involved in construction planning, arguing that firms connected to building projects may have financial incentives that favor expansion.
Cost, Growth and Long-Term Planning
Former Wayzata School Board member Greg Baufield raised a series of questions focused on the scale of the proposal, long-term financial obligations, and infrastructure concerns.
Baufield noted that the combined ballot questions would represent one of the largest school bonding requests in Minnesota history and asked district leaders to consider the cumulative impact of rising taxes, insurance costs, and other household expenses facing residents.
He also questioned the timing of the April referendum and whether the district had coordinated with local governments, noting that property taxes are influenced by decisions made by school districts, cities, and counties simultaneously.
Baufield also raised a practical concern about the proposed Medina-area site: transportation safety. He noted that Highway 55 serves as the primary corridor in the area and runs alongside a railroad line, creating a potentially difficult traffic pattern for school transportation. Baufield warned that buses approaching the crossings would need sufficient room to come to a complete stop and queue safely, saying, “The challenge is of course is that 55 is a state highway,” and later adding that “there’s not enough space to prepare or stop across the tracks safely” if multiple buses are arriving at once.
Medina site that shows the railroad tracks to the north of the property.. Image courtesy of Hennepin County.
In follow-up responses, district officials said a traffic study had been conducted in collaboration with the City of Medina, Hennepin County and the State of Minnesota. Potential solutions include extended turn lanes on Highway 55 and enhanced railroad crossing safety measures.
Baufield also questioned the proposal to build a new eight-lane swimming pool at Wayzata High School, expressing concern about the long-term operational costs of maintaining athletic facilities and warning that those expenses can place financial pressure on future school boards.
More broadly, Baufield said he was concerned about relying too heavily on long-range enrollment projections, noting that other districts have experienced declining enrollment after expanding facilities.
Other Questions About Cost, Scope and Long-Term Planning
Another attendee said the overall proposal felt too large for many residents to absorb, repeatedly returning to the fact that the combined package approaches half a billion dollars. She questioned whether the district had done enough to separate essential educational needs from what she viewed as lower-priority improvements, suggesting the facilities request could have been broken into smaller pieces so voters could weigh them individually. She also voiced concern about rising property taxes and broader household financial pressures, and wondered whether the district had fully explored ways to make better use of existing space before asking voters to fund so much new construction.
That same speaker also raised broader skepticism about long-term spending commitments, including the ongoing cost of maintaining new facilities such as a swimming pool, and questioned whether future policy shifts — including school-choice trends — could affect enrollment assumptions over time.
Later in the meeting, additional questions focused on providing clearer context for taxpayers. One question asked district officials to explain what the estimated monthly tax impact would represent as a percentage increase for a typical homeowner, rather than only presenting the change as a dollar amount. Another question asked how the value of the proposed improvements compares to the district’s existing land and buildings, noting that such context could help residents better understand the overall scale of the investment.
Overall, beyond the more detailed questions raised earlier in the meeting, the remaining comments reflected a common theme: residents wanted clearer financial context, more distinction between core needs and optional projects, and greater confidence that the size of the referendum matches the district’s long-term needs.
Superintendent Responds to Questions
In responding to questions from residents, Superintendent Dr. Chace Anderson emphasized that the district’s facilities planning is based primarily on continued growth in the number of resident students.
Anderson said Wayzata Public Schools has historically exceeded enrollment projections, noting that past forecasts have often underestimated how quickly new housing and family turnover bring additional students into the district.
He pointed to the district’s two newest elementary schools as examples. Meadow Ridge Elementary, which opened in 2016, and North Woods Elementary, which opened in 2019, both filled quickly after opening. Anderson said the district now has roughly 800 students in each of those schools, adding that without those facilities the district would have struggled to accommodate the additional enrollment.
Anderson said the district is trying to avoid waiting until schools are already overcrowded before beginning construction. Planning, design, and construction can take several years, he noted, meaning decisions must be made well in advance of when additional classroom space is needed.
He also stressed that the referendum process is the primary mechanism available to public school districts in Minnesota to fund new construction and major facility improvements. District leaders, he said, are responsible for planning ahead to ensure adequate space for students as the community continues to grow.
Follow up Questions
In follow-up questions after the meeting, Wayzata.com asked district officials how confident they are that residents across the district fully understand the scope of the referendum and its potential tax impact.
