KAUKAUNA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT A FUTURE READY EDUCATION BUILT ON COMMUNITY AND CARE WWW.KAUKAUNA.K12.WI.US
A FUTURE READY EDUCATION BUILT ON COMMUNITY AND CARE KAUKAUNA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT AT A GLANCE KAUKAUNA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT WHAT: A thriving school district serving 4000 students WHERE: Kaukauna, Wisconsin WEBSITE: www.kaukauna.K12.wi.us ENGAGING STUDENTS AND ALWAYS PUTTING THEM FIRST, THIS LEADING SCHOOL DISTRICT IS SET UP FOR SUCCESS 1 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08
Y T In Wisconsin’s Fox River Valley, the Kaukauna Area School District (KASD) stands out for its student centered approach, which is driven by engaged educators and supported by a clear, intentional strategic plan. “It’s about doing what’s best for kids,” stresses Superintendent Mike Slowinski.“We are ensuring that the decisions we make, whether it’s curricular, staffing, or budgetary, are made with that idea in mind. We also have adopted a philosophy and 2 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08
a core value of collective efficacy, which is that idea that by working together, we can have a tremendous impact on our student’s success.” “There’s a lot of expertise and wisdom in the room, and when we come together in really authentic, collaborative ways, we are able to do some pretty incredible things for our students, and our families.” NURTURING MINDS AND WELL-BEING At KASD the emphasis is on more than academics, it is a commitment to the whole child, from the youngest 4K learners to graduating seniors. Holly Magness, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Continuous Improvement, explains, “We’ve done a lot of work with our Equitable Multi Level System Support or EMLSS. That’s looking at our students as they’re learning from a social emotional lens, and from an academic lens as well, so that we can really think about that whole child and who they are as a learner.” The district works with external providers to offer on-site mental health support and also connects families with resources through Care Solace, a service that helps community members access therapists and counselors based on their specific needs. But Magness underscores the importance of support that begins in the classroom. “Before we even think about all of those needs, we look at how we instruct kids, how we honor and build relationships with students. We really value that student centered relationship,” she says. Visible learning strategies inspired by researcher John Hattie highlight the powerful impact of teacher beliefs and collaboration on student achievement. “We think about how important our collaboration is among teachers, and how we build that collective efficacy by being able to see each other’s craft, see how our teaching is done, and how students respond. That’s really something that we focus on here in our district,” Magness adds. MORE THAN CURRICULUM To ensure consistency across its seven schools KASD is implementing a new K–11 literacy curriculum. 3 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08 KAUKAUNA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT
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FUTURE-READY CLASSROOMS START WITH SMARTER DESIGN For more than 80 years, KI has been a leader in manufacturing and designing innovative furniture solutions, with a primary focus on the education sector. We’ve partnered closely with schools, districts, and institutions to evolve classrooms from static spaces into flexible, future-ready environments that reflect how today’s students actually learn. EDUCATION IS EVOLVING—SO SHOULD LEARNING SPACES Education is shifting—and fast. From collaborative problem-solving to hands-on exploration, learning today is more dynamic than ever. That’s why KI focuses on designing spaces that can keep up. Classrooms should support a wide range of activities, from group discussions and maker projects to quiet reflection and individual study.The right space makes all the difference. At KI, we approach every education project with a “customer of one” mindset. That means listening first, understanding the unique culture and vision of each learning community, and co-creating spaces that fit—not force—how educators teach and how students learn. THE LINK BETWEEN ENVIRONMENT AND ENGAGEMENT There’s strong data behind this approach. Studies show that students who regularly engage in creative, hands-on tasks develop stronger cognitive skills, retain information more effectively, and gain a deeper understanding of the material. They’re also more confident, more curious, and more willing to take academic risks—key traits in a fast-changing world. But learning doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s shaped by the physical environment. That’s why we design furniture that moves with students—literally. Desks on casters, soft seating options, and floor-level layouts enable learners to reconfigure their environment according to the task at hand. It gives students agency—and that agency fuels engagement. For younger learners, play is the gateway to discovery. For older students, flexibility allows for deeper collaboration and critical thinking. Our design philosophy supports both, from elementary classrooms to university innovation hubs. FUTURE-PROOFING EDUCATION Education leaders today are facing big questions: How do we prepare students for the unknown? How do we create learning spaces that won’t be obsolete in five years? At KI, we help answer those questions with furniture solutions for real-world environments that are adaptable, intuitive, and built to last. But ultimately, it’s about more than furniture. It’s about supporting the full learning experience. When students are comfortable, empowered, and inspired by their space, great things happen. That’s the power of good design—and it’s what KI brings to every learning environment we help create.
