Consultant pitches customized board development; trustees ask about cost and scope
Summary
Square 1 Strategy Group presented a tailored board-development proposal to Oak Park trustees, emphasizing customized workshops, assessments (DISC), and quarterly follow-up; trustees asked about cost, membership alternatives and whether the district has budgeted funds for fiscal 2025–26
The Oak Park Board of Education heard a presentation from Dr. Shannon Smith of Square 1 Strategy Group proposing a customized board-development program aimed at improving governance, strategic oversight and board alignment. The group described a process that begins with an anonymous board survey to inform a tailored workshop sequence and offered quarterly follow-up sessions, assessments such as DISC and job-specific goal-setting for board members.
Dr. Smith said Square 1 has worked with school boards and leadership teams since 1999 and described the firm as “custom, not boilerplate.” She asked trustees to complete an anonymous survey to shape the session content and scheduling. She emphasized flexibility in delivery (hybrid or face-to-face) and measurable outcomes anchored to board feedback.
Trustees asked several budget and scope questions. Trustee Gordon asked whether the district’s finance department would be able to pay for the vendor and whether the board had budgeted funds; a district representative said the expense could be built into the 2025–26 budget after July 1. Trustees also asked how Square 1 differs from membership organizations such as the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB); Dr. Smith said MASB and similar organizations provide menu-based or standard workshops, while Square 1 provides a customized, facilitated process with specific assessments and tailored follow-up work.
Other questions included the number and cadence of sessions (Square 1 recommended starting with four sessions in one year with quarterly follow-up and the option to extend) and whether the arrangement would be a membership or a one-time contract (Dr. Smith said it is not a membership; it is a contracted set of sessions starting with a year-long agreement). The board did not take a formal vote on the proposal; trustees instructed staff to consider the program in the fiscal 2025–26 budget and to return with cost estimates and scheduling options.
