A summary sheet of the survey results is below.  For more details, please click on this Link for the Full Survey Report

Staff & Community Conversations on Facility Needs | February 2024

Interested in learning about the February sessions?  Check out this executive summary for details.  Link to February Staff & Community Conversations Executive Summary

• February Community Conversations Presentation

• Images Reflecting Our Needs

• Pictures of attendee engagement.

Staff & Community Conversations on Facility Needs | November 2023

At each of the staff and community conversations, attendees spent time learning about the district, identified facility needs, and district financial background.  After hearing from the district and planning partners, Findorff (construction manager) and Somerville (architect and engineer) attendees were tasked with independently voting on what they felt are the greatest facility priorities the district should explore.

Interested in more information about the November sessions?  Check out this executive summary for details.  Link to November Staff & Community Conversations Executive Summary

• November Community Conversations

• Summary of Prioritization Voting

• Pictures of attendee engagement and prioritization/voting exercise

Long-Range Facility Planning

Since early 2022, the School District of Westfield and Board of Education have been focused on assessing our facilities and grounds to develop a long-range facility plan.                               

Long-range facility planning is a process used to make decisions regarding current and future facilities and sites.
Planning is supported by:

• Analyzing current facilities conditions

• Understanding objectives and drivers

• Engaging diverse stakeholder groups to understand values and priorities

• Developing creative and fiscally responsible facilities solutions

Each potential component identified within a long-range facility plan may not become an immediate reality.  The goal is to establish a clear vision for facilities as the foundation for fiscally responsible decision-making today and in the future.

Did you know?  We began our long-range facility planning process in summer 2022 with a comprehensive facility study.

Long-Range Facility Planning Timeline

• February-September 2022:  Board approved conducting facility study and accepted the report findings

• June 2022:  District used ESSER funds to update HVAC systems

• February-July 2023:  Board approved conducting educational adequacy and capacity study and accepted the report findings

• August 2023:  District completed work funded by ESSER

• November 2023:  District held first series of Community and Staff Conversations on Facility Needs - 6 meetings, 180+ attendees, 100% agreed the meetings were valuable & informative

• February 2024:  Community and Staff Conversations on Facility Needs - Focus: Potential solution(s) with costs to address facility needs and priorities identified from community and staff input

• April 2024:  District-wide community and staff facilities survey

• August 27, 2024:  Referendum adoption deadline

• November 5, 2024:  Potential facilities referendum

Facility History Timeline

To better understand how the School District of Westfield began, we encourage you to read through this document.  The timeline was created to showcase our rich history and reinforces the uniqueness of our 22 municipalities that joined to form one unified district.

Click on this link to view the history of our school district.

Communications & Engagement Outreach

We are committed to involving all district stakeholders throughout our planning efforts.  This will be accomplished through a variety of communications and engagement outreach including Community & Staff Conversations, direct mail, e-newsletters and emails, a community-wide survey sent to every address in the district, and more.

Keep your eyes open for our first postcard that will be in your mailboxes the week of October 16th inviting you to our first round of Community & Staff Conversations in November.

Click here to access the postcard invitation to the Community & Staff Conversations on Facility Needs.   Click here to access the flyer.

Questions?

Michelle Johnson, District Administrator

Email Michelle Johnson

(608) 296-2141 ext. 1011

Veronica VanDerhyden, Business Manager

Email Veronica VanDerhyden

(608) 296-2141 ext. 1006