2003 Year in Review

Strategic Planning Meeting 2

Administrators, teachers, parents, community members, and students all met Tuesday night at MJHS for District #6 Strategic Planning Meeting. This is the third meeting this year for the group. Tuesday night's meeting was to update the “Plan on a Page” plan that was adopted by the school board last year.

Results on the survey by the schools’ “Focus On Results” were reviewed. Of the 4000 surveys mailed only 75 parents, 25 community members without children in school, 57 members of the staff, and 7 students responded to the survey. The group agreed that was a poor turn out and not the best way to poll the community. On Quality Education 65% thought the district was doing good to excellent, but only 45% thought the district was good to excellent at fiscal management. 70% of those surveyed thought communication was good to excellent, the districts strongest area.

After an introduction by Lynn Feaver, a consultant, groups of eight discussed last year’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Feaver told the groups, “Your purpose is to see if we have the right framework for the district, that the “Plan on the Page” is not only for the next school year but also for the long range. Most of the groups agreed that communication, facilities, and people (students, staff, and volunteers) were our strengths. Weaknesses in the district are technology, finance, declining (enrollment, community support, and curriculum), and opportunities for students.

Opportunities for the district included technology, partnerships (with business, community, and other schools), and our teachers and volunteers. Declining enrollment, lack of employment, and lack of community support are threats to the community.

Then each of the groups broke into new groups dealing with the basic issues from last years “Plan on a Page”. Each group decided if the mission statement of each issue was the same. Quality of Education, the number one issue, stayed the same with slight modifications to the action plan.

Fiscal Management had the same mission statement but changed the measure to include “(maintain) a balanced budget”. Communication, the last issue, was divided between communication between school and parents and public relations to help public perception and teacher morale.

Technology was an area that was agreed on needed to be addressed if the district was to succeed. A committee is being developed to address that issue.

Some of the “District Action Plan” has been put into service, such as the volunteer program, balancing the budget, maintaining and improving the districts web site www.morrisonschools.org, and increasing communication. Dr. Ware and Mr. Feaver recommended that smaller groups meet to finish the “Plan on a Page” and the larger group would meet again in January to finalize it.

by Barb Benson, theCity1.com
November 19, 2003