Schools

Meet the Wayzata School Board Candidates: Jay Hesby

Seven people have filed for four open seats on the Wayzata School Board. Incumbent Jay Hesby has been on the board for one term and is seeking re-election to a second, four-year term.

Patch asked candidates five questions about their backgrounds and important issues facing the school district.

Check back with regularly to see information on each candidate and feel free to ask your own questions of the candidates below each article.

Jay Hesby is one of seven who have filed for the four open seats on the Wayzata School Board.  The four spots are each a four-year term. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

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Background: (Political experience, career/job experience, family, volunteer or other civic engagement.)

Hesby: "I ran for the Wayzata School Board in 2007 and won. I have been in that seat for four years. I live in Plymouth. I am the Vice President at Wells Fargo & Co. Corporate Development. I am on the Board of Directors at Speak The Word Church International in Golden Valley. I was also a coach for the Plymouth-Wayzata Area Youth Football and Baseball teams through 2010.

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Budget: How do you plan to address the school district's budget issues? What are the main issues with the district's budget? What can or cannot be done at the School Board level to address those issues?

Hesby: "We must maintain prudent fiscal management practices (e.g. with outstanding administrative staff, the Citizens Financial Advisory Council and a conservative fund balance)."

"A significant portion of the district’s funding comes from the state of Minnesota, which introduces a level of uncertainty (e.g. recent state budget issues."

"A [school] board cannot always predict where state will land on funding. A board can obtain voter-approved local support (already happens in Wayzata to the extent permitted by law thanks to our highly supportive community) and set policy to maintain prudent fund balances (also happens in Wayzata thanks to past boards’ foresight)."

Enrollment/facilities: How should the district address enrollment and facility use issues? What are the main issues with the district's enrollment and facility use?

Hesby: "Staff constantly monitors current and projected enrollment and capacity needs and recommends actions to optimize the use of our buildings and learning experience within established guidelines."

"The district enjoys strong demand both internally via growing resident enrollment (new construction and existing home sales to families with school-aged children) and from open enrollment. The challenge is to manage this dynamic enrollment flows within the context of overall district capacity. Our facilities are also aging and will need some investment in the near term to deliver the excellence we require. Both issues have recently received significant and appropriate staff and board level attention."

Curriculum/testing: What do you think should be changed with what is being taught in the classrooms today? How do you think issues of meeting state and federal student achievement standards can be addressed? What is missing to improve student achievement in the Wayzata School District? (Or do you think nothing is missing?)

Hesby: "I’m not aware of dramatic changes needed in what is being taught in our classrooms at Wayzata. I’m very interested in maintaining an appropriate focus and priority on math and literacy achievement throughout all primary and secondary education years."

"Some federal mandates will need to be re-evaluated. Obviously, we want all students to be successful Wayzata currently has several initiatives underway to help each and every student reach their potential and meet or exceed established standards."

"I don’t think much is missing. We are doing many things well at Wayzata (evidenced by strong standard test results, favorable constituency feedback and favorable college outcomes). District administration and staff are continually seeking to refine teaching and learning methods and interventions to increase student achievement. When the hunger and drive to keep improving is gone, we’ll truly be missing something, but that is not the case currently."

Image: How do you think the district is perceived by those who live in it and those who do not? What do you think can be improved for the district to better communicate with the community and others? How would you address issues with the district's image?

Hesby: "The general perception that I hear about Wayzata schools is remarkably favorable, both internal and external. I recently heard a middle-aged resident express how thankful they were that, early in their marriage, their spouse requested a move to the district so that when they had children they would attend Wayzata schools. Others outside the district have commented to me that they wish they could move here or get their child into one of our schools via open enrollment."

"Even though I think the district, in general, does a great job communicating, I think we can develop more robust feedback mechanisms to connect better with our constituency.

"To address issues with the city's image I would emphasize the outstanding academic accomplishments and terrific college outcomes of our students to an even greater extent."


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