Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District
April 15, 2023
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Community Conversation 2014
On February 6th, 7th and 8th in 2014 over 140 community members, parents, business leaders and school district staff gathered to give input on the vision for the future of the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District. To read about the 2014 event, please visit this link: (//cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/district/Communityforexcellence.cfm).
Community Conversation 2020
On February 1st, 2020 approximately 125 people participated in the 2020 Community Conversation to provide input on the vision for the future of the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District. To read about the 2020 events, please visit this link: (https://cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/district/CommunityConversation2020.cfm).
It's Time Again!
It has been three years since the last Community Conversation and it was time to update the district Strategic Plan. Once again, the Board of Education and District Administration invited community members in for a conversation to gather input about our community's vision for its school district.
Design Team:
The community conversation was designed by the community, not just for the community. Design Team members worked from February through April to plan the events of the day. Design Team members were specifically selected to represent a cross-section of our community.
| Team Member |
Stakeholder Representation |
| Lona Cook |
Business Community, Health Care Community, Parent |
| Tim Easker |
Human Services |
| Rolly Enderes |
Business Community |
| Craig Fleischhacker |
Emergency Services |
| Nick Grunseth |
Teacher, Parent |
| Michael Houle |
Faith Community |
| Janet Marty |
Parent |
| Kevin Mason |
Post-Secondary Community |
| Steve Olson |
Board Member |
| Hailey Rykal |
Student |
| Liz Seubert |
Business Community, Parent |
| Kathy Strecker |
Business Community, Economic Development |
| Jeff Holmes |
Administrator |
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Participants:
Approximately 113 participants pre-registered for the event. Between those who were not able to attend and those who registered on the day of, approximately 104 people participated.
Participants self-reported their association with various stakeholder groups during the registration process. Participants could select multiple categories for who they represented. The breakdown of registrants, per their self-reported stakeholder groups identified on their registration forms, were as follows:
| Students |
11% |
| Parents |
43% |
| Emergency Services |
1% |
| Post-Secondary |
3% |
| Business Community Members |
15% |
| Staff Members |
25% |
| Faith Community Members |
11% |
| Human Services |
8% |
| Health Care |
4% |
| Economic Development |
5% |
| Service or Civic Organization |
9% |
| Alumni |
10% |
| Other |
19% |
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Student Showcases:
Student opportunities and productions were featured throughout the event. A string quartet played in the background as participants registered, viewed students' displays, and enjoyed breakfast. A wooden thank you keychain was made by the Tech Ed department. While participants were filtering in and waiting to begin, they were able to visit tables of student displays showcasing their work in organizations including: BARR, Cardinal Athletics Mental Training, Chemistry Club, Distributive Education Clubs of America, Chi-Hi Baseball team, Chi-Hi Football team, Environmental Club, Equestrian team, Future Business Leaders of America, Future Farmers of America, and National English Honor Society. The kick off to the event was a performance by the Stillson Singers led by Mrs. Jennifer Kuehl. The final message of the day was a student thank you video featuring students from Stillson Elementary School.
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Conversation 2023:
The Pillar Coaches of the school district reported on the progress made since the 2020 Community Conversation, along with the outcomes of the event. During the meeting, participants had the opportunity to share their reactions and opinions in both small and large group discussions. Additionally, Superintendent Holmes shared feedback obtained from focus groups with students, families, and community business members. These focus groups were facilitated by a representative from Studer Education. Furthermore, feedback was presented from a “Future of Education” roundtable with staff members. As before, participants discussed and shared their reactions in small and large groups. The next agenda item was to identify the issues and trends that the community members face in education and the youth, as seen from their perspective. Finally, participants were engaged in an activity where they shared their vision of what the school district would look like in 2033. Through this activity, common themes were identified from the various group articulations. Following this, the group voted on what they believed were the top themes or priorities for the school district to focus on in the future.
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Conversation 2023 Themes or Priorities:
| Theme |
Participant Counts |
| Create a symbiotic relationship between the school district, community and business partnerships focused on developing life and social skills and expanding work-based experiences. |
53 |
| Mental Health services will be widely available for students, staff, and families from multiple agencies. |
52 |
| Recruit and retain a diverse, qualified staff and student population with community support. |
48 |
| Establish volunteer and community service options to prioritize social emotional and soft skills at all grade levels. |
44 |
| Provide state-of-the-art facilities to accommodate our students and community’s diverse needs. |
37 |
| Foster an environment that encourages and celebrates diversity, equity, and inclusion. |
30 |
| Teachers are supported, trusted, and empowered and therefore are satisfied. |
21 |
| Explore options to change to a more flexible schedule (80/20) or ratio of 4:1 schedule. |
19 |
| Establish what individual education looks like at each level while considering how schedules impact learning. |
15 |
| Provide smaller student:staff ratios to build stronger relationships. |
14 |
| Provide personalized pathways focused on strengths and assets, providing ample support and building resilience through teaching necessary future skills while valuing all. |
9 |
| Provide exposure to different pathways through education and the options and ways to get there. |
7 |
| Continue to encourage students opportunities beyond the core subjects and beyond the school walls. |
6 |
| Develop student portfolios that highlight the assets that all of our students have and develop. |
6 |
| Provide support to our early childhood programming and families. |
5 |
| Provide clear communication to all stakeholders about school funding and use of funds, so community members and groups are aware of financial needs. |
5 |
| Develop an updated policy for appropriate technology use. |
5 |
| Create learning environments that support a holistic approach to asset-based development. |
3 |
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Participant Feedback:
At the end of the day, participants provided feedback about their experience. The feedback provided included the participants’ takeaways that they would like the district’s strategic planning team to consider and to describe their overall experience. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and participants enjoyed the information that was provided. The key takeaways are as follows:
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The community conversation was successful and well executed.
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The event had a solid plan, which included recruiting a talented group of leaders from various stakeholder groups who actively participated in the design of the process.
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The intentional plan to provide a welcoming experience to the participants was effective, including an energetic registration team, student displays, and musical performances.
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Participants had lively conversations during the table discussions, with nearly everyone actively engaged in the discussions.
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There were common ground themes and participants seemed pleased with the themes that were identified.
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The feedback forms contain comments that can be incorporated into the summary of the efforts and the follow-up with the participants.
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The event effectively used the time to generate the outcomes that were identified.
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The community cares about each other and is interested in providing a quality educational experience to all students.
Next Steps:
A crucial next step is that the administrative team is meeting for a strategic planning kick-off on May 23, 2023. With the assistance of Studer Education, the team will delve into the themes and priorities that the community considers to be crucial. Their next step is to weave this knowledge together with their own expertise, experience, and other organizational data to create an initial draft of the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan for Board consideration at their regular July Board meeting. The goal is to develop a living document that will provide direction and clarity for the District's efforts in the years ahead. |
Photos -- If you are prompted for a password, it is Cardinals |
| Last Updated: 1/9/24 |
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