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Wayzata facilities team outlines referendum timeline, proposes task force and September community survey
Summary
District facilities staff and consultants presented a proposed timeline for a possible facilities referendum, recommending a community task force, a September survey, an October recommendation to the board and a November 10 board finalization if the district aims for an April special election; no decision was made at the work session.
Wayzata Public Schools' Director of Operations John Deutch and consulting partners from Mold Architects and Kraus Anderson outlined a proposed timeline for a potential facilities referendum at the board work session Monday, proposing a task force, community survey and specific calendar milestones for board consideration.
Deutch said the timeline is designed to produce a preliminary concept for a bond scope and to gather community feedback before a board decision. The consultants recommended establishing a community task force in August, conducting a districtwide survey in September, and returning preliminary recommendations to the board in late October so the board could finalize any referendum plan by Nov. 10 if it wished to target an April special election.
Presenters described an engagement sequence that includes: continued steering-committee and principal-level capacity work through June–August; a small community task force (three meetings suggested) to review background, survey results and prioritization; and one or more board work sessions in August and November to review recommended scope and tax impacts. The presentation noted statutory and administrative timing constraints tied to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) review and comment process: MDE has up to 60 days for review, and the district must publish the commissioner's letter 45–60 days before an election. Presenters said a Nov. 25 submission deadline to MDE was included in the timeline so a district that wanted an April special election would meet the required publication windows.
Deutch and consultants also discussed non-capacity projects that could be considered for a referendum package, including transition-center improvements, build-out of the second floor at the early-learning site, pool work in partnership with the community, and special-education space upgrades. They advised the board that project prioritization should weigh community input on needs, probable tax impact and site constraints.
Board members asked how the district would engage municipal and county partners. Consultants said city and county engagement is optional but typical, and the district has engaged with the City of Medina and Plymouth informally where infrastructure or development issues intersect with proposed facility sites. Board members also asked how MDE evaluates referendum submissions; consultants said MDE determines whether a plan is "educationally advisable" (the usual outcome sought); a plan deemed "not educationally advisable" would require a 60% supermajority for voter approval instead of a simple majority.
Presenters noted the timeline includes early-voting windows and practical campaign considerations: early voting could begin as early as March 2 in an April special election, and survey outreach prior to formal board action would inform the task force's prioritization.
No vote or formal action was recorded; the presentation was informational and board members asked for continued updates and a plan for keeping the full board engaged between facilities-committee and SLT (superintendent's leadership team) work sessions.
