Blaine County district recommends five‑year strategic plans instead of single‑year improvements

Laura Stone, board chair of Blaine County School District 61, and Superintendent Jim Fouty told the House Committee on Education on Feb. 18 that a five‑year strategic plan has helped the district align board agendas, leadership meetings and community priorities.

Nut graf: The district described a process that gathered more than 700 survey responses, multiple community roundtables (including Spanish‑language meetings), and seven community meetings held over several weeks to write a five‑year plan that is then reviewed annually and broken into one‑year implementation goals.

Stone said every agenda item for board meetings and leadership meetings is now linked to the strategic plan, which is posted publicly in schools and newsletters to keep stakeholders informed. "Each item on our meeting agendas ... is linked to an item on our strategic plan," Stone said, adding that public posting creates transparency and accountability.

Superintendent Jim Fouty told legislators that a 2014 legislative change originally required strategic plans but that the law was amended a year later to require continuous improvement plans; he said strategic plans include broader categories such as facilities, staffing, budgeting and communication, while continuous improvement plans typically focus on one‑year measurable student achievement outcomes. "Don't build a plan in isolation and don't shelf it," Fouty said, urging districts to keep strategic plans active and tied to regular evaluation and staff evaluation.

Fouty described the district's outreach process: about seven community meetings held across geographically dispersed towns, turnout of roughly 30 people per meeting on average, and two Spanish‑language roundtables held at community‑preferred locations such as the local Catholic church. He said the district has integrated the strategic plan into weekly and daily administrative practice and uses the plan to flag gaps and adjust objectives.

During questions, Representative Nelson asked how the legislature could help. Fouty urged lawmakers to "listen with curiosity" and to recognize that placing a document in statute will not guarantee a living, functional plan. He said high‑achieving districts in the state commonly use strategic plans in concert with continuous improvement plans.

No bill or statutory change was proposed on the record; the presentation served as testimony and an offer of assistance to other districts interested in developing strategic plans.