Kennett Consolidated superintendent presents entry plan recommending strategic plan, curriculum alignment and equity initiatives

Dr. Rizzo Saunders, superintendent of Kennett Consolidated School District, on Jan. 13 presented an entry‑plan report that synthesizes interviews, focus groups, surveys and district documents and sets out recommendations for a five‑year strategic planning effort.

The report, the superintendent said, is grounded in a mixed‑methods review that included one‑on‑one interviews, focus groups, surveys and documentary analysis and is intended to be the foundation for a district strategic plan that will guide curriculum, staffing and facilities decisions.

Dr. Rizzo Saunders said the review combined qualitative input and quantitative documents into a single analysis. "On my first day as superintendent in August of 2024, I made a promise to listen and learn from all stakeholders," she said. She described the process as drawing on more than 70 one‑on‑one interviews, approximately 102 focus‑group participants, more than 1,000 survey responses and "over 3,000 pages of reports and documents." The data were coded and analyzed to identify themes and priorities.

Why it matters: The findings identify gaps the district says affect equity and continuity — including uneven access to advanced coursework, facility variability across buildings, turnover among key staff, and inconsistent curriculum alignment from K–12 — and set recommended next steps that will affect budgeting, staffing and program priorities over multiple years.

Key findings and recommendations

- Strengths: the report highlights strong community engagement, committed educators, robust extracurricular programs and generally solid fiscal controls, including what the superintendent described as a list of cash and investments and "adequate operating reserves."

- Challenges: Dr. Rizzo Saunders told the board the district faces equity gaps in academic performance and in access to programming, variable facility conditions (she cited Greenwood and New Garden schools as examples raised by stakeholders), staffing turnover that disrupts continuity, inconsistent social‑emotional and behavioral supports, and uneven curriculum implementation.

- Priority recommendations: develop and implement a comprehensive strategic plan; perform an "opportunity audit" to identify where students lose access to programs; create a guaranteed, viable K–12 curriculum with aligned assessments; expand bilingual and cultural‑immersion programs; strengthen mental‑health and multi‑tiered behavioral supports; and address facilities disparities.

Process and next steps

Dr. Rizzo Saunders said steering‑committee work will begin immediately. "Those meetings will start on January 21st," she told the board, and the district has organized subcommittees for communications, human resources, curriculum and instruction, technology, finance and operations, and student supports. The superintendent said each committee will receive relevant data and will help develop goal areas and measurable objectives; the plan will be drafted as a minimum five‑year document and circulated to the community for comment before final board adoption later this year.

Board members acknowledged the report in public comment after the presentation. President Cronenberg thanked Dr. Rizzo Saunders for the depth of the work, and board member Golden Miyarkey said the stakeholder focus was "very much appreciated."

The superintendent closed by noting the plan should be used as "a road map" and invited community participation in subcommittees, surveys and focus groups as the district prepares a formal strategic plan for board consideration.