Iola schools have a new mission. Or, at least, a new mission statement: “We educate all students for career and college readiness.”
The USD 257 board of education added new mission and vision statements, updating previous versions from 2008. The goal was to simplify the district’s mission into a concise statement that can appear on documents and buildings, with board members, administrators and staff keeping those statements in mind as they make decisions for the district.
The previous mission statement was a lengthy paragraph that included the phrase, “inspire all students to succeed,” and outlined the district’s beliefs toward that goal.
The district also added a vision statement: “To be an impactful force in a student’s life, empowering each to be a successful citizen.”
The changes came about through a new program, Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN), which provides technical support to districts to meet educational goals, Superintendent Stacey Fager told the board. Administrators and instructional coaches came up with the slogans in June.
They also narrowed the district’s focus to four “core beliefs”: college and career readiness, compassion and respect, data driving decisions, and having a growth mindset.
“We get so busy just doing with what we’re doing. We need to step back and ask does this fit our core beliefs? Does this fit our mission and vision?” Fager told board members. “That can drive a lot of the decisions we make.”
An updated mission and vision statement, along with the core beliefs, will help the district when it updates its strategic plan next year.
THE BOARD will review proposals from four construction companies vying to serve as the construction manager for its new facilities projects. The board was expected to meet this morning to review the proposals and narrow their choices to one or two companies they’d like to interview.
The construction manager will oversee three major projects, worth a total of $35 million, approved by voters in April. They include a new elementary school for preschool through fifth grade, a new science and technology building with cafeteria at the high school, and new heating, cooling and ventilation systems at the middle school.
OFFICER terms for the board president and vice president positions were extended to January as part of a statewide change that moved school board elections from spring to fall. The board typically elects a new president and vice president at the start of its fiscal year in July.
Other appointments, such as committee representatives, will continue to be made in July. The board typically handles a variety of housekeeping matters at its July meeting, such as adopting its calendar, official newspaper and banks, as well as setting petty cash and credit card limits. The board mostly stuck to similar procedures as past years but agreed to increase its mileage payout to match the state, from 55.5 cents per mile to 58 cents.
Standing committee representatives include: Doug Dunlap for the ANW Cooperative, Jen Taylor for the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, Mary Apt on the district evaluation committee, Dan Willis as liaison for the Kansas Association of School Boards, Jared Larkey for the career-technical education committee, and Nancy Toland for the recognition committee.
