Rapid City Area Schools outlines 2025–26 strategic-plan goals across five pillars

Superintendent Dr. Thompson and district pillar champions presented the Rapid City Area Schools’ 2025–26 strategic-plan short-cycle goals and action steps across five pillars: communications, community, staffing, facilities and students.

Communications and community pillars: staff said district goals are tied to three recurring surveys (district services, employee experience and parent/caregiver surveys). Targets for 2025–26 include a parent/caregiver communication timeliness/clarity goal (3.91) and improving employee understanding of mission and goals. The community pillar includes a target of 6,000 app downloads (roughly 50% of the student body) and a 5% increase in social media followers across platforms. Staff also described a pilot to log volunteer hours at three elementary schools by having on-site visitors scan a QR code or use a link to record basic information and time on campus.

Staffing pillar: Nikki Wojcik, director of human resources, said recruitment and retention are the two primary tracks. The district’s vacancy rate baseline was about 7%; the short-cycle goal is to reduce it toward 6% (a 1%-point shift equivalent to roughly 15 positions). Wojcik also reported a year-over-year turnover rate near…