Superintendent Dan Bittman hosted a Community Stakeholder Meeting on April 2, in which he shared Edina Public Schools’ progress on its priorities and invited community members, district staff, parents, administrators, and students to provide feedback. For each priority, attendees were given core questions to reflect on what resonated with them, what questions they had, what was important for the district to consider, and other key ideas.
Through various committees and initiatives, EPS has been working on district-wide reform in four main categories: Safety and Security, the Edina High School Experience, Early Learning and the Family Center, and Long-Term Facility Needs.
“Across this work, a consistent theme has emerged: to meet current expectations and future needs, Edina Public Schools may require additional investment beyond existing resources—particularly related to safety, learning environments, and specialized programming,” Bittman wrote in the invitation email.
While the Safety and Security priority, presented by Bittman, spanned improvements in everything from physical infrastructure to emergency protocols to student and staff wellness, the Edina High School Experience priority presented by Assistant Superintendent Nate Swenson suggested developments in the themes of supportive learning environments, future-ready teaching and learning, clear and focused decision-making, and partnership and voice. Director of Community Education and Strategic Partnerships Anne Marie Leland presented the Early Learning and Family Center priority, which highlighted changes in increased outdoor integration, expanded accessibility, family partnership, and purposeful design. All three priorities had findings supported by survey-based research and diverse committees of key stakeholders. Director of Finance & Operations Mert Woodard presented the last priority, Long-Term Facility Needs, which brought together all the proposed changes to EPS facilities, such as revamped PA and camera systems, from a financial standpoint.
After the presentations, attendees were given the opportunity to write down and share their initial feedback or ask questions. While the district shared mid-year updates on all of these priorities with the school board in December, final recommendations and implementation timelines will be shared with the school board in May.
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on April 9, 2026