District leaders said it is difficult to measure whether the community “fully understands” a proposal of this scale, but noted that the district has attempted to provide information through multiple channels. Officials said the district has mailed referendum information to every household in the district, posted detailed materials online, and conducted presentations at schools and community meetings in the months leading up to the April vote.
In follow-up information provided after the meeting, district officials said the projected school district property tax on a $650,000 home would be about $2,826 annually in 2026. If both the facilities referendum and swimming pool question are approved, the district estimates the tax impact would increase by about $33 per month, or $396 per year for that same home.
In contrast, many homeowners across western Hennepin County have experienced double-digit increases in total property tax bills in multiple recent years, driven by rising assessed values and levies from multiple taxing jurisdictions, including cities, counties, and special districts. District officials said they are not able to calculate a comprehensive “all-in” tax bill for residents because the Wayzata school district spans multiple cities and overlapping taxing authorities, resulting in at least 20 different combinations of total property tax rates.
When asked whether existing buildings such as Armstrong High School could potentially be purchased or leased to add capacity, district officials said they were not aware that the building is available and noted that most enrollment growth is occurring on the western side of the district, particularly in Medina and Corcoran.
Conclusion
Despite the scale of the proposal, attendance at the information session appeared modest, with roughly 20 community members present for the two-hour meeting at the district’s Creekside facility in Plymouth.
The proposal now moves to voters across the Wayzata Public Schools district, who will decide the outcome when the referendum appears on the ballot in a special election scheduled for April 14.
How to Vote
Residents of the Wayzata Public Schools district will vote on the referendum in a special election on April 14, 2026.
Vote early by mail: Voters may request an absentee ballot to vote by mail. Applications and additional information are available at mnvotes.org.
Vote early in person: Early in-person voting is available at the Wayzata Public Schools District Service Center 13305 12th Avenue N, Plymouth, MN 55441
Feb. 27 – April 13: Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 11: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Vote on Election Day: Tuesday, April 14, 2026, Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Wayzata School Board on Monday night unanimously selected three finalists to interview for the district’s next superintendent, narrowing a pool of 20 applicants after weeks of screening and community engagement.
The finalists are:
Dr. Rainey Briggs, Chief Operations Officer, Des Moines Public Schools
Dr. Robb Virgin, Assistant Superintendent, Eden Prairie Schools
Six semi-finalists were interviewed by a School Board subcommittee on February 25 and 26 before the board advanced the final three.
Community Engagement Built Into the Process
Each finalist will take part in “A Day in the District” on Thursday, March 5. The schedule includes tours of four Wayzata school buildings and a large-group interview with a representative cross-section of the school community.
District employees, parents, and members of advisory groups—drawn from earlier superintendent search focus groups—will participate. Wayzata students will assist principals in leading the building tours, offering candidates a firsthand look at classrooms and school culture.
Feedback gathered during Thursday’s events will be summarized and shared with the School Board following the final interviews.
Final Interviews Friday at Creekside
The board’s formal interviews with each candidate will begin at 8:30 a.m. Friday, March 6, at the District’s Creekside Building (16000 41st Ave. N., Plymouth). The interviews are open to the public.
To ensure a fair and consistent process, the district will not livestream the interviews. Recordings will be posted after the interviews conclude and will remain available through Sunday, March 15. The lone finalist’s interview will stay posted indefinitely.
“Our community’s voice is an essential part of this process,” said School Board Chair Dr. Milind Sohoni. “We look forward to engaging staff, students, families and community members on March 5, as we move forward to selecting the next leader of Wayzata Public Schools.”
What Comes Next
Following Friday’s interviews and review of community feedback, the board is expected to name a lone finalist in the coming days. The selection will mark a pivotal transition for one of Minnesota’s highest-performing school districts—and for the thousands of students and families who call Wayzata Public Schools home.
Information session set for March 4; residents encouraged to review details and ask questions
Wayzata Public Schools voters will weigh three funding questions on April 14, 2026, following School Board approval to place the requests on the ballot.
According to the official notice mailed to residents, the ballot will include:
Question 1: Renewal of the district’s existing technology levy.
Question 2: Approval of school building bonds for growth and facilities needs.
