The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees heard from a consultant on the district’s ongoing strategic planning process Tuesday night.
James Hutto and Scott Lewis from Impact Education Group discussed the results of the district’s first strategic plan stakeholder meeting, held on Jan. 30.
The consultants discussed the results of the meeting, which included seven core beliefs, a mission statement and five goal areas.
The new mission statement reads: “The mission of the Starkville-Oktibbeha School District is to achieve excellence by facilitating discovery and development of each student’s passion, purpose and potential.”
The five goal areas are based on considerations of the stakeholder group and include student achievement, school climate, culture, diversity and equity, human resources, community collaboration and operational effectiveness/facilities.
Each of the goal areas includes considerations from the stakeholder group. The seven core beliefs include schools being the heart of the community, the need for excellent teachers, the importance of diversity, critical thinking skills, leadership, school safety and family and community.
Hutto recommended the district put the draft items on its website to let the community offer its input. Following other recent initiatives in the district, Superintendent Eddie Peasant emphasized the use of the word “excellence” in the new mission statement.
“This is an organic process,” Lewis said. “It’s developed by the team as we go through. I think the sentiment that day was when the word ‘excellence’ became the key, then I think that’s where everybody agreed, ‘Hey, we stop there.”’
The draft plan will be brought back to the stakeholder group on March 22. The stakeholders will then begin writing action plans and developing strategies for each goal. The final document will be to be presented to the board for approval at its May meeting if everything remains on the current timeline.
Assistant Superintendent Christy Maulding spoke to the broadness of the new mission statement, with it being applicable to all areas.
“Every one of us can take that and personalize it,” Maulding said.
Hutto also discussed the results of the online survey the district used to gather feedback and information for the stakeholder group. The survey was taken by 2,039 people in the community including SOCSD staff students and parents. Community members not tied to the district were also invited to take the survey. Lewis said the survey showed 75 percent of the staff believed the district was heading in a good direction. He cited the work of education researcher John Hattie, saying the amount of leverage the survey showed was a good sign of the district and community being on the same page.
“One of his highest-leveraged items is called collective efficacy,” Lewis said. “That’s if the staff believes that ‘not only do I believe I can do it, but we also collectively believe we can do it both as a team and a group then we have good collective efficacy. ‘ Well, if 75 percent or more of your staff believe strongly that you’re headed the right direction. To us that’s a good indication that your staff believe they can get the job done.”
The board also voted 4-0 with Board President Keith Coble recused to appoint Coble to serve from March to December. Coble’s term expires March 3, and his seat will be up for election in November.
Coble was elected prior to consolidation to serve as the school board member for the added territory, an area of county land surrounding the city of Starkville. The territory was served by the former Starkville School District before consolidation. Coble said he does not intend to run for his seat again after a serving on the board for 10 years.
The board also voted to approve six administrative appointments following an executive session. The appointments are: Interim Henderson Ward Stewart Principal Julie Fancher as HWS principal, Interim HWS Assistant Principal Steve Eiland as HWS assistant Principal, Paige Phillips of Ocean Springs as HWS assistant principal and Angela Abernathy of Florence as math curriculum specialist and interventionist. Ra’mon Forbes was also approved as principal of the eighth and ninth grade school, which will occupy the Armstrong campus following the completion of the Partnership School.
Peasant also said West Brothers Construction had not yet been able to start construction on the Partnership School due to recent wet weather.