Coffee County leaders preview five-year plan, debate elevating safety amid accountability uncertainty
Summary
The Coffee County Schools board reviewed a draft five-year strategic plan covering student outcomes, staff, supports, stakeholders and safety, tied to the LEA/TISA process; the board will consider approval at its December meeting and asked staff for a public safety spending breakdown.
Speaker 3 presented a draft five-year strategic plan that the board will consider for approval at the December meeting, calling it "our road map" for long-term goals, priorities and actions. The plan, he said, will be posted on the district website and links to the LEA plan and TISA designations Speaker 3 described the plan's five focus areas as "student outcomes, staff, supports, stakeholders, and safety." He said it is a living document that can be adjusted as accountability targets become clearer.
The board spent substantial time on safety. Speaker 6 asked, "How much money have we spent in the past two years or even the last year on safety here?" and urged the district to publish a breakdown so constituents can see the district's investment. Speaker 3 said the district budget is about $53,000,000 per year and that the system has already invested heavily in safety measures, but he did not have a line-by-line figure in the meeting and agreed to provide that information.
Board members also raised questions about federal and state accountability changes that could alter how the district measures progress. Speaker 3 warned that shifting federal guidance and possible state redesigns of school-designation systems mean the strategic plan must remain adaptable: "We're kinda at a little bit of a standstill… there's a ton out there we don't know." The board emphasized that accountability goals emerging from the LEA/TISA process will be reflected in the strategic plan where appropriate.
No formal vote was taken at the work session. Next steps: staff will finalize edits and return a revised plan for formal consideration on the board's December agenda; board members asked staff to provide a public safety spending breakdown and to ensure the posted plan reflects updated accountability targets.
