January 29, 2025 at 7:00 PM - Board Retreat

Discussion:  Board President Kumm called the meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

Discussion:  All Members Present

Discussion:  No Guests were present for Comment.

Discussion:  Mr. Hoesing went over the benefits of strategic planning, including: 

1. Everyone operates with the same goals in mind
2. No hidden or individual agendas to contend with
3. Board, administration, and staff are proactive instead of reactive
4. Increases a sense of trust between board, administration, and staff
5. Provides a sense of direction for board, administration, and staff
6. Increases probability of accomplishing district goals
7. Provides a basis for establishing benchmarks and measuring progress
8. Greater continuity when board, administration, and/or staff changes
9. Increases accountability to district patrons and communicates priorities

Discussion:  Mr. Hoesing went through the Strategic plan with the board, outlining the next steps, as well as any areas that may need attention.

Discussion:  Mr. Hoesing, Mr. Anderson, and the board went through the strategic plan, outlining what has been done in the last 6 months. 

Discussion:  Mr. Hoesing, Mr. Anderson, and the board did a quick Q&A amongst the board, asking if everyone understood the Feasibility study. Everyone understood the parameters of the study, and no questions were asked.

Discussion: 
 

Discussion:  Discussion was had on Osmond's request for a coop in high school basketball for the 2025-26 school year. The Board decided to draft a letter, and have Mr. Hoesing deliver the letter to Osmond schools. The details of the letter are as follows:

To: President Mark Moes and the Osmond Community Schools Board of Education,

On behalf of the Wausa Board of Education, please accept this letter as a formal response to your request to form a boys and girls high school basketball cooperative agreement with WPS for the 2025-26 school year. After careful discussion and deliberation, the Wausa Board of Education has respectfully declined the proposed cooperative agreement in high school basketball as proposed in your letter. While we understand and empathize with your dilemma of not being able to establish and maintain a boys' basketball team, we feel that our collective focus should be directed toward a broader, long-term solution that ensures stability and sustainability for both districts. We know that such an arrangement will have no short-term benefits for our students or our district if the coop is agreed to, as stated in your letter, it doesn't solve the long-term issues that both school districts will face.

In regards to a given timeline, given the results of the feasibility study by NRCSA, our shared commitment to providing quality educational opportunities for our students as stated in the minutes of the first joint committee meeting (9/13/23) that both districts committed to, and the goals laid out in our strategic planning process, we believe it is in the best interest of both Osmond and Wausa to establish a clear and structured timeline for formal discussions regarding potential consolidation.

To that end, the Wausa Board of Education respectfully requests that your board considers whether or not exploring consolidation truly meets your best interests, as we feel that it meets both districts' long-term interests. If we agree, we can begin, as partners, outlining this process & timelines for future academic opportunities, athletic and activity coops, etc., all leading to a bigger picture, ensuring that we both take a proactive and collaborative approach to the future of our districts and that both boards adhere to our initial pledge that academics and staff/community stability, not sports and activities, should be the driving force in our discussions moving forward.

The Wausa Board of Education remains committed to open communication and a cooperative partnership as we navigate the path forward. If you feel that your district is ready to take that step forward for the academic opportunities of our collective students, the long-term security that a consolidation process provides to the staff in both school districts, and the overall stability of both communities, let us know a time that would be convenient for your board to begin discussions regarding potential consolidation down the road, and the steps needed to get there. We look forward to working together to develop a plan that best serves our students, staff, and communities. If, through your discussions, you feel that this is not the best path forward for you and your community, we understand and support your decisions moving forward, and we look forward to working with you when opportunities are available that would be beneficial to both districts mutually.

Thank you for your time and consideration. We appreciate your dedication to the future in ensuring educational opportunities in both districts and look forward to continued collaboration.

Yours in Education,

Brad Hoesing
Superintendent
Wausa Public Schools

Discussion:  The board discussed that the timeline was ultimately up to whether Osmond was interested in seeking consolidation down the road. If they weren't, then there was no need for any timeline. If they were interested, then both boards would have to do some community engagement in order to ensure that this was the right path for both school districts in the future.