LACEY – The Board of Education set five goals for the 2017-2018 school year, which they will work with the administration.
They are five general goals that do not have set benchmarks. Rather, they are ongoing missions, summed up in the following way: student achievement, budget, facilities, technology, and communications.
“These are the things we’re working on all the time, but this gives us focus,” Superintendent Craig Wigley said.
For student achievement, the board will be expanding its literacy program in grades 6 through 8, using a pilot Harcourt Connections program.
The budget goal includes finding alternate sources of funding. Most of the budget comes from taxes and state funding. The district would continue efforts to bring in grants, corporate sponsorships, and similar funding sources.
Facilities refers to the school buildings and properties. The board will be addressing the most important maintenance issues, based on an energy audit and a facilities assessment, within the budget.
When it comes to technology, the goal is to integrate it throughout the curriculum. This would include online courses in addition to using technology for testing and other classroom uses.
The final major goal is communications. This was described as increasing dialogue with the public, and “improving its online presence through Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, alumni website, real time bi-weekly emails, upgraded website, and automated phone calls.”
During recent Board of Education meetings, members said they hoped to address some of the negativity and rumors that residents are sharing on social media.
