Whitewater Times

The Watertown Unified School District’s Strategic Planning Workgroup held its third meeting on July 10, continuing its effort to develop the district’s next strategic plan.

During the meeting, participants heard a state-of-the-district presentation from Superintendent Dr. Jarred Burke, focused on current and projected enrollment numbers and their future implications on the district. Dr. Lori Mueller of the Donovan Group, who is facilitating the process, then led participants through an exercise to determine the district’s new vision.

The Workgroup reviewed the potential opportunities and threats for the district that it outlined at its last meeting and then began the process of identifying and prioritizing strategic directions.

“Our Strategic Planning Workgroup is doing tremendous work to help determine the direction of our school district as we strive to continually improve on behalf of our students,” said Dr. Burke. “We had a productive and insightful conversation on July 10, and we look forward to continuing this process later in the month. This is an exciting time for the WUSD as we plan for the future.”

The strategic planning process is outlining a path to sustainability and growth for WUSD in the years to come. In driving the process, the workgroup is focused on key areas of student performance and growth, educator quality, community engagement, and facilities and operations.

The process began this past spring with a series of focus groups with district leaders. Community and staff engagement sessions were also held to further gather thoughts on the district's future direction. Engagement session participants provided their thoughts on traditions, innovation, and transformation within WUSD.

The next Strategic Planning Workgroup meeting will take place Tuesday, July 23, from 6-8 p.m. at the Watertown Public Library. For more information, visit www.watertown.k12.wi.us/page/district.