Question 3: Approval of bond funding for a new 8-lane swimming pool at Wayzata High School.
An information session is scheduled for March 4, 2026, from 7:00–9:00 p.m. at the Creekside Building in Plymouth.
As the district begins community presentations, Superintendent Chace Anderson has emphasized continued enrollment growth, long-term planning, and the district’s AAA bond rating as indicators of financial strength and readiness to move forward.
At recent meetings, Anderson pointed to a steady increase from roughly 10,500 students in 2012–13 to approximately 13,000 students this school year, with projections suggesting continued growth. He noted that facilities planning has been underway for years and referenced a positive Review & Comment response from the Minnesota Department of Education.
The district’s published materials state that:
Question 1 is a renewal of an expiring capital projects levy for technology and would not increase taxes beyond current levels.
Question 2 would authorize up to $465 million in bonds for a new elementary school, a new middle school, high school additions, safety and security improvements, and other capital projects.
The tax increase on the average homeowner is estimated at $29 per month, with a calculator available online.
A Community That Values Its Schools
Survey results cited by the district indicate strong support for school quality, with respondents linking school excellence to home values. That sentiment aligns with Wayzata’s long history of civic investment in education, from early schoolhouses in the 19th century to the expansions of recent decades.
Few communities place higher value on their public schools — and few communities understand as clearly how school performance intersects with property values.
That context makes thoughtful engagement especially important.
Questions Worth Asking
While the district’s materials outline projected tax increases in dollar terms, some residents have raised additional financial questions that may help voters fully understand the proposal.
Among them:
1. What are homeowners currently paying to the district? Property tax statements break out the portion that goes directly to Wayzata Public Schools. For many households, that figure ranges into the thousands annually, depending on home value and city.
Understanding that baseline allows voters to calculate:
What percentage increase the proposed bond represents relative to the current school-district portion.
What percentage increase it represents relative to the total property tax bill.
The mailed materials provide dollar impact estimates but do not show the percentage increase relative to current taxes.
2. How does this compare to prior referendums? Wayzata voters have historically supported school investments. How does the proposed borrowing compare in scale and tax impact to previous measures?
3. What portion addresses growth versus maintenance? The bond language references new construction, additions, safety upgrades, and essential improvements. Residents may wish to understand the breakdown between capacity expansion and infrastructure upkeep.
4. What are the enrollment sensitivities? Superintendent Anderson presented multiple growth scenarios — ranging from 25% to 100% of historical growth rates. Even under slower growth projections, district enrollment would exceed current capacity within the next decade.
Still, projections inherently carry uncertainty. Voters may wish to ask how the district would adapt if growth slows or accelerates beyond expectations.
Encouraging Informed Participation
The March 4 information session offers residents an opportunity to hear directly from district leaders and review supporting materials.
A practical suggestion for attendees: bring a recent property tax statement. Knowing the current school-district portion allows for clearer understanding of how any increase would affect a specific household.
As always in Wayzata, the conversation need not be adversarial to be thoughtful. Supporting strong schools and asking careful financial questions are not mutually exclusive positions.
With early voting beginning February 27 and Election Day set for April 14, residents have several weeks to review the details and engage in discussion.
In a community shaped by both lakefront heritage and long-range planning, informed civic participation remains one of Wayzata’s defining traits.
With enrollment continuing to surge across the district and school buildings projected to exceed capacity as soon as the 2027–28 school year, the Wayzata School Board voted 6–1 on November 10 to advance long-range facilities planning toward a potential 2026 bond referendum, with Valentina Eyres casting the lone dissenting vote.
The discussion marked the culmination of more than a year of study by district leadership, architects from Wold, construction partners from Kraus-Anderson, and a 20-member Community Task Force representing a cross-section of parent, advisory, and civic groups.
District administrators presented updated enrollment projections showing steady growth at every level.
According to district data, Wayzata Public Schools’ 2025–26 total capacity is 13,029, and projections show enrollment climbing above 14,000 students by 2029–30.
Even using a conservative planning model:
Elementary schools exceed the 90% utilization threshold beginning in 2027–28
Middle schools exceed recommended 87.5% capacity during the same window
Wayzata High School—already one of Minnesota’s largest—continues to grow toward 4,900 students
District leadership stressed that capacity standards are not simply enrollment numbers; each building must operate with some available space for programming changes, special education, and academic interventions.
