Watertown School District Launches Proactive, Multi-Year Plan to Secure Future Educational Quality

Watertown School District's leadership team discusses a newly launched multi-year strategy to enhance educational quality, aiming for lasting improvements in student experiences.

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The Watertown School District has unveiled a comprehensive, multi-year strategic and financial plan designed to address evolving demographic trends while committing over $10.8 million to facility upgrades and prioritizing competitive staff compensation.

During this week’s board discussion, district Superintendent Dr. Jeff Danielsen and Business Manager Heidi Clausen presented a detailed fiscal forecast, framing the strategy as a proactive, data-driven approach to ensure the district’s long-term financial health and maintain its standing as a regional education leader. The plan is structured to sustain a healthy fund balance, invest in the educational environment, and protect the quality of programs.

Commitment to Capital Investment and Facility Modernization

The five-year Capital Outlay plan (FY26–FY30) outlines significant investments in modernizing the district’s physical assets, with key projects scheduled to improve student safety, comfort, and learning…

Key projects and facility commitments include:

·         Air Conditioning Completion: The district is on track to finalize the air conditioning projects at Jefferson and Lincoln elementary schools by the summer of 2026, marking the successful completion of the effort to air condition all elementary buildings.

·         Infrastructure Improvements: Planned upgrades include resurfacing the Jefferson parking lot and replacement of the original 1960s lockers at the high school.

·         Safety and Accessibility: A new cement walking path is scheduled for construction to provide a wide, safe route connecting the Athletic Complex to the Intermediate School. This project requires an engineered plan to navigate the existing waterway, ensuring a permanent and secure access path.

·         Technology Refresh: The plan includes a strategic single-year allocation to fully fund the high school laptop rotation, allowing for a timely refresh of student technology without relying on long-term financing.

The plan also reserves $115,000 in FY28 for architectural and planning fees for a potential remodel and addition at the Northeast Tech facility. This measure positions the district to move quickly should matching funds or a major donor become available, securing the future growth of local Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that feed the local workforce…

Proactive Financial Strategy Preserves Workforce Competitiveness

Acknowledging a general trend of declining enrollment—a widespread issue across the region—the administration has developed a fiscal forecast that allows the district to absorb anticipated revenue loss responsibly.

While current financial health is strong (FY25 ending fund balance at 20.85%), projections indicate the need for roughly $3.2 million in expenditure adjustments over the four years from FY27 to FY30 to maintain a target fund balance of 15%.

Crucially, the district's financial planning is designed to protect its competitive edge in recruiting and retaining top educators. The forecast commits to a 2% annual increase in staff expenditures, a figure higher than the anticipated 1.25% increase in state aid. This aggressive posture is vital, as Watertown's average teacher compensation currently ranks among the highest in peer districts.

"We are ahead of the game," Superintendent Danielsen noted, emphasizing the value of proactive planning over reactive cuts. The goal, he stated, is to "preserve people and programs" and ensure the district's offerings remain commensurate with a double-A school.

Launching a Comprehensive Programmatic Review

To achieve fiscal efficiency while maintaining academic excellence, the district is launching a 7-12 Programming Review. This analytical "deep dive" is modeled after the successful elementary reorganization completed several years ago.

An internal administrative team will conduct the multi-year review before involving key stakeholders. Its goals include:

1.     Operational Efficiency: Identifying any duplication of services or inefficiencies across the middle and high school grade levels.

2.     Academic Rigor: Evaluating current course offerings, including dual credit and scheduling concepts, to ensure maximum student achievement.

3.     Program Preservation: Determining how to be more efficient with existing staff and resources to safeguard core academic programs, a wide variety of electives, and extracurricular opportunities.

In parallel, the district is establishing an external advisory group, informally dubbed "Friends of Arrows," composed of key community members, legislators, and former board members. This group will serve to clearly communicate the district’s financial realities and strategic planning to the broader community, building critical understanding and support for the district's long-term goals…

Superintendent Danielsen ended by describing the challenge as a puzzle to solve. "We're going to do this. We're going to save the people and programs, and we're going to figure it out," he stated, showing the district's committed attitude toward securing a vibrant future for Watertown students.