A public ISD 200 community collaboration meeting was held on June 8 at 6 pm in the Hastings High School Lecture
Hall.
With summer in full swing, public attendance was minimal. Six of the seven school board members were in attendance, and well as Superintendent Dr. Kristine Wehrkamp Herman, and administration staff.
The three question proposed at the ISD 200 Community Collaboration meeting were:
1. What part of our work to build trust and respect between Hastings Public Schools, the School Board, and the community is working well?
2. What part of our work to build trust and respect between Hastings Public Schools, the School Board, and the community is not working as well as it could be?
3. What ideas can you brainstorm to make our work to build trust and respect for Hastings Public Schools, the School Board, and the community even better?
The conversation focused on community engagement and efforts to rebuild public trust in the school board. One attendee said trust had been strained under previous boards but believes the current board is moving in the right direction.
The attendee said, “Trust is something you always have to keep working on. But it seems to me that people are trying to work together a little better now, and that’s a good thing.”
Another participants emphasized the need for greater transparency, clearer communication about board deliberations and decision-making, and more intentional outreach to the community.
Suggested strategies included the continuation of inviting teachers to present at board meetings, expanding the district’s social media presence, and increasing visibility through participation in community events.
The conversation also underscored the importance of addressing community concerns regarding district performance and public trust. Members stressed the need for tangible actions that demonstrate progress beyond the district’s strategic plans.
One proposed approach was the use of short, targeted communications—or “microbursts”—to regularly share performance metrics, highlight educational initiatives, and showcase student and staff successes. These efforts were viewed as opportunities to foster greater understanding, engagement, and confidence in the district’s work.
KDWA connected with ISD 200 School Board member Matt Bruns for his reflection on the Community Collaboration meeting.
(Actuality 1)
After the meeting, KDWA connected with attendee Lisa Hedin for her perspective of the work achieved within the collaboration meeting.
(Actuality 2)
[Click the soundbite to listen to the report.]