The Blaine County School District is seeking volunteers to help implement its new strategic plan.
Procedures for signing up were still being developed Thursday, but the district's preliminary thinking is to form committees to implement each of the new plan's 10 goals.
"Strategic Plan 2008-2015" was approved by the district board of trustees in August. The plan's development, spearheaded by Assistant Superintendent Lonnie Barber, involved a year of work, more than 6,000 public comments and participation by more than 100 members of the community.
"The board did a very visionary thing with this," said Superintendent Jim Lewis at the school board's August meeting. "This will be the bible."
The plan provides a framework for student and facility development during the next eight years.
Barber said at the August board meeting that the emphasis of the plan is on student development.
The plan's mission statement says the district intends "to be a world-class, student-focused community of teaching and learning."
The 10 goals are that:
Each student demonstrates Blaine County School District 21st-century student performance indicators to ensure preparedness for college, career and citizenship.
Every student receives a rigorous curriculum that prepares him or her for college and is supported by challenging, inspiring and relevant instruction.
Students are prepared for a multicultural and bilingual world.
The community works to develop and support the whole child.
Students demonstrate healthy social and emotional behaviors with the support of parents and community.
The district actively recruits, retains and develops highly competent, caring and student-focused faculty.
The district puts into practice state-of-the-art technology that provides students and staff with full working and learning capabilities.
Schools are safe and secure environments that adapt to an ever-changing world.
Facilities, grounds and classrooms promote sustainability and provide for optimal learning.
Community resources are used to enrich children's educational experience.
Procedures for volunteering for one of the committees will be published when available in the Idaho Mountain Express. A complete copy of the 15-page plan is available at www.blaineschools.org.
Jim Lewis
