WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. December 4, 2007: The Board of Education last night voted unanimously to accept a 10 Year Strategic Plan developed by  committees of citizens and school district personnel over the last year under the guidance of Transformation Systems.

However, WPCNR has learned the plan does not present specific steps, initiatives, or budget targets  to assure the funding of the district budget over the next decade which will surpass the $200 Million Dollar level in 2009-2010 and is on track at the present rate of expansion to exceed $330 Million by 2017-2018.

The Board of Education addressing the throng, made up mostly of Strategic Plan Core Committee members, prior to adopting the Plan unanimously Monday night.

The major objective announced at the meeting was to have all students reading at grade level by the end of second grade by 2012, and that no new programs would be considered unless they fit in with the Core Values and Strategic Objectives of the District. It was also said by President of the Board of Education Donna McLaughlin that existing programs would be examined closely and eliminated if they could not be justified as fitting in with the objectives.

 Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors  told WPCNR “those steps (to assure funding) have not been developed yet.”

The Strategic Plan presented at a quasi celebration of the completion of the plan and presentation meeting.  When Marc Pollitzer,  and Lou Petralia two of three citizens to ask questions about the plan (on city participation, and financing, respectively) raised the issue of financing details, Superintendent  Connors said that those steps would be implemented when the Board was presented with strategic plan financial Strategies and the Action Committee responsible for that segment of the plan would present steps to do so.

The “Means Steps”  which were developed by Action Committees for the various strategies were developed by the Action Committee and have not been made public with the presentation of the plan.

WPCNR in routine follow-up asked the Superintendent Wednesday what some of the Means Steps were for the various strategies to see how the district would implement the stragtegies.

The Superintendent forwarded several lists of “Means Steps” to implement the strategies.

When asked what the Means Steps that the district would take to “Align new and existing resources, both internal and external, to accomplish our strategic objectives and mission,” and to develop “a systematic process in place that assures the district has the fiscal resources to support the mission and strategic objectives  and that the district has the capital resources,” to support the mission and strategic objectives,” The Superintendent told WPCNR “those steps (to assure fiscal and capital resources) had not been developed yet.”

The Superintendent told the meeting last night that on January 14 he would present the Board of Education the first portions of the Strategic Plan that he believed should be implemented first. The Superintendent also told Mr. Pollitzer that strategies could be specific due to the changing conditions of when any specific strategy or objective of the plan was selected to be that specific year's goal.

The Strategic Plan process cost the district $70,000, and by estimate of Theresa Niss who coordinated the project took some 3,644 person hours( 455-1/2 days, 15 months of work) on the part of all persons participated.