Week 4: Clearing the Path for 23-24

Happy Friday!

Thank you for all that you did this week to further establish a good tone and high expectations for the new school year. The back-to-school issues of the past do not seem to be as prominent this year, but I do not want to take anything for granted so, please, take a little time to give us some feedback on the start of school. We will be asking our community the same question in a different Thought Exchange to compare your thoughts to theirs.

In this week’s Wrap-up, I will tell you about the progress that has been made toward our district goals, which will be referred to as targets this year. I will also give more insight into this year’s budget along with some other tidbits of information.

Strategic Planning

The district leadership PLC team has been working through the strategic planning process to develop this year’s performance targets. Strategic planning serves as the cornerstone for educational success, acting as a roadmap that guides schools toward achieving their long-term vision and mission. By setting clear objectives, aligning resources, and fostering a culture of accountability, strategic planning enables educational leaders to create an environment where both staff and students can thrive. This proactive approach not only helps in addressing current challenges but also anticipates future needs, ensuring that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge they require for lifelong success. Through strategic planning, we can cultivate a collaborative atmosphere that encourages innovation, nurtures relationships, and ultimately, elevates the quality of education for our students.

Today we met with specialists from the DeQueen-Mena Educational Service Cooperative to set targets and establish the method and frequency of measurement. We also discussed observation and walkthrough details to look for to ensure high-impact instruction, fidelity to curriculum, and that all grade-level standards are being taught. There is a lot of background information leading up to all of these targets that cannot be put in one Wrap-up, but these are the targets we want to reach as a district. Each building will determine its current performance and its own target levels to either meet or surpass the district’s targets.

* Attendance: 93.5%

* Discipline Incidents: -10%

* ELA: 70%

* Math: 60%

* Science: 50%

* Four-Year Graduation Rate: 94%

* Five-Year Graduation Rate: 98%

The academic goals will be measured by the number of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards. The starting point for ELA is based on our own methods from last school year, while the math and science are based on the ACT Aspire data. We will update attendance and discipline weekly, academics monthly, and on-track graduation quarterly. We will add Common Formative Assessments (CFA) as they are available through ATLAS and not all areas are ready at this time. Further details and information will be provided during PLC team meetings.

Take Your Legislator to School Month

September is Take Your Legislator to School Month. This is a significant initiative aimed at bridging the gap between educational institutions and legislative bodies. During September each year, Arkansas lawmakers are invited to visit schools in their districts to gain firsthand experience of the educational environment, the challenges faced by educators, and the needs of the student body. This initiative fosters open dialogue and mutual understanding between two entities that play a crucial role in shaping the future of education. By walking the halls, sitting in classrooms, and engaging with teachers, staff, and students, legislators can acquire a more nuanced understanding of educational realities. This, in turn, informs better policy-making, ensuring that laws and budgets are crafted with a comprehensive understanding of their impact on schools. It is an invaluable opportunity for educators to advocate for their needs directly, and for lawmakers to become more effective champions for education in the legislative arena.

If you feel so inclined, contact John Maddox and Terry Rice and invite them to experience some time at Mena Public Schools. This is an especially important initiative this year with the impact of LEARNS becoming more realized.

Budget Information

I have written before about our federal ESSER and ARP funds being depleted but I have not explained how our usual federal funds, the most prevalent being Title I, have been impacted over the last few years and how returning to life as normal will impact those funds, as well.

In 2020 when schools shut down, the allocation of title funds for that year was not spent. This created a large carry-over amount for 2021 and because of ESSER and ARP, we could not spend all of those funds, either, so our carry-over amounts accumulated. This made it easy to approve requests for supplies and travel in the last two years but all of the added carry-over has been reduced to normal amounts.

Another important factor impacting the amount of federal dollars available for supplies and travel is the new LEARNS minimum salary requirement. The increased salary funding did not account for employees paid through federal funds so what we normally would have available for extra supplies, materials, professional development, and learning programs is now being used for salaries.

It is a good thing that you all are earning more. I have written several times that these raises will improve the standard of living and tax base for this community. However, this also means that our typical amounts of these funds for the things we need have been decreased.

As our budgets become more constrained, grants are a great way to get some of the things you want for your classroom or program. Several of you have successfully won a variety of grants that have benefitted our school system very much. As a district, we currently have secured grants for school safety, school-based mental health, math curriculum, literacy resources, outdoor classrooms, snacks, playground equipment, and health and wellness supplies. Grants can be challenging to write, but they offset costs and allow us the opportunity to direct funds in specific areas. The grants link in this paragraph will take you to a page full of grant opportunities. If you find a grant you would like to write for and need help, reach out to our office and let us know. We will help write grants or help form a team that can work together.

Closing

It has been a great week at Mena Public Schools and as we finish September with a strong plan for accomplishing our performance targets, it will get better.

The Bearcats will be traveling up to Northwest Arkansas this afternoon to take on Lincoln tonight and congratulations to our Junior High Bearcats for defeating Lincoln on Tuesday. Volleyball and golf were victorious this week and we had our first cross-country meet of the year with the Bearcat runners performing very well.

Our students are very active in so many other activities from drama to maker space to Project Prevent to eSports to gardens… the list goes on and on. This week included our community members, as well, as Louise Durham hosted Grandparents Day yesterday afternoon with a good time had by all. Those things take a lot of planning and effort; so, thanks go to all of the staff members who keep our students engaged in so many ways!

At Mena Public Schools our students are prepared, our staff is supported, and our community is confident.

Have a nice weekend!!