Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Trends for HLWW School District



The school district is growing, said Robert
Wuornos, as he explained the demographic report to the Howard
Lake-Waverly-Winsted (HLWW) School Board last Monday.

Wuornos is director of marketing research from
Northwest Associated Consultants, Inc.

“We have identified past and current trends,
and you have to take that information and determine the future
(for your schools),” said Wuornos.

“What happens with Twin Cities’ development
will affect what happens here,” he said.

There are increasing job opportunities and
industrial development within acceptable drive times on the western
edge of the cities, Wuornos told the school board members.

“Highway 12 will help people decide where
they will locate, and both Howard Lake and Waverly have new housing
developments on-line,” he said.

Waverly is working on a new industrial site,
and Howard Lake is trying to work on the same problem, he explained.

“We did a traditional growth projection
and a more rapid growth projection,” he said.

By the year 2015, the slower rate would show
1,394 school age students and the more rapid growth projects 1,646
students according to the charts.

According to district records, there are 945
students for the 1997-1998 school year, not including the preschoolers.

Wuornos said, “The numbers we project
can help you determine your facility needs. These figures do not
reflect the open enrollment students or the parochial school students.
Currently, you have 249 open enrollment students attending other
schools, and 17 students being home schooled.”

Board Member Randy Heuer asked, “How do
we compare with other school districts with the home schooling
and the open enrollment?”

“I suspect it is a little higher than
other schools in the outlying areas, but the home schooling is
about the same,” said Wuornos.

Superintendent Riley Hoheisel said, “There
are well over 100 students who attend other schools in the Winsted
area because of the school consolidation. It is just closer for
them.”

“Some of the students are very loyal to
other schools,” said Board Member Mary Pettit, “and
day care is another issue.”

Hoheisel said that Winsted was one of the last
district schools to operate without a high school. Many of Winsted’s
students went to Lester Prairie.

Board Member Leo Weber said the siblings in
the families just followed the older ones.

Wuornos said, “You should be able to capture
the families that move into the district.”

Pettit said she didn’t think the Laker Pride
committee got good response from the survey that was sent out.

“You need to call and speak with someone
or do a face-to-face interview to get good results,” said
Wuornos.

He said everything depends on what happens
inside the metropolitan service area in the next few years.

“(This area) is an opportunity for people
to live in a non-threatening community with the opportunity to
be able to commute to a job,” he said.

Hoheisel said he thought the culture and mindset
of the community was toward growth.

“Howard Lake and Waverly are looking for
industrial site properties. They are pro-active and progressively
planning for the future,” he said.

“(Both cities) are looking to bring new
housing units into the market,” said Wuornos.

Board Member Michael Steckelberg said, “The
metro phone service in Waverly will give a boost to businesses
and should be a significant draw factor for the district.”

Hoheisel said there are almost 100 preschoolers
enrolled in the district program, which is significantly more
than in previous years.

“If we can find the right person to contact
each one of the preschool parents, develop a script of questions,
and develop a relationship with these parents, we can promote
our schools,” he said.

He said the parents should probably be contacted
at least twice a year, and this should be followed up with printed
materials.

At the end of the discussion, the board members
decided to give the report, along with the architects’ long range
planning study done last winter, to the Buildings and Grounds
committee.

The committee will come back in 60 days with
some recommendations for the board.

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