Westonka School District is poised to levy over $40 million next year, following the approval of its adopted budget for the 2024-2025 school year at its June 10 meeting.
According to Kathy Miller, finance director, there is an anticipated slight decrease in enrollment next year with a total of 2,386 students, including 170 in the kindergarten class. However, she says the district expects to reverse the five-year downward trend in the coming years with future enrollment growth.
The district’s primary revenue sources are state aid, property taxes, local revenue, and federal funding, with state aid constituting two-thirds of the total. Preliminary budget assumptions hinge on a projected two percent increase in the General Education Aid funding formula. Additionally, the district plans to advance to the second phase of the operating referendum, which will provide an extra $350 per student. The district is also planning on just over $500,000 in capital projects revenue.
Miller explained that the largest expenditures for the district are regular instruction and special education, which combined make up over 60 percent of the district’s spending.
The district also has several additional funds in addition to the general fund, including the food service fund and its trust fund. Some of the food service fund will be used to pay for new kitchen equipment as part of the Mound Westonka High School redesign. Beyond that, Miller noted that Westonka awarded 75 scholarships worth over $344,000 to students from its trust fund.
Additionally, Jeff Pederson, activities director, shared highlights from a historic MWHS spring athletic season with the board. The Westonka Boys Tennis team secured third place at state, and eight Westonka students earned All-State honors in track and field. Furthermore, the track and field team established nine school records.
Additional notable achievements featured the boys volleyball team’s participation in the state tournament and Luke Sunnarborg’s commendable performance at the state golf meet.
Pederson also seized the moment to recognize the winners of the Yost-Haddorff-Leopold and Athena awards, honors bestowed upon MWHS’s outstanding male and female athletes. Senior Jack Nelson was granted the Yost-Haddorff-Leopold award, while Senior Natalie Miner earned the prestigious Athena award. Nelson will be attending the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and Miner has chosen Duke University for her future studies.
In her last student representative report, Miner shared that MWHS Student Senate recently elected 36 members and inducted 54 new members into the National Honor Society. Miner also reported that MWHS Theater earned five spotlight honors, nine individual honors and five evaluator shout outs as part of Hennepin Theatre Trust’s Spotlight Awards.
Additionally, Mark Femrite, assistant superintendent for Teaching and Learning gave the board a preview of the district’s priorities for the 24-25 school year. Among its many goals, the district plans to maintain a continued focus on student achievement, measuring growth through standardized testing assessments including FASTBridge, MCAs, Pre-ACT, and ACT. The district will also enter year four of its multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) program and continue professional development activities associated with the Minnesota Reading to Ensure Academic Development (READ) Act.
One of the district’s major goals for next year is to focus on developing new programs as part of the high school redesign. The district plans to revise its wood program revision to be more career-focused. It’s also working with Dunwoody College of Technology and Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association (MPMA) to develop a machining/manufacturing program.
Likewise, the district is working closely with Spring Park High School and Ridgeview Hospital on a Certified Nursing Assistant program and a Emergency Medical Responder/Emergency Medical Trainer program.
Other action items for the board included approving the 2024-25 eLearning day plan for Westonka Public Schools, approving adding labor to the Westonka Foodies kitchens, approving a contract with IEA, Inc. for environmental, health, and safety management services, approving a resolution certifying the population estimate for the 2025 Westonka levy, and approving a new chief engineer position.
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