ASHLAND – Ashland City Schools has outlined a new vision and mission statements as well as several core values and goals to carry the district into the future.
A core team of district stakeholders began the strategic planning process last April. Ohio School Boards Association consultant Steve Horton, who helped facilitate the process, presented the the results of the team’s work to the district board of education and the public at a board meeting Monday.
According to the draft document, the district’s new vision is “Ashland … where everyone dreams, hopes, succeeds.” The vision is meant to be aspirational and to apply not only to the school district but to the entire Ashland community, Horton said.
The district’s new mission, designed to be more action-oriented than a vision, is “Equipping students to persevere and thrive as productive members of society.”
Core values in the plan include putting children first, valuing hard work and integrity, treating everyone with dignity, prioritizing safety, nurturing children’s talents and valuing educational excellence.
The most specific part of the plan, the goal section, emphasizes communicating consistently, preparing students for life after graduation, providing organizational support, fostering quality teaching and learning and developing dynamic facilities and infrastructure.
Creating the plan, Horton said, is the easy part.
“Now what happens is either a strategic plan goes on the shelf and collects dust, which we hope never happens, or it becomes a living guiding document for the district as you move forward,” he said. “For the board, this is what allows you to make the best possible decisions.”
Board president Will Gravitt said he hopes each of the five school board members will take a lead role in one of five action teams that will come up with action steps to support the five goals.
In addition to hearing the strategic plan update, the board took action to move forward on three facilities projects.
The BOE approved a $226,410 contract with Adena Corporation to renovate the home side of the grandstand at Community Stadium to make it accessible for individuals with disabilities.
Board vice president Jim Wolfe, who previously questioned the wisdom of completing the stadium project before making upgrades at the high school, said he now fully supports the plan. In part that support stems from the timeline allowing local contractors to complete the work and in part because he believes the district will still have the funds to do the work at the high school in the next several years.
Wolfe stated that any student in seventh grade or younger — and possibly even current eighth graders — will graduate from an air-conditioned high school.
The board also approved two contracts with Simonson Construction for air conditioning and remodeling projects at Taft Intermediate School. The costs of the projects are $1,174,660 and $524,210, respectively.
All three projects are expected to be completed this summer. Superintendent Doug Marrah said construction on the proposed fieldhouse project is slated for fall, but that project has not yet been approved by the board.
Board members approved a contract with Huntington Bank allowing the bank to place an ATM on the lawn strip next to the district’s central office. Under the agreement, the bank will pay the district $1,000 per month for five years.
The board also approved an agreement with Community Energy Advisors as the retail electric agent to supply electricity for Reagan Elementary School for three years. Business Manager Robert Knabe told board members the agreement would save the district $3,000 per year.
Board members also approved the district’s 2018-19 academic calendar, which is available in the district’s website.
