Independence schools superintendent unveils strategic vision, schedules facilities assessment

Superintendent Kelly Cogan updated the Independence City Council on the school district's priorities Thursday, saying district leaders have drafted a strategic vision titled “cultivating a legacy of excellence” and will present it for a board vote in February.

Cogan said the district formed a strategic-visioning committee in October that includes board members, community members, teachers and students. “Our vision is cultivating a legacy of excellence,” Cogan said. “We chose the word cultivating because the one thing that I heard as soon as I started here was about the legacy of Independence.”

The superintendent told council members the district also has created a communications plan and two recurring advisory groups: a key communicators group made up of community influencers and a superintendent advisory group of students from fifth through 12th grades. The key communicators group has met twice so far, the superintendent said, and its first meeting discussed school vouchers and school finance; the student advisory group recommended bringing seventh and eighth graders to the high school earlier, a change the district piloted this year.

Cogan placed particular emphasis on building conditions. She reminded the council that a facilities bond placed before voters prior to her arrival failed and said building problems — particularly at the middle and primary schools — “have not gone away.” The superintendent said she and Treasurer Jen Knapp are hiring a firm to assess renovation costs versus the cost of new construction for the primary and middle schools, with an assessment due in early April.

On academic metrics Cogan highlighted the district's high achievement scores on the state report card but said the district scores lower on the progress (growth) measure. “Students are achieving at a very high level… The problem becomes when you think about growth,” she said, citing curriculum alignment and vertical alignment as areas to address. She said the district is starting with math, science and English language arts curriculum work this year and will phase other subjects in subsequent years.

Cogan told the council that financing upgrades will be difficult because of broader funding pressures and changes at the state level. “The way we fund schools is unfair, has been. It was found unconstitutional. And the state legislators, instead of fixing it, are putting money towards vouchers which… is taking money away from the fair school funding formula,” she said.

She closed by saying the district will use the April facilities assessment to inform a board decision about renovation versus new construction and to create a more definitive roadmap by the end of the school year.

The presentation came during the council's public-meeting agenda; Cogan took questions afterward and received praise from the mayor and several council members for the district's progress and the outreach efforts.