[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6555899,"mediaKeyId","3336121-8e0d81b2dd984e4f23e51aa036c42450","parentId",3336121,"title","Board hears proposal to offer free season passes to Winona High students for home athletic events","audioSeconds",149,"startMs",4799000,"endMs",4948000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3336121-8e0d81b2dd984e4f23e51aa036c42450&start=4799&end=4948","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3336121-8e0d81b2dd984e4f23e51aa036c42450/thumbnail_4799000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6555899/Minnesota/Board-hears-proposal-to-offer-free-season-passes-to-Winona-High-students-for-home-athletic-events","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6555899-c1d84f508f2bcd31c39d8c2999aa5da0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770481469&Signature=YFvt3EW6LM0KK9jn8eHOs9EUpq8rfOf58o6ZlIflgu8JJlyJYGRXy71~koNwCUVzgXuDH~hk~QhDtmGnjaxE-X9ox~bTSvhx-MuvtswILbPqPj6~W1qKb62MhjckkmCbO-tMYBTXjW7LeF1zpHl1Txhym0Yjkpq-qKxKiw-QPVSgmrC0T8Rvm8TuuOsRH3mrJVpSVGcYOS54OgqIv9Qe4imWDOSo~v-wmaCTAZgPSdEFc-slYpfiylb~3s25r20coznsZt~0QzvXm37F-tV0RaBi~d0DcOhCd-xnZGyzOCWgadBZHihx~ffxln-wN8vr80eT1WGobDEjgc6cHjjKzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Winona Area Public School District","date","2025-05-16T01:19:16Z","article","Casey Under, who presented the item, described a proposal to provide free season passes to Winona High School students (including Alternative Learning Center students and students from co‑op partner schools) so they can attend home athletic events at no cost.

How it would work: Under said the district would use GoFan’s season‑pass feature to issue digital passes to students in advance; passes would arrive by email and be stored on a student’s phone wallet or presented as a screen at the gate. For students without a phone, the district would issue paper passes at the school office, she said.

Why it matters: Under said attendance at games benefits student engagement and that a $3 admission fee can still be a barrier for some students. “I would rather see them at our events than somewhere else,” she said, adding coaches and activity directors support the idea.

Operational concerns: The presentation flagged practical challenges: gate staffing and supervision, volunteers and parent ticket‑workers are increasingly scarce, and some facilities where the district plays are city‑owned and managed differently. Under said ticket‑worker pay in current contracts is out of date and noted the district may need to revisit worker compensation and the volunteer model.

Security, data and middle‑school participation: Under said GoFan encrypts transactions and the district will receive macro attendance counts (e.g., number of student passes used) but not detailed personal purchase data. The board discussed whether middle‑school students or JV/9th‑grade participants should receive passes; administrators suggested starting with high school and ALC and evaluating expansion.

Next steps: Staff said they will refine processes for students without phones, finalize co‑op arrangements and return the proposal with operational details and a plan to address staffing at events.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","WAPS School Board Meeting - 2025-05-15","oneSentenceSummary","Staff proposed a season‑pass program to give Winona High School students (including ALC and cooperatives) free admission to home varsity events via GoFan or paper passes, and flagged operational needs including supervision and ticket‑worker shortages.","taxTitle","WINONA AREA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Boards, Minnesota","taxId",65543,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6555904,"Votes at a glance: Winona Area Public Schools board approves school nutrition budget adjustment, adopts three policies and accepts donations",6712,568000,7280000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3336121-8e0d81b2dd984e4f23e51aa036c42450&start=568&end=7280","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3336121-8e0d81b2dd984e4f23e51aa036c42450/thumbnail_568000.jpg","/articles/6555904/Minnesota/Votes-at-a-glance-Winona-Area-Public-Schools-board-approves-school-nutrition-budget-adjustment-adopts-three-policies-and-accepts-donations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6555904-756e19c60b69234154009987745e42ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1770482988&Signature=d6TSIJhGWMWycmeBBjDha7KctH1y7kqp4r2pUX4UEWR8vdWjVqh~EGOd1y-QNIoelDLyLasssHjVY-qw36eD56PVoYwCaaP61s0yUYeuG8FcUkGiTt3sqiwiJK9q4Rey2pd6j2j-jPSI2vb8FRXeQs9hYAwC1BVM7SILUYoHCywR9Ny99w~RIbVM58pPbWNqHE-0~aKrVTMc1n9lHq9HSmWWmGdPMM7yJ1NG1-TgF4GVuq73P9AGn1kZ0uq-0fL7ImIlaz-elmJ8pO5BwrmcIEpN-poUwkF2scSRTtxiAaVYRVaFIvsy1l-C3t0RlPfQKmkJoydTZ0Lo0BRBNxma3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Winona Area Public School District board voted on several routine and action items during its May 15 meeting.