Over the past decade, the district has added North Woods Elementary, expanded Meadow Ridge, built the Early Learning School, and purchased or repurposed multiple administrative facilities. But continued population growth across Plymouth and Medina is driving new pressure.
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Task Force Recommends a Multi-Site Expansion Strategy
The Community Task Force met four times in September and October to study enrollment, walk through building capacities, and examine possible options. Members represented district advisory councils, early learning, special education, Indigenous community members, and finance groups.
Their recommendation, presented to the Board, includes:
Elementary additions to increase total K–5 capacity
Reducing enrollment at Central Middle School and shifting boundaries or adding space to bring it closer to a recommended 1,200-student max
Expanding Wayzata High School to meet 9–12 growth while maintaining program breadth
Districtwide safety and security upgrades, including video systems, visitor verification, access control, and modern classroom lockdown capabilities
Additional cafeteria, media center, or circulation improvements where older buildings face space constraints
Phased construction to avoid excessive disruption and ensure operational continuity
Administrators emphasized that facility needs span both classroom space and security modernization. District leaders noted that hardware, software, and emergency communication systems reach end-of-life on a predictable cycle and must be upgraded to meet current standards.
Safety & Security: A Core Component of Any Referendum
A significant portion of the workshop focused on site safety, including:
Upgraded video intercom systems for secure main entrances
Districtwide electronic access control for staff
Improved visitor management systems
Expansive interior and exterior camera coverage
Inside-locking classroom doors and instant lockdown buttons
Unified emergency communication and mass-notification tools
The district framed these measures as a “future-focused physical security framework,” consistent across all 19 buildings.
Timeline: Board Must Act Quickly
For the district to place a referendum on the ballot in 2026, it must meet state review deadlines.
Key dates:
November 25, 2025 — Deadline to submit Review & Comment to MDE
January 2026 — Deadline for the Board to certify ballot language
February–April 2026 — Community meetings and public information sessions
Spring 2026 — Possible referendum vote
If approved, construction would occur in phases from 2027–2029.
What Happens Next
The School Board is expected to revisit the recommendation at its next regular meeting, where it may vote to authorize the Review & Comment submission.
If approved, the district will begin drafting detailed cost estimates, bond scenarios, and project phasing plans for public review.
Wayzata.com will continue to cover the process as the district refines both the scope and the question(s) that may ultimately appear on the 2026 ballot.
According to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s unofficial results, Milind Sohoni (4,776 votes) and Heidi Kader (4,332 votes) will return to the board, while Alicia Liddle (4,693 votes) joins as its newest member.
The newly elected board members will be sworn in at the January 12, 2026 organizational meeting.
Wayzata School Board meetings are typically held on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Creekside Building, 16000 41st Avenue N in Plymouth. The Board also holds work sessions on the fourth Monday at 4 p.m. at the same location.
All 10 precincts in District 284 reported results, reflecting 100% of votes counted, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office.
The League of Women Voters of Wayzata-Plymouth, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to fostering informed and active participation in government, convened a public forum this week for candidates seeking election to the Wayzata School Board. Six community members—Laura Conway, Heidi Kader, Alicia Liddle, Julie Joseph, Kate Knight, and Milind Sohoni—took the stage to share their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing the district.
Over the course of the evening, candidates addressed a wide range of questions, from school safety and student mental health to budget priorities, facility needs, and the role of student voice on the board. The discussion also highlighted how board members can collaborate across differing viewpoints, engage families and staff in the upcoming superintendent search, and navigate emerging issues such as artificial intelligence in education.
Wayzata.com will provide a full narrative on the candidates’ responses and priorities in the coming weeks, offering readers a closer look at where each stands on the key issues shaping the future of the district.
The Wayzata School Board held a work session this week to explore the idea of adding a student representative to the board.
Board Chair Milind Sohoni opened the meeting by clarifying that no recommendation or resolution would be made, and that the evening’s purpose was strictly informational. The session was framed as an opportunity to gather input, review possible models, and weigh potential benefits and challenges.
