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Finances

WSD will demonstrate good stewardship of financial resources by achieving clean audits, maintaining a fund balance in alignment with board priorities, and maintaining a balanced operating budget in 5 of 5 years.

Rationale

  • MSIP 6 requirement for Ethics; Operations and Resource Management; Personnel; School Safety; Class Size and Assigned Enrollments; Safe, Orderly, and Caring Environment; and Data Submission.
  • The finance department supports student success by making the best use of taxpayer dollars through informed decision-making, planned resource allocation, ongoing financial stability, providing accurate and timely financial statements, and enhancing organizational effectiveness.

Strategies for Implementation

  • Maintain balanced operating budget.
  • Provide balanced, five-year forecasts.
  • Maintain healthy fund balances.
  • Obtain unqualified audit opinions.
  • Effectively communicate financial information to internal and external stakeholders.
  • Actively pursue measures to gain efficiencies.

Staffing

WSD will increase retention, decrease vacancies, and increase satisfaction by 1% annually as measured by employee retention rates and employee satisfaction surveys.

  • WSD will decrease vacancies 1% annually as measured by employment openings.
  • WSD will increase retention 1% annually as measured by the DESE retention rate.
  • WSD will increase satisfaction 1% annually as measured by the Measurable Results Assessment.

Rationale

  • MSIP 6 requirement for Culture of High Academic and Behavioral Expectations; Operations and Resource Management; Personnel; and Safe, Orderly, and Caring Environment.
  • Fill historically vacant positions, and attract and retain high quality candidates for positions in the WSD.
  • Research shows turnover is costly for both certified and non-certified staff. In addition, the teacher shortage makes it difficult to fill all vacancies with highly qualified teachers.

Strategies for Implementation

  • Retention
    • Increase certified staff retention by 1% annually - *Data will be derived from DESE 3-year retention rate.
    • Increase classified staff retention by 1% annually - *Data will be derived at the end of fiscal year data.
  • Employee Satisfaction
    • Improve positive response rates for staff taking the MRA Survey > Culture > Supportive Environment for Staff > Staff Voice (9 questions) and Collective Efficacy (5 questions) from 76.94/100 to 83/100 over 5 years (by at least 1% annually).
  • Recruitment 
    • Decrease the number of classified staff vacancies by 1% annually. *Data will be derived at the end of fiscal year data.

Facilities

WSD will create, implement, manage, and revise a Master Facilities Plan that includes:

  • Growth and expansion
  • Upgrading and maintaining buildings
  • Safety and security
  • Proactive and efficient planning

As measured by successful completion of all critical needs projects and the number of buildings increasing in energy star rating, over the next 5 years.

Rationale

  • MSIP 6 requirement for Operations and Resource Management and School Safety.
  • WSD previously did not have a documented comprehensive long-range master facilities plan.

Strategies for Implementation

  • Implement long-range Master Facilities Plan
    • General growth and expansion of programming.
    • Upgrading and maintaining existing facilities.
    • Implementing and increasing safety and security.
    • Preventative maintenance planning and efficiency considerations.
    • Critical Roofing needs - 10 buildings.
    • Critical HVAC needs - 6 buildings.
    • Critical Energystar scores - 11 buildings.
    • Critical Playground needs - 9 sites.