School board approves OPEB and debt-service budgets, discusses staffing and 2026 budget adjustments

The Winona Area Public School District board voted to approve the district's 2026 OPEB debt-service budget and the 2026 debt-service budget and reviewed proposed budget-adjustment scenarios for fiscal 2026.

The board approved the OPEB debt-service budget and the 2026 debt-service budget by voice vote; the meeting record shows the motions carried with no roll-call tallies recorded in the transcript. The board also approved the minutes of the March meeting by voice vote.

Budget discussion and proposed adjustments District leaders presented a set of scenarios showing reductions needed to reach board-policy targets for fund balance (an 8%–10% target range under board policy). Staff presented four scenarios (labeled A through D) with reductions ranging roughly from $600,000 to $1.6 million depending on whether the district measures fund balance by operating or unassigned categories. Staff identified several candidate adjustments: increased compensatory revenue (+~$130,000), increased general-education formula revenue (+~$135,000), coding changes using reserves (for example, literacy-incentive funds), a reduction of one full-time equivalent instructional coach (by reassigning duties), holding the director of building and grounds vacancy, reductions in elementary sections projected as enrollment changed (from 36 to 31 sections in the projection), a partial reduction in physical-education time, a partial reduction in school nurse time, elimination of a districtwide substitute-teacher position, and a projected need to add 1.5 FTE in special education to meet service needs.

Staffing and reconfiguration updates Superintendent Brzezinski said the reconfiguration staffing process is largely complete and that some teachers who were placed on unrequested leave at a prior meeting could be offered open positions as vacancies are finalized. He noted that the process has been emotionally difficult for affected staff and thanked HR leaders, principals and directors for their work. The board was told open houses for families are scheduled (Jefferson on April 14 and WK on April 21) and the district is considering an additional kindergarten meet-and-greet later in the spring.

Resolution placing teacher on unrequested leave The board adopted a resolution placing one teacher (named in the meeting notice as Ladon Kovala) on unrequested leave of absence under Minnesota Statute 122A.40, subdivision 10, effective June 6, 2025. The resolution text read that the placement was for specific grounds of financial limitations, merger of classes caused by consolidation and/or discontinuance of positions and that written notice would be sent to the teacher.

Votes at a glance - Approval of agenda: motion carried (voice vote). - Approval of 2026 OPEB debt-service budget: motion carried (voice vote). - Approval of 2026 debt-service budget (Fund 7): motion carried (voice vote). - Approval of March minutes: motion carried (voice vote). - Resolution placing teacher on unrequested leave (Ladon Kovala), effective 2025-06-06: approved by roll call (yes votes recorded: Michael Henry; Jack Hadeen; Martin Stycke; Carl Sonderman; Pete Watkins; Nancy Denzer).

Ending Board members asked staff to continue refining budget scenarios for future action and thanked administrators for carrying out the staffing work. The board scheduled further budget and staffing work ahead of the planned budget-adoption timeline in June.