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Board hears Leader in Me proposal; district to pilot program at seven schools with Franklin Covey support
Summary
Staff proposed a districtwide Leader in Me implementation with Franklin Covey for seven pilot schools and an estimated first-year district spend leading to an up-to-$650,000 three-year commitment; principals and Franklin Covey reps described monitoring and desired behavioral outcomes.
Megan Schlechter, director of federal programs, reviewed a proposed agreement with Franklin Covey to implement the Leader in Me program at seven Hernando County schools and described an estimated district commitment of up to $650,000 over the program's multi-year rollout. Schlechter introduced principals and Franklin Covey representatives who participated in the presentation.
Schlechter described the Leader in Me as a schoolwide framework derived from Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People," intended to develop student leadership, strengthen school culture and support academic goals. She identified the initial participating schools as Eastside Elementary, Moton Elementary, Challenger K-8, Explorer K-8, Parent Middle School, Hernando High and Weeki Wachee High School, and said principals chose the program based on school data and interest.
The implementation plan presented to the board includes a measurable-results assessment (MRA) to establish baseline culture and leadership metrics, coaching from Franklin Covey for lighthouse teams, and an evaluation schedule tied to attendance, discipline and engagement measures. Schlechter told the board a quick family survey showed 52% of respondents agreed they felt a sense of belonging to their child's school; staff said that result supported implementing programming intended to increase school connectedness.
The proposal cited Franklin Covey research showing a 13% reduction in disciplinary incidents and a 23% reduction in behavioral referrals in Leader in Me schools versus matched controls; presenters said the district will monitor for similar results and apply implementation adjustments as needed. One board member said funding for subsequent years would depend on measurable results and noted that Florida law allows a multi-year contract but does not permit pre-funding future fiscal years; Schlechter confirmed the board would authorize funding year-by-year.
Principals at participating schools spoke in favor of the program's goals and expressed commitment to pursuing the MRA targets. Mike Glasser, principal of Eastside Elementary, said principals "will all shoot for" the targeted improvements and that the goals were "achievable." Schlechter estimated adding one additional K'8 school would cost roughly $73,000 the first year, depending on student counts and pending sponsorships.
The board discussed timing and whether to add additional schools in future years; several members supported starting with the seven-school pilot, monitoring outcomes and then considering expansion. The item was listed on the meeting agenda for a forthcoming vote; no formal contract approval or vote was recorded during the workshop.