Key votes and outcomes
- School nutrition budget adjustment (2025): The board moved and approved the 2025 school nutrition budget adjustment. Motion carried after voice vote.
- Policies adopted (action): The board approved three policies in a single motion: policy 413 (harassment and violence), policy 623 (summer school instruction) and policy 721 (uniform guidance regarding federal revenue sources). Motion carried by voice vote.
- Consent agenda: The board approved the consent agenda (minutes, personnel/human resources items) by voice vote.
- Donations: The board adopted a resolution accepting donations. The donations roll call was conducted and the board accepted gifts and grants totaling $45,437.25 (donations listed in board materials included contributions to athletics, Project Compass, trap team, school‑based health clinics and multiple student trips and activities). The resolution read statutory language from Minnesota law during the motion.

Formal motions and recorded actions
All non‑recorded voice votes were reported in the meeting as “all those in favor say aye” with the chair announcing the motion carried. The donations resolution included a roll‑call confirmation; the board recorded affirmative votes on the donations resolution and the chair declared acceptance of the gifts.

What remains
Several items presented as briefings at the May 15 meeting — including the 2026 general fund, construction fund and OPEB trust (Fund 45) budgets — were presented for information and scheduled to return to the board for action at a future meeting.","At the May 15 meeting the board approved a school nutrition budget adjustment, adopted three policies on first action, approved the consent agenda and accepted donations totaling $45,437.25; several other items were presented as briefings and will return for action.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6555909,"Winona Area Public Schools previews 2026 budget; projects about 12.9 FTE net staffing reduction and holds fund balance near target",257,59000,316000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3336121-8e0d81b2dd984e4f23e51aa036c42450&start=59&end=316","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3336121-8e0d81b2dd984e4f23e51aa036c42450/thumbnail_59000.jpg","/articles/6555909/Minnesota/Winona-Area-Public-Schools-previews-2026-budget-projects-about-129-FTE-net-staffing-reduction-and-holds-fund-balance-near-target","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6555909-1b647a9869747c010c7b97b2ad560207/orig.mp4?Expires=1770485544&Signature=nzlio3vBVRBNfQeiejMcY0lmcko6a3Ddgi~jgwtam4Hj97UaZrql0j2tkTqUBWE4Mq6QdYFnqZ-SJif66w8TtADLzfSBigS6QdEXjTTU-6LZLj~bdyKExEYWqdbRQqDYk1QGdkvNfZQtneb5CfyNUivysxGHin0rrDUk6I4eQYGlG-F5tCVKjQzsusVFsF5iw6irs4k~qbb1ZQGdNIQoYeBuxp2ELZ8~i2plEHiKRIpPXnrVS2ohg6Rg2Xr2WyIE7YPHB52d211ED6LOcgpCN6ejKxZXRbz~z4zfoBRDySgxDt7-j~poZbsLjBgYhZYJEwQjSoZxexrShCEsydMLPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Brzezinski told the Winona Area Public School District board on May 15 that the administration is finalizing the preliminary 2026 budget and shared a staffing snapshot that shows a net reduction of about 12.9 full‑time equivalent positions for 2025–26.

