GREEN: Now on a firmer financial path after years of struggle, the Board of Education has begun work on a strategic plan to help maintain the district’s excellence.
In a brief meeting just more than 30 minutes Monday night, board President Bob Campbell and others stressed the need for such a plan to help guide the community and educators as they look to the future.
Campbell’s statement followed comments by resident Anthony Ziehler, who questioned details of what occurred at strategic planning meetings both after the Oct. 22 regular board meeting and a special meeting on Oct. 29.
Ziehler wanted to know what was discussed, who decided who participated in the meeting and when and where he could listen to recordings of those meetings.
“I believe the public should be told what was discussed,” the resident said.
Campbell said he understands the need for openness and being up front. He said it wasn’t the board’s intention to stay until everyone had left during the previous meetings and then come out of executive session.
“I don’t operate that way ever and don’t plan to start doing that at all,” he said in apologizing.
“As far as strategic planning goes, it’s something that has been lacking in this district for a long time. We feel we are just coming to that point in time in the position of the district where we can finally do that.
“We are at a time where we have our head a above water a little bit, and we feel we have the opportunity to move forward” by determining where the community wants to go and what the administration wants to do.
Campbell said no decisions have been made. He stressed that the board will continue to be transparent in all it does, and will reach out to community members shortly to get their input.
Afterward, Campbell said he hopes a strategic plan can be in place by the end of this school year for implementation in the 2013-14 school year.
Emphasizing that the executive session lasted until 10:30 p.m. and nobody was left in the chambers, board member Steve Foster said, “We try to be very open about everything we do,” adding that the Oct. 29 meeting was an open session.
In other action, the board approved a contract with the YMCA Phoenix School, an academic and behavior management service facility, for the placement of a student from another district in the program from Dec. 6 through next June 6.
Superintendent Michael Nutter said the $120-per-day cost is to be paid by the home school district, with no money coming from the Green schools.
