Decatur SD 61 board to restart strategic "road map" in January while superintendent search continues

After concluding disciplinary items, board members spent substantial time on the district’s strategic planning process and the ongoing superintendent search.

A board member said the district "owes it to this community" to communicate a roadmap for the board's work and the superintendent search and urged restarting the strategic plan process. The group discussed a schedule to begin work on Jan. 13 (the board’s first meeting in January) and to complete the process by early June, with community review opportunities in May.

Board members emphasized that the superintendent search and the road map work will run concurrently. One board member volunteered to lead drafting a superintendent evaluation tool, noting familiarity with teacher-evaluation frameworks such as the Danielson framework and offering to adapt similar assessment tools for the superintendent evaluation. The board requested a draft evaluation tool by the Dec. 16 meeting so prospective candidates can see evaluation criteria alongside contract terms.

District staff cautioned the board to provide dates for meetings and to notify staff early of overlapping commitments (community meetings or search activities) so the administration can avoid scheduling conflicts. Board members asked whether consultant Jay Marino would remain under contract through the timeline; staff indicated they believed his contract extended to June 30 but did not provide a definitive confirmation.

Board consensus was to move forward: select board members for the road map team, set meeting dates so staff can issue invitations, and prepare to seek community input in the spring. The board set its next regular meeting for Dec. 16, 2025, at which staff and board members expect to have a draft evaluation tool and meeting schedule ready for review.

The board adjourned after the discussion and holiday remarks.