Wayzata board reviews record public input, plans community engagement with superintendent finalists

Wayzata Public Schools on Feb. 4 reviewed a record public engagement summary of the district’s superintendent search and agreed to bring community voices into the final round of interviews through site tours and short representative question‑and‑answer sessions.

Barb Dawn, director of executive search services at the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA), told the board the survey drew 2,025 completed responses and a large set of open‑ended comments. "I'm really pleased to be here tonight to take the next step in the superintendent search for Wayzata Public Schools," Dawn said while outlining how MSBA analyzed quantitative results and themes.

The engagement results show broad interest across stakeholder groups: roughly 41% of respondents identified as parents or guardians, about 37% identified as students and roughly 17% as staff, Dawn said. MSBA identified top priorities that rose across groups: budget and finance, collaborative leadership and curriculum development and evaluation. Students emphasized a welcoming school climate, a wide variety of classes and concern about enrollment and facilities.

MSBA said staff read every comment and used an AI tool to…