The staffing summary reflects retirements, resignations, position eliminations and funding‑stream shifts already processed through human resources and the consent agenda, Brzezinski said. “The very first one on the list, the director of building and grounds, that’s a position that we’ve held open now since last July. Our intent is to continue to hold that open into the 25‑26 school year,” he said.

Why it matters: the staffing changes and budget moves influence class sizes, program coverage and the district’s ability to preserve an unreserved fund balance within the board‑adopted target. The board has also approved building reconfiguration steps that administrators said were baked into budget modeling.

Key figures and provisions
- Net staffing: administration presented a net reduction of about 12.9 FTE for 2025–26. By comparison the same snapshot a year ago showed 20.5 FTE reductions.
- Elementary sections: administrators project a reduction from 36 elementary sections to 31, a change tied to both reconfiguration and lower Title I funding. The district is monitoring kindergarten signups that could affect final section counts.
- Title I and federal grants: general‑fund federal revenue is projected to fall by about $915,000 (41.55%), driven in part by COVID grant spend‑down and prior carryover spending in Title I and other federal sources; staff said Title I carryover has been spent and the Title I budget for 2026 budgets only known salary/benefit costs.
- Major capital and one‑time items: the chiller project ($~900,000) and planned LTFM work are the primary drivers of a roughly $913,000 projected gap between general‑fund expenditures and revenues in the presented draft. A planned Bobcat purchase (~$72,000) appears in operating capital.
- OPEB (Fund 45) projection: staff projected $175,000 in interest revenue and $473,000 in expenditures in Fund 45 for fiscal 2026 (roughly $246,000 implicit subsidy, $214,000 direct retiree payments and ~$13,500 in trust fees), producing an approximate $300,000 spend‑down and a projected Fund 45 balance near $1.5 million at the end of FY26; under current assumptions Fund 45 would fund obligations through about FY2031.

What administrators said about hiring and vacancies
Superintendent Brzezinski told board members hiring is continuing: some positions will be filled from outside the district and some will be reshuffled among current employees. On the question of how many new hires will ultimately be required, he said the HR consent agenda that evening showed new hires are ongoing and that the district is balancing external hires with internal reassignments.

Board questions and schedule
Directors asked for more aggregate information about future hiring needs, and flagged outstanding items that could change final projections, including the transportation contract negotiations and pending labor agreements. Administrators said several budget items and briefings will return to the board for action at upcoming meetings; the general‑fund preliminary budget, the construction fund budget and the OPEB budget were all presented as briefings to be voted on at a later date.

Caveats and next steps
Staff emphasized that class‑section and staffing numbers presented on May 15 are a snapshot (document dated May 12) and will change as enrollments, boundary exception requests and final contract outcomes are confirmed; administrators said a more final class‑section report is typically brought back in August and that actual class sizes are not final until students attend in September.

Ending note
Administrators said the current draft keeps the district within its board policy fund‑balance target (projected unreserved general‑fund balance ~8.8%) under the assumptions used, while cautioning that the final picture depends on transportation contracting outcomes, negotiations with employee groups and summer enrollment movements.","Superintendent briefed the school board on the 2026 budget development timeline, a snapshot FTE comparison showing a net reduction of about 12.9 FTE, projected general‑fund pressure from a $900,000 chiller/LTFM cost and a planned bobcat purchase, and OPEB trust projections that would carry payouts through 2031 under current assumptions.","actionData","errors"]

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Board hears proposal to offer free season passes to Winona High students for home athletic events

Votes at a glance: Winona Area Public Schools board approves school nutrition budget adjustment, adopts three policies and accepts donations

Winona Area Public Schools previews 2026 budget; projects about 12.9 FTE net staffing reduction and holds fund balance near target