The school board work session occurred on Monday September 11, 2023. Please take a moment to pause and remember 911, and talk about what happened to our country on that day. Thank you to all of those that have made significant sacrifices on that day and since that day.
The majority of the work session was spent reviewing and discussing the 3-year governance work plan and the school board’s role in district policy, annual operations oversight, unique operational oversight, board governance, superintendent relations, annual public engagement, and unique public engagement. We pulled forward topics and concepts from 2022-2023 that are reviewed annually and ongoing issues that take longer to complete, plus added topics that need to be addressed in the coming years. The edited and updated version will be sent to all board members In October and we will review this quarterly over the coming years. Each topic on the work plan will be brought to the agenda at some point over the coming year. I believe that the updated work plan will be available for public review when it is completed. Mr. Elstad agreed to write a quarterly report sent to board members updated with the plans and topics he’s working on that align with our district goals.
Alongside our review of the governance work plan, we reviewed our moral imperative as a school district. Our moral imperative is reflected by our mission statement: Inspiring excellence, every learner, every day. This is also revealed through our vision: Owatonna Public Schools inspires a community of learners with equitable access to high quality, innovative learning opportunities ensuring all students are college, career and life ready. Our core values are: build and nuture relationships, develop and maintain a growth mindset, and challenge the status quo. Our strategic directions are categorized into 4 groups: 21st century learners, safe and caring community, high quality teaching and learning, and equity (I’ve been told that equity in Owatonna does not mean equal outcomes).
The board agreed that it would be beneficial to connect our district policies with our strategic goals as a means to help us move forward in setting and reaching our goals as a district. This will also aid in determining policy effectiveness and where policy revisions may be needed or new policies created.
Mr. Elstad and Sarah are going to set up visits to the schools for all board members at various times over the coming months so that we can meet with principals and tour the schools again. One of the best, if not the best, aspects of this work is seeing the important work in action, the teachers, students and staff working together!
Keep an eye out for upcoming “Coffee with the Superintendent” which is a time for anyone to meet in a small group to discuss questions, concerns, and updates in the district with Mr. Elstad. This will be occurring every 4-6 weeks throughout the school year.
Board forum included updates from the facility committee. The new high school is up and running, no major setbacks or complications. They are working through final change orders and punchlist items. Phase I of the auction at the old high school is complete and Phase II is underway. Check out Grafe Auction https://www.grafeauction.com/ if you haven’t already. I clarified the application deadline for the District Curriculum Advisory Committee public applications was September 1, 2023. Our Teaching and Learning director confirmed that a recent article mistakenly reported the deadline was October 1, 2023 and another article accurately reported September 1, 2023. They are not taking any further applications for this committee at this time.
Upcoming dates:
New high school open house: September 23, 22023 11:30am – 2:30pm
Homecoming parade and football game: September 29,2023
Regular school board meeting: Monday September 25, 2023
October work session: TUESDAY October 10, 2023
Meeting adjourned! Go Huskies!!!!
Elizabeth for Owatonna Schools 