Communicator FALL 2016
Excellence. For Each and Every Student.
Off to a Great Start By Superintendent CHACE B. ANDERSON
WHAT A GREAT start to the new school year! I have really enjoyed getting around to visit our schools and have been very impressed with how students and staff are settling into their new locations, start times and other routines so well. Here is what is new this year: 1. New school start times 2. New school attendance areas 3. Meadow Ridge Elementary School—the district’s new eighth elementary school 4. Wayzata High School—new classroom addition, cafeteria, gymnasium, upper/lower commons area and a second auditorium scheduled to be completed by January 2017. 5. New Early Learning School—where school begins for our youngest learners 6. Central Middle School—remodeled classrooms to meet needs of middle school student population 7. East and West Middle Schools—new secure entrances I know this amount of change doesn’t just happen without a lot of extra effort, patience and flexibility from students, parents and staff. We are fortunate to be in a community that supports providing each and every student with an excellent learning experience. Student population continues to grow
We started school this year with a total of 11,223 students districtwide. This is up more than 400 students than last year. We are fortunate to be in a growing community and the demand for Wayzata Schools has never been greater. We knew that we would have to add more space to Meadow Ridge Elementary School in the future, but growth in the northern part of the district has been even more robust than originally anticipated. New housing developments in the north are being completed 2-3 times faster than originally planned by developers and there continues to be steady growth and turnover over of existing homes in the southern part of the district as well. To accommodate the growing elementary student population, the Wayzata School Board approved moving forward with an addition to Meadow Ridge, the district’s newest elementary school at its August 8 meeting. The new
Birchview Elementary Named 2016 National Blue Ribbon School U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, John B. King, Jr., announced that Birchview Elementary School has been named a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School. Birchview is one among 279 public and 50 private schools receiving this honor across the nation and one of only five schools in Minnesota. “National Blue Ribbon Schools are proof that we can prepare every child for college and meaningful careers, King said in a video message to honorees. “Your schools are on the cutting edge, pioneering innovative educational practices—professional learning communities, project-based learning, social and emotional learning, positive behavior systems—making you shining examples for your communities, your state and the nation.” The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap. The award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content. Birchview Principal Sam Fredrickson and Robert Bevars, special education teacher will represent Birchview at a two-day awards ceremony on November 7 and 8 in Washington, D.C., to celebrate their hard-won achievements. For more information about the National Blue Ribbon Schools program, please visit http://nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov/
addition to Meadow Ridge Elementary, scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2018, will be financed with existing lease levy authority and tax impact to district residents will be minimal due to the expanding tax base. We continue to closely monitor land that is being sold or rezoned in the north and how quickly new housing developments are coming online. Based on the most current projections, we anticipate that there will be a need to add a ninth elementary school to meet the growing
elementary student population. This would require a possible capital referendum to be approved by district voters in the near future. Projections currently indicate that there is adequate space at the middle and high school levels. Watch for more information as the Wayzata School Board continues to discuss how to best meet the needs of our growing student population. In the meantime, please email me at chace.anderson@wayzata.k12.mn.us with any thoughts or questions you have.