Following the retirement of Administrator Gary Syftestad, the Weston School Board hired Molly Kasten to succeed him. The Weston School District Board of Education voted unanimously to hire Kasten June 17. Molly Kasten began serving in the position July 1. Like Syftestad, Kasten will serve in a dual role that includes the position of Junior/Senior […]
By Jo Ann Krulatz
Following the retirement of Administrator Gary Syftestad, the Weston School Board hired Molly Kasten to succeed him. The Weston School District Board of Education voted unanimously to hire Kasten June 17. Molly Kasten began serving in the position July 1. Like Syftestad, Kasten will serve in a dual role that includes the position of Junior/Senior High School Principal.
Kasten was born and raised in Richland County, and is a graduate of Richland Center High School. She is no stranger to Weston. After beginning her education career in Madison, she has spent the last nine years serving the Weston School District in one capacity or another–most recently, serving as Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education. In this role, she has played a key part in several District initiatives, including organizing platforms and systems for virtual instruction during COVID-19, revamping the Academic and Career Planning program, and implementing District-wide curriculum improvements in literacy, math, and science.
Molly Kasten firmly believes that strategic planning, review of organizational structure and role definition are key for the success of the district for years to come, both academically and financially. In her first 100 days on the job, she is planning to meet with stakeholders to evaluate and define some key areas: Administrative structure, student behavior code, and identifying goals are among her first priorities to help solidify the budget and prepare for students to return for the upcoming school year.
As one of many districts in Wisconsin not adequately funded by the State’s funding formula, the district has been operating with referendum support for many years. Being able to identify areas for improved efficiency and targeting spending based on strategic planning will be crucial in determining needs in the next budget cycle. This work will drive the Board’s decisions on if referendum funding will be on the ballot in April 2025 and what that dollar amount would look like. This will be a priority for collaboration with Kasten’s administration and elected school board leaders.
