- Willmar Public Schools - District 347
- Community Task Force 2023
- Willmar Task Force Meeting 1 Feedback
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Willmar Task Force Meeting 1 Feedback
The community-based task force met in-person on the evening of Tuesday, February 7 for an introduction of the current challenges facing Willmar Public Schools. Superintendent Holm and Assistant Superintendent Adams provided a review of participant roles and an overview of Willmar Public Schools’ current situation. Task Force participants were asked in a brief survey following the presentation to provide feedback and any follow-up questions, given the information provided. Below is a summary of the feedback provided by participants.
What did you learn from the presentation that surprised you? (Sample responses edited for length and clarity)
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Level at which state is not keeping up with inflation.
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How quickly the fund balance is dropping
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That serious cuts are going to be made and I probably won’t like them.
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How many students have chosen to open enroll in other schools
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The lack of federally provided funds for special education
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How much the WPS general fund needs to subsidize costs beyond current funding
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I appreciated how the cross subsidies were explained along with our district’s moral imperatives to support all of our learners.
To address the district's budget issues, should the district:
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Make budget reductions. (3)
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Ask the voters to increase property taxes to increase revenues. (3)
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Some combination of the two. (17)
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Not sure yet (1)
Sample Questions/Comments (edited for length and clarity)
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Willmar has a lot to offer. I don’t quite understand why families go to other Districts.
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What are the administration's thoughts on how to succeed?
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High School is expensive. What’s mandatory and the cost per department? Do we agree on low elementary numbers per classroom?
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Besides Special Education Services and English Learner Services, are there other areas of increased spending since 2021?
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What are the areas where reductions are more easily attainable?
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I’m interested in knowing the dollars created by various levels of property tax increases.
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Are there any positions that were added with COVIDthat are no longer needed?
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