Waunakee board adds up to five kindergarten seats and shifts staff to expand in-district 4K after partner changes

The Waunakee Community School board voted to increase full‑day kindergarten open‑enrollment by four seats (with allowance for a fifth) and endorsed a budget committee recommendation to reallocate three K–4 teacher positions to create in‑district 4K classrooms at each elementary school.

The board’s action follows updated parent-response data gathered by district staff after the December meeting. Steve, presenting the budget committee’s recommendation, said the committee favored an option that reallocated three teachers so the district could ‘prepare ourselves to have the capacity to serve all the 4‑year‑olds in the community’ if needed. The reallocation was recommended 3–0 at the committee level.

Administrators told the board that at least two prior partner sites — including The Villages and Saint John’s — have announced they will partner with the state program instead of the district next year. Steve told trustees that change means “we would no longer as a district have the capacity to serve all of the 4‑year‑olds in the community if they chose to sign up with us,” creating pressure to add district‑based options and to plan transportation.

Board members pressed staff on enrollment projections and safeguards. Trustees asked whether the reallocated classrooms would be filled only after partner sites were offered district spots; administration said Miranda will prioritize filling partner sites first and then district seats, and that a waiting‑list policy exists for when approved seats become available. Administrators also noted state rules allow some alternative open‑enrollment changes after the third‑Friday count, and that a waiting list and follow‑up offers can alter final enrollments.

Several trustees cautioned against expanding kindergarten sections beyond comfortable class sizes and asked to monitor summer counts before committing additional staffing. The board approved the motion by voice vote (ayes recorded) and directed staff to continue gathering parent intent data and to return to the budget committee or the full board if staffing purchases or hires become necessary.

Next steps: administration will continue Miranda’s outreach to families, finalize transportation planning with the policy committee, and provide updated counts to the budget committee before any further staffing hires are authorized.