By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
The last of four public planning forums to shape the development of the township school district’s five-year strategic plan will be held Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. in the Auten Road Intermediate School cafeteria.
The district hired Charles Ivory, executive director of Educational Information and Resource Center, based in Mullica Hill, to lead the discussions and collate suggestions into recommendations for the school board.
There have been meetings in October and November that have attracted dozens of staffers and citizens.
Six goal areas were worked on at the Nov. 18 meeting. They were maximize career readiness, maximize college readiness, individualize learning opportunities, increase ties with the community, increase ties with the world and instill independence, critical thinking and resilience
The final meeting is called “a capacity and data overlay,” comparing the goals and ideas that have been brought forward in the first three meetings with the capability and capacity of the school district.
“It’s looking at different types of data — student performance, community demographics, budget, district comparables — in which to provide a context for the various desires and priorities that were identified in the last strategic planning meeting,” said Board President Thomas Kinst in an email.
Four years ago, the process led to big changes, like computers for all staffers and students in grades 5-12; Chinese language classes brought into the curriculum; changes in the committee structure of the school board, and making energy-savings facilities improvements at no total cost to the district.
In his proposal Dr. Ivory, a retired county executive and school district superintendent, said the sessions would focus on what is working well in the district, expectations for the future and action steps to make the vision happen.