The goal is to help students build on the work of previous grades through a clearly defined scope and sequence. “Curriculum is not the answer to everything,” Magness acknowledges. “There’s still the art of teaching and different strategies that can really help us with student instruction, but having that access to the same curriculum, regardless of the school that you go to, is really critical for kids.” The district is also focusing on technology, using it as a tool to enhance learning outcomes. Each KASD student is equipped with a Chromebook, and a technology committee has been formed to help guide the implementation of the district’s “Future Ready” framework. “The Future Ready Framework is made up of seven different components of technology integration. It helps us to ensure that we are using technology in a really comprehensive and intentional way for teaching and learning,” details Slowinski. He notes that this helps to ensure effective use of technology and is one of 21 key performance indicators in the district’s Continuous Improvement Plan. “We’re really working to evaluate how we can best leverage the use of technology in the most appropriate circumstances,” he expands.“That means taking a look at the learning task at hand and figuring out what’s the best tool for us, technology or non technology, to maximize the students’ learning.” Additionally, several high school staff members are part of an AI Task Force, exploring how artificial intelligence can enhance instruction, support teachers, and help students understand how to use it effectively. BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE Strategic investment is helping KASD to build and grow, thanks to a successful $198 million capital referendum. The largest piece of the referendum projects is for the construction of a new middle school,” says Chris McDaniel, Director of Operations and Finance. “We are a fifth through eighth grade middle school. It’s a concept that’s worked well for us for well over a decade now. People felt strongly that the consistency in those four years really helps students.” With an expected completion date of fall 2028, this new middle school will be built on land 8 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08 KAUKAUNA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT
that connects to the high school campus. Along with this, the district is expanding Victor Haen Elementary to better align its 4K and 5K offerings. “By doing this, we now can offer families a similar experience throughout the whole district for students, regardless of where they live and it allows more families to attend the elementary school that is closest to their homes,” McDaniel outlines. Other projects include safety and security upgrades, as well as updated parking lots, doors, and building exteriors, the less glamorous elements that are essential. “We’re very fortunate, because with the 9 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08 KAUKAUNA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT
the community that we’re valuing the trust they put in us as a district.” ARTS, ATHLETICS, AND ENGAGEMENT Athletics and the arts are a source of pride for Kaukauna Area School District, showcasing both student and community engagement. McDaniel recounts,“We have an auditorium that’s really stood the test of time. It is a highly utilized space, not only by us, but by community groups as well. We’re very proud of that, and of the performances and the experiences that we are able to provide for our students and our community.” Music and performing arts programs are integrated into both the curricular and extracurricular experience, giving students early and consistent opportunities.“We have a very robust music offering,” he says. “Choir and instrumental and orchestra are strong programs, and that fifth through eighth grade middle school helps that, because they are able to start at a younger age.” community’s support for the referendum, we are able to address the future needs of our district in a comprehensive way, and the community supported this approach with over 60% of the vote,” he relays. “Now there is the pressure to do it right, because we feel strongly that it is our responsibility to show Miron Construction is proud to support local schools that educate and inspire students to reach their full potential. Together, we’re Building Excellence. LEARN MORE AT MIRON-CONSTRUCTION.COM LEGACIES BUILDING 10 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08
A dedicated team of coaches and advisors have been instrumental to KASD’s success. “For a school that’s our size we have some of the best programs in the state,” McDaniel conveys. “We are not only being recognized on the music side of things as being one of the best communities, but athletically we are very disproportionate with the amount of state championships we win.” Participation in these programs is encouraged and is used as another key performance indicator. “It is proven that the higher your test scores are, the more engaged students are in the school, which is a positive aspect for general mental health and school safety,” he asserts. CAREER READINESS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS Preparing students for life after high school is a top priority for KASD. “In the last three years, 99.7% of our seniors graduated with either some type of work experience or college credit from a high school course that they took,” touts Magness. Local partnerships make many of these opportunities possible, with businesses providing valuable work experience, and often hiring students after graduation. “It’s really been a win-win partnership for the school district, the students, and our local industries,” Slowinski asserts. Local partnerships play a role in many aspects of Kaukauna Area School District’s operations, from learning opportunities to capital projects. As part of its community focused approach, the district tracks involvement in its referendum projects through a dashboard. This tool monitors how many project workers live within the district’s zip codes SHAPING EDUCATIONAL SPACES FOR TOMORROW’S LEADERS Design to elevate people’s potential architecture : engineering : design 11 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08 KAUKAUNA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT
and tracks the economic impact returned to the local community through business contracts and partnerships.“Our community supported us through the referendum, and this is one way that we can be really intentional about making sure that the impact not only expands to the educational outcomes and experience for students, but our local economy as well,” remarks Slowinski. LOOKING AHEAD KASD’s continued progress is backed by an engaged and supportive community. “We invited our entire community to come together to help us create that vision for the future direction of the district,” Slowinski shares. “We had over 225 people take us up on that.” Their feedback helped shape 21 key performance indicators that guide every initiative in the district today. As Kaukauna Area School District enters the next phase of its strategic plan, the focus is on sustaining momentum. “Our real opportunity over these next 24 months is to set a foundation for where we want to be 10 years from now,” Slowinski imparts.“We’ve set ourselves up, and the community has set us up to really take a jump, to go from a very good district to a great district. We will continue to strive to be a premier district in every aspect of that word.” 12 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08
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PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n KI www.ki.com KI is an employee-owned leader in furniture design and manufacturing, delivering innovative, adaptable solutions to education, corporate, healthcare, and government sectors. With more than 80 years of experience and a legacy of product evolution, KI combines human-centered design with operational excellence to meet the dynamic needs of modern environments. n Miron Construction Co., Inc. www.miron-construction.com Miron is a leader in the education market, having served more than 100 Wisconsin districts and constructed 30+ million square feet of educational facilities. Our comprehensive services include facilities master planning, referendum planning, preconstruction, and construction management. Our educational team has more than 20 years of experience providing referendum assistance for 80+ successful referenda totaling over $2 billion in new and improved facilities for Wisconsin’s students, staff, and communities. n EUA www.eua.com EUA designs environments that elevate people’s potential. Our integrated architecture, engineering, and design team partners with K–12 and higher education clients, as well as leaders in healthcare, workplace, science + technology, and advanced manufacturing— delivering sustainable, community-focused solutions that support growth, innovation and well-being. 14 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08
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