DeSoto Schools present draft 2025–29 strategic plan as district graduation rate nears 87%
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Summary
District staff presented a draft 2025–29 strategic plan emphasizing academics, staff recruitment, family engagement and operations; officials also reported a district graduation rate above 86% and a school nearing an 80% rate.
The DeSoto County School Board heard a presentation of the draft 2025–2029 strategic plan and an update on graduation rates during its board meeting.
Doctor Reynolds presented the draft strategic plan, saying it “creates a shared focus on students” and includes five goals—academic performance, culture and climate, staff recruitment and retention, family and community engagement, and operations and effective budget resource allocation. The plan was developed with more than 30 committee members and feedback from staff and community surveys, Reynolds said.
The plan includes measurable benchmarks and metrics, committee membership, and a district snapshot. “We went back and forth on what that where that line was as a committee and, through feedback from our community and staff surveys,” Reynolds said. He said the plan is intended to be used actively, not shelved, and to drive district decisions.
Superintendent Doctor Bennett and several board members praised the plan’s clarity and usefulness. Board members noted the plan’s shorter format compared with a previous 400‑page version and highlighted the snapshot section for district context.
In the same report cycle, district leadership said the district graduation rate is now above 86.6 percent. Superintendent Bennett said DeSoto Senior High School (DSS) is “one student from being at 80% graduation rate,” noting that student is expected to be a summer graduate. “We can't count those eggs till they hatch,” Bennett said, while adding that districtwide figures are expected to exceed 86 percent if DSS reaches 80 percent.
The presentation did not include a formal vote to adopt the strategic plan; the document was described as a draft undergoing refinement. Board members asked where a missing photo page appears in the electronic packet and were directed to the electronic copy for that page.
Board members said the plan’s metrics and community-informed development make it a practical guide for upcoming decisions and budget priorities. No implementation schedule or adoption vote was announced at the meeting.