Public Schools Must Change
One of the realities of recent state financial woes is that public schools must change if they are to continue to serve the public and democracy. The current recession has accelerated this decision but the truth is that the state has under funded schools for some time. I believe the reason is that there are just fewer tax dollars to support all that is being demanded by the public. That is neither good nor bad. It just is.
We all want the services to be there when we need them. Good roads, good jobs, good medical care, support for the indigent, good government, good infrastructure, and good schools. How do we pay for all of these societal needs yet maintain the quality of services we expect our government to provide? I think that we all must find a new way of operating. We need a new way of providing the funding, a more efficient way of using the funding available, and a new way of producing the outcomes we all expect. If we can all agree on one thing, it is that we must find a better way of moving our society forward. For education, we must find a way to improve our product but streamline the support needed to do so. This may mean establishing different priorities, setting different goals, and finding new ways of educating students more efficiently without sacrificing effectiveness.
Perhaps the place to start is to identify what our product should be? What does a properly educated student look like, behave like, produce, or accomplish? How much influence will there be in that definition from federal, state, and local educators? Once we define that product, how do we create a system that produces the excellence we desire.
When creating that system that produces the excellence we expect, how do we make that system efficient? To do this, we must look at the way we deliver educational services. For example, do we need to continue to educate youngsters isolated in one location? Are there options that did not exist when the current education model was created? Does the school need to provide all supportive activities and services for students? If it does not, who provides those services? Do we need to transport, feed, provide limited medical services, counseling, family support, and other services we now provide? Are the schools to provide entertainment through activities for the community? The answers to these questions are part of what the community wants provided. Can we afford all this and carry-on our primary function of educating students to achieve the desired level of excellence? Has our mission been expanded so as to reduce funding and energy away from our primary mission of academic excellence? That depends largely on how we define a “comprehensive education” for our youngsters.
As we debate the sources and adequacy of our funding for public schools, let us also discuss what we want our education system to produce and find more efficient ways to deliver those services without losing effectiveness. The very future of our children depend on the answers we find.
We are on the brink of putting a strategic plan together to search for the answers to some of these questions. We will need caring, informed citizens to help us in that process. Please get involved with this effort to truly redefine our schools and how we can better fund them.
Marvin Estes
Message from the Superintendent
Welcome to the Viking Website and Winfield Public Schools
Welcome to the USD 465, Winfield Public Schools website. The Vikings have a proud history of quality education and we are equally proud of our progress towards even higher student performance and education excellence. Our students and our district are successful because of the excellent community support for the public schools. We are also thankful for the many formal agreements we have within the community and area that support public and private education. Currently, we have agreements with the Cowley County Special Education Cooperative, Cowley County Mental Health, Southwestern College, Cowley College, The Community Learning Center, Holy Name Catholic School, Trinity Lutheran School, William Newton Memorial Hospital, The Snyder Foundation, South Central Kansas Education Learning Center, Winfield Recreation Center, Winfield Youth Wrestling Club, The City of Winfield, The Viking Booster Club, Sunshine Day Care, Mind Builders After School Program, The Winfield Correctional Facility, The Winfield Veterans Home and Cemetery, and many non-profit organizations that assist our students in so many different ways.
The 2009-2010 school year presents many challenges but especially in the area of school funding which has been greatly reduced by cuts in state school funding due to lost state-wide tax revenues. The district and staff have worked hard to maintain education quality and services without significant loss of programs and personnel. The Kansas Legislature may initiate even more cuts for this school year. We will continue, as we have in the past, working hard to maintain the most vital parts of our education services. As the year progresses, we will most likely be required to find creative ways to deliver the vital services to our students and community with fewer resources. Our challenge, and it will be difficult, will be to improve our services, improve our skills as educators, and improve our student’s performance even in such a restrictive environment. More than ever, we will need the increased support of parents and community to assist us in reaching our high expectations and goals for ourselves and our students. Our goal this year is not to just SURVIVE, but to THRIVE.
Thank you for your interest in the Winfield Public Schools and please contact us and let us know how we can better serve you and your children.
Marvin Estes
Superintendent
