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Sibley East’s Board of Education, last week, moved forward with the strategic planning process. The school board approved a contract with the Center for Engaged Leadership at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

The goal of the strategic plan is to provide a long-range direction for the school district.

The strategic planning process will take 18 months. The initial contract with Minnesota State University will cost $7,900, which will be split over two years, plus mileage and copying costs. Staff development funds will be used to pay for the study, according to Superintendent John Langenbrunner.

Specific strategic planning benefits, as seen by the Center for Engaged Leadership, include:

• Allows superintendent to be an active participant

• Assists district administrators and staff with educational challenges

• Availability of expertise and experience from facilitators and the department

• Ongoing support/follow-up/feedback/assessment

• Provides the district with “road map” for decision making

A tentative 18 month timeline has been created for the process.

In November and December, there will be preliminary work between the Center for Engaged Leadership and the Superintendent.

Internal/external collection of in put/data will be the focus in January - May 2007. The strategic planning process will be structured around five systems - finance, enrollment, curriculum/instruction, facilities, and personnel. A survey and focus groups will focus on what is important.

In June to August 2007, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats will be assessed around five systems (finance, enrollment, curriculum/instruction, facilities and personnel), and preliminary findings are reported.

From September to December 2007, strategies will be established and an action plan will be developed. The school board will also adopt and preliminarily approves the plan.

During January - May 2008, the school board level and building level will establish quarterly, purposeful discussions about using the plan as a working document. During the year, goals will be established, adjustments made, and an ongoing assessment completed. Strategies are used for decision-making for the following school year. District goals will be established to reflect strategies Administration and staff align building goals with district goals. Staff development will be aligned with strategic plan strategies.

In June 2008, a school board retreat will be held on the alignment of district goals (district, building and individual). Tasks and responsibilities will be determined. Strategies will be incorporated into school board policies.

In other business, the Board of Education:

• Accepted resignations from Andrea Brinkman, food service Gaylord, effective in December 2006, and Carrie Pioske as B squad volleyball coach, effective immediately.

• Hired Shannon Kuelbs, speech clinician, to complete medical assistance district activities on behalf of Sibley East Public Schools. This will be for approximately 186 hours during the 2006-2007 school year.

• Hired John Ott as Junior High wrestling coach and Luci Stoeckman as basketball cheerleading advisor.