Parents, teachers and staff urge Winona school board to rescind elementary reconfiguration; board member signals intent to revisit vote

A wave of public comments at the Winona Area Public School District Board of Education meeting focused on a December board action to reconfigure the district’s elementary schools. Dozens of parents, teachers and staff urged the board to reverse that decision, saying the change would harm students with disabilities, fragment families and risk staff departures and enrollment declines.

Speakers at the public-comment portion described a range of concerns about the reconfiguration approved Dec. 19, which would move large groups of students between buildings, separate kindergarten cohorts from older peers and shift special-education placements. The comments repeatedly requested the board rescind the prior vote and pursue a more fully developed plan informed by data, accessibility reviews and clarified budget impacts.

“I will not compromise when it comes to my child’s education,” said Britney, who identified herself as a WAPS graduate and parent, summarizing the sentiment of many speakers who said they felt the decision had been made without adequate consideration of community input. Several parents said they would consider withdrawing their children from district schools rather than accept the proposed changes.

Staff and special‑education advocates described specific accessibility risks. Wendy, a special‑education educational assistant at Goodview Elementary, told the board that…