Lake County Gazette

Earlier this week, Dr. Jeni Gotto, Superintendent of Westminster Public Schools, joined staff at Sunset Ridge PK–8 to celebrate the school's recognition as one of the top 30 schools in Colorado. The honor was awarded by “Money Inc.”, a national website that covers topics such as education, the economy, and investing.

Dr. Gotto expressed pride in the school's achievement, stating, "As Superintendent, this is truly one of those great moments I get to experience, standing alongside a team that exemplifies what’s possible when we come together for our students. The cheers and enormous pride that filled the room during the announcement were contagious and inspiring. We shared that celebration with the Board of Education during our Tuesday night meeting."

She also acknowledged the ongoing efforts within Westminster Public Schools to advocate for changes in how schools are evaluated in Colorado. "Those of you who have been with the district for a while know that WPS has led the way in pushing the state of Colorado to make changes in the way it evaluates schools and we have made a lot of progress over the past decade," Gotto said.

Dr. Gotto emphasized that school success should not be measured solely by standardized test scores, but also by relationships, creativity, and a sense of belonging among students. "True success is measured by the relationships, creativity, and sense of belonging that students experience every day," she stated.

Additionally, she announced that Brian Kosena, Chief Learning Officer at Westminster Public Schools, was selected to serve on the Accountability Work Group for the Colorado Department of Education. This group advises on ways to improve the state's accountability system.

The Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 serves Lake County and includes multiple elementary and middle schools as well as Waukegan High School. More information about these schools can be found at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/. According to state data, Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 is comprised predominantly of Hispanic students, with 79.5 percent identifying as Hispanic, 13.2 percent as Black, 3.2 percent as White, and 1.3 percent as Asian (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The district employs 1,014 teachers with an average salary of $63,524 before pension contributions; 71.1 percent are women and 28.9 percent are men (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). In 2020, spending per student was $23,429, totaling $359,219,407 for the district (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

Dr. Gotto concluded her note by highlighting Sunset Ridge PK–8 as an example of what can be achieved when a school community works together: "At Westminster Public Schools, we believe every child deserves an education that inspires and empowers and Sunset Ridge PK–8 is living proof of what happens when a school community unites around that vision of excellence."

Readers can find more details about Sunset Ridge's recognition and comments from the Board of Education meeting in the What’s Up WPS story featured in this issue.