New Byron superintendent ready to take on challenge of levy vote

One month into his new role as Byron Public Schools superintendent, Nate Walbruch says he is working to connect with district residents and their values and help to shape the schools to meet those values.
Top on the list of concerns for Walbruch and the school board, he said, is securing the passage of an operating levy that will allow the district to get its finances in order. Byron, like all Minnesota districts, is facing financial challenges from a variety of sources. Most funding comes from state aid, which is based on a per pupil formula. The more students, the more funding will be received from the state.
In the past, Byron has seen growth in the number of students each year, so there has not been a need for an additional per pupil levy. Now, the student population has been decreasing, and costs have been increasing.
When a school board plans the budget for the next year, Walbruch said, the most important number is how many students will be in the district. The district is expected to guess that number, a year in advance, then estimate what funding will be received.
One way to determine future growth, he said, is to look at the size of the incoming kindergarten class compared to the size of the senior class. The trend in Byron has changed; now kindergarten classes are smaller than senior classes.
Other factors also come into play with the budget, he said, including additional mandates from the state that have been unfunded or underfunded and increasing inflation.
COVID has also played a role. During the pandemic, he said, there was an infusion of money to school districts that has ended, at the same time as enrollment is declining.
In addition to the issues facing all school districts, Byron also made some incorrect assumptions and mistakes that led to district officials believing the financial situation was better than it was.
The school board, he said, has now addressed those issues, and the district has a full-time director of finance and operations who has a public auditing background.
Walbruch said between now and the election, he will be talking to residents about why the levy is necessary.
He said he understands how frustrating the situation is to the district residents, and “there are going to be strong emotions.”
“I will come to any meeting,” he said. “It’s important to me that people understand.”
In his previous district, he said, he was willing to meet people where they were.
“I went and talked to farmers in their barns,” he said.
His ultimate goal, he said, is that every student is learning at or above grade level and to ensure that every student who gets a diploma from Byron is ready for adult life and has the skills needed for that life.