Chisago Lakes highlights growth at Wildcat Community Center; community education revenue and programs expand
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Summary
District Director of Community Education presented growth in programming and revenue at the Wildcat Community Center, citing expanded participation, new staff roles and targeted outreach that increased early-childhood screenings. Board members praised outreach and community partnerships.
Dan, director of community education for the Chisago Lakes School District, told the board the district's community-education programs and the Wildcat Community Center have grown in recent years, with revenue rising from about $2.2 million in the 2021'22 school year to roughly $3.5 million in the most recent year and more than 5,000 youth served historically.
Dan said the program now operates with five full- and part-time staff supporting 15 program areas and works with more than 60 community partners. "We're super proud of that," he said, noting the district contracts with external partners to expand offerings and increase access.
Dan highlighted staffing changes that he said helped drive results: an early-childhood coordinator, Jessica Hansen, and a member-benefit coordinator, Stacy Pullman, who has increased participation in senior programs and partnerships such as SilverSneakers and Renew Active. Dan said those positions contributed to a jump in preschool screening rates, which the district reported rose from 62% to 81% in the most recent year.
The director described how the Wildcat Community Center serves different populations throughout the day: early-morning fitness users, a midmorning senior population, after-school programming for middle- and high-school students, and evening family activity periods. He said that programming mix both serves community needs and helps increase facility use and modest revenue from rentals and memberships.
Board members praised the outreach and marketing work that supported these gains; one trustee credited a marketing position and targeted mailings for the increase in preschool screening. Dan said the district will continue to track outreach and enrollment data as open-enrollment season begins and to refine programming and facility scheduling.
The presentation concluded with Dan thanking staff and volunteers and noting the district planned to collect toiletry items for seniors during the holidays as part of ongoing community-access programming.