09/15/2018

School Board begins process of updating 2013-2018 strategic plan

The School Board has set into motion a process that will update the schools' most recent strategic plan.

The board on Sept. 11, 2018 voted to support Superintendent Donna Wolfrom's proposal to hire a facilitator to organize a community process for identifying goals for the future.

"We really do need a planning process that will give us a vision and mission and guiding principals about where we're going," Wolfrom said.

She projected a $5,000 cost for a facilitator to conduct a planning session that would draw input from all facets of the community. Wolfrom described the session, based on past experience, as one where a cross-section of residents would talk about historical aspects of the community, impacts of today's world on the educational system and where they want local schools to go from there.

The entire process takes some time, Wolfrom said. A committee would meet before and after the forum, using the identified goals to develop the actual plan.

The most recent strategic plan was a five-year plan adopted in 2013. It was developed with a similar process, with community forums to gather input on the statement of mission and vision and follow-up forms for the strategic plan. A list of indicators of success was adopted in 2014.

The vote to support the planning process for 2019 was unanimous.

Board member Elizabeth Scifres said she was particularly interested in Wolfrom's suggestion to tap into the schools' history, something she believed was lacking in development of the most recent strategic plan. "I think that's so important for people to be able to talk about the history and what they feel proud of, what they wish they could continue, I think it helps bring people together, and so I am very supportive of this process," Scifres said.