South Winneshiek School Board approves the recommendations of the South Winn Future Direction Committee

The South Winneshiek School Board on Monday night unanimously accepted the recommendations made by the Future Direction Committee.  The committee had been studying for more than a year questions about the future of the school district.

Earlier this fall the Future Direction Committee had concluded that no major changes were needed for the school district, but had several pieces of advice:

a.    Maintain a healthy respect for budget and finances to ensure financial independence and solvency.
b.    Continue to seek and implement sharing opportunities that are equitable and educationally effective.
c.    Continue to grow and enhance the South Winneshiek-NICC relationship.
d.    Establish a cadenced dialogue between South Winneshiek and local parochial schools to maximize educational effectiveness and cost efficiency.
e.    Investigate the pros/cons of moving the 7th/8th grade from Ossian (Elementary/Middle School) to Calmar (High School) campus to see if such a move would create a greater overall educational experience in a more cost effective manner.
f.    Educate the community about the strengths of a South Winneshiek education.
g.    Market the advantages and assets that South Winneshiek has to offer to grow enrollment.

The school board thanked Committee members "for their time, effort and commitment on behalf of the students and the entire community of the South Winneshiek Community School District."

School officials say they want a school district where students thrive, not just survive.