Committees will study education, facilities, demographics and community relations
By: Nick D’Amore
MONROE The school district is looking to the future.
The district took its first step in planning its mission, goals and vision for the next several years Jan. 30 and will form committees to study education, facilities, demographics and community relations.
Nearly 200 community members came to the first of many anticipated meetings to learn what the district’s plans for the future are and how they could be a part of it.
Sharon Vogel, administrative assistant to the superintendent, said 80 people have signed up to be part of four committees that will be an integral part of the district’s strategic planning.
Carole Larsen, senior field service representative with the New Jersey School Boards Association, is serving as the district’s facilitator for the process.
She said strategic planning is a "broad-based, long-range planning initiative" where all members of the school community engage in dialogues to discuss district issues and ways to meet district challenges.
"It starts with gathering data about the school system and community, and identifying the critical issues we see affecting students," she said.
Ms. Larsen said the district will create a mission statement of goals, strategies and action plans to carry out that mission.
She said between 10 and 20 percent of districts statewide have gone through the process, which is revisited by the districts to see how far they have come and where they are going.
"My job is to keep them on track and provide training to work through the steps that will build the product," she said.
Ms. Vogel said the process will plan out the district’s path for the next two to three years.
"It’s a program where districts self-evaluate," she said.
She said the district is now in the process of notifying everyone about which committee they will be on.
The committees include the State of the School Committee, which will research the strengths, areas of concern and the helping and hindering factors in the schools. It also will study the education program in the district, as well as the facilities, finances, human resources, technology and the relationships between the school and community.
The State of the Community Committee will be researching similar aspects of the schools, but will focus on demographics, funding, community factors and the political environment surrounding the district.
The committees will meet and be trained by Ms. Larsen on Feb. 13, said Ms. Vogel.
"Each committee will work on its own and prepare a report on the states of the school and community," said Ms. Vogel.
A planning council also will be in place to develop a vision, mission, beliefs, goals and strategies for the district. It will meet for a weekend session on April 5 and April 6.
An update on the process will be presented to the Board of Education on April 24.
Finally, an Action Plan Committee will be formed to address each of goals created by the planning council. That committee will conduct its review in October.
"We will have a clear vision for the district for everyone with a vested interest in it. When we do things, we will be working toward a goal," said Ms. Vogel.
She said the district will revisit the plans set up this year every three years.
"We may come back to it again because plans change and the clientele changes," she said.
Ms. Vogel said the strategic planning process will give the district an overview of its purpose and the time commitment it needs to plan where it is going.
"We’re very much looking forward to the process," she said.