Invited guests included Katie Clenderwood of the Minnesota School Boards Association, Hopkins School Board member Dr. Jen Westmoreland, and Hopkins High School student Claire Fisher. Together, they shared background on student participation in board governance, noting that more than 130 districts across Minnesota currently seat student representatives in an advisory role.
The Hopkins delegation outlined their district’s approach, where nine to ten high school students serve as board representatives. They provide reports at meetings, engage peers for feedback, and contribute to discussions on issues such as school safety, policy changes, and calendar planning.
Board members asked questions about student selection, time commitments, and how participation fits within the regular school day. Hopkins representatives acknowledged challenges but emphasized the value of student perspectives in board decision-making.
The session concluded without action, serving instead as an information-gathering step as Wayzata leaders consider whether a student advisory position may fit within the district’s governance structure.
WAYZATA — The November 2025 Wayzata School Board election will feature a competitive field, with six candidates filing for three open seats.
The terms currently held by Milind Sohoni, Heidi Kader, and Sarah Johansen are set to expire at the end of the year. All three seats carry four-year terms.
Filing to run are:
Laura Conway — filed August 1
Julie Joseph — filed August 11
Heidi Kader — incumbent, filed July 29
Kate Knight — filed August 12
Alicia Liddle — filed July 29
Milind Sohoni — incumbent, filed August 11
Johansen did not file for re-election.
The election will be held Tuesday, November 4, with voters in Wayzata Public Schools (ISD #284) selecting three candidates from the list. Early voting is scheduled to begin in late September.
Amy Guise, Election Clerk for Wayzata Public Schools, noted that candidate information is updated quickly as the filing period closes. “Today is the final day for filing and the site is updated within the hour of submissions,” Guise said. “I can take submissions up until 5 p.m. today, so their site will be fully updated by 6 p.m.”
The Wayzata School Board governs the policies, budget, and oversight of the district, which serves students across Wayzata, Plymouth, and surrounding communities.
The Wayzata School Board received an in-depth update on the district’s Student Support Services programs at its recent meeting, with administrators, staff, students, and parents sharing how a range of specialized resources are fostering inclusion, independence, and academic progress.
Director of Student Support Services Ginni Nias said the department’s mission is directly tied to the district’s goal of ensuring “a world-class education that prepares each and every student to thrive today and excel tomorrow in an ever-changing global society.”
The department serves students from birth through high school graduation, as well as learners ages 17 to 22 in transition programs. Teams include special education teachers, school psychologists, nurses, speech pathologists, multilingual staff, and mental health professionals. Their work, Nias said, is about “creating empathetic and aware global citizens” by making learning accessible for all students.
Among the initiatives highlighted was the district’s “Unified” programming in partnership with Minnesota Special Olympics, which brings students with and without disabilities together for shared activities like physical education, track and field, theater, and new events such as a cornhole competition. Special Education Supervisor Amy Van Donk noted that West Middle School now has about 200 student volunteers participating in unified activities.
Staff also described student-led efforts, such as a middle school American Sign Language club and the Trojan Care Closet, a new clothing and essentials resource operated by transition program students. Grants from the Wayzata Education Fund have supported adaptive equipment, assistive technology, playground communication boards, and specialized tools for visually impaired students.
Data presented showed that nearly 60 percent of special education students in Wayzata have speech-language impairments, autism spectrum disorder, or specific learning disabilities. The number of students with educational disabilities has nearly doubled in the past decade, with notable increases following the COVID-19 pandemic. About 6.5 percent of special education students are also English language learners.
Multilingual Coordinator Becca DeBolis reported that the district now serves 713 English learners, up by 81 students in three years. Additional staffing has allowed for more co-teaching and targeted instruction, resulting in 18 percent of English learners exiting from service in 2025 after demonstrating proficiency.
Mental health supports have also expanded through co-located partnerships with Relate Counseling Center and the Park Nicollet Foundation’s Growing Through Grief program, providing onsite therapy, grief counseling, and crisis response.
Health Services Supervisor Jean Harsens reported more than 80,000 visits to the district’s 15 health offices during the school year. The district currently supports 440 students with active 504 plans, providing accommodations that remove barriers to learning for about 3.4 percent of the student population.
Board members thanked the presenters and recognized retiring staff members Kristen Baldwin of Plymouth Creek Elementary and Michelle Howe of the transition program, each with 32 years of service to the district.
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