Superintendent presents strategic plan goals, test scores and staff retention at annual meeting

MUSKEGO, Wis. — At the Muskego‑Norway School District annual meeting on Oct. 20, Superintendent Todd Irvine outlined a new five‑year strategic plan and district leaders presented assessment results and personnel metrics from the past school year.

Irvine told electors the district’s new strategic priorities for the coming five years are: academic excellence and life readiness for all students; student wellness and belonging; staff wellness, development and retention; and operational sustainability with strong family and community connections. He described the district’s work as continuous improvement and said the plan was developed through engagement with community stakeholders.

Assessment and attainment results presented by Assistant Superintendent Courtney Artson and staff included comparative placements within Waukesha County and state assessment metrics. The district reported the following highlights (as presented to electors):

- Forward Exam and Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) results: the district ranked fourth in the county for ELA, math and science overall for students taking the Forward Exam; for students with individualized education programs (IEPs), ELA placed eighth and math second in the county.

- ACT results: the district’s ACT composite score increased from 22.9 to 23.2 year over year; the district placed second in the county on the ACT composite for all students, and fourth for students with IEPs. In subject breakdowns, the district placed second in ACT ELA and second in ACT math for all students in county comparisons.

Personnel and culture metrics

Assistant Superintendent Courtney Artson reported the district met its retention goal for certified staff, with a goal of retaining 90% or more of staff who are offered positions; district actions highlighted included expanded onboarding (30‑ and 90‑day in‑person check‑ins), targeted recruitment efforts with local universities, and continuing professional supports for teachers.

Staff engagement survey results showed an overall district mean of 4.22 on a 5‑point scale, with the highest‑ranked survey item scoring 4.58. The district also reported recognition as a top workplace for the ninth consecutive year and six years of receiving a meaningfulness award (year counts provided by staff). Family survey responses showed a baseline mean of 4.37, and staff said they plan to increase reminders to encourage higher family participation rates.

Facilities and community use

District facilities staff reported continued investment in roofing, parking lot maintenance (sealcoating on roughly a three‑year schedule), replacement of long‑worn carpeting at Lake Denoon, new railings at Bay Lane and community contributions for athletic facilities (scoreboard back panel donated by youth football group; community donations for batting cages). The district said community use of facilities remains high, with an internal scheduling platform in place and roughly 40,000 hours of after‑school community use and about 10,000 events scheduled between July and December of the preceding year.

What district leaders said they’ll do next

District leaders said they will continue to monitor enrollment, assessment trends and staff survey participation, refine curriculum implementation where results indicate needed adjustment (particularly in elementary ELA), and present more granular participation percentages for surveys and other data in future reports.

No formal board action was taken on the academic and personnel presentations during the annual meeting; these items were informational and are slated for continued discussion in committee and future board meetings.