Board begins rewrite of strategic plan, debates mission wording, timeline and community input
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Summary
Board members began a workshop to refresh the district strategic plan (current 'Ready 2026' ends in June). Presenters proposed a July rollout and recommended community input and a steering committee; board members debated mission wording, plan length (2–4 years), KPIs and adding community representation to selection/steering groups.
Manatee County School Board members held an extended workshop on drafting the district's next strategic plan and provided feedback on priorities, mission and timeline.
Kevin Chapman (Speaker 10) opened the presentation with a history of past plans and a proposed schedule to finalize a new plan by July so it can be launched over the summer. Chapman said the current four‑year plan, known as "Ready 2026," was designed to prepare the district for growth and that this process will form a steering committee of district staff, community and business leaders to shape the new plan.
Omar Edwards (Speaker 11) framed the mission and core values discussion, saying the district's mission is "to educate and develop our students today for their success tomorrow," and emphasizing core values including academic excellence, professional responsibility and transparent communication.
Board members weighed in across several themes: whether to keep the three high-level pillars (Ready to Learn, Ready for Life, Ready to Grow) or reword them; whether the plan should cover two, three or four years; how to balance a concise public-facing plan with a more detailed operational plan that contains KPIs and implementation steps; teacher retention and workforce-readiness priorities (career/technical options, personal and financial-literacy skills); and whether the mission and vision readouts at meetings should be updated to reflect the current board and superintendent.
Several members argued for community involvement and suggested adding community representatives with relevant expertise to steering groups and selection processes to boost transparency. Others urged keeping politics out of the mission and vision wording. Speakers also recommended aligning plan review with election cycles so new boards can weigh in early in their terms.
The board discussed using a ThoughtExchange platform for community surveying and linking school improvement plans to the district strategic plan, and emphasized the importance of converting high-level goals into measurable steps so progress can be evaluated.
At the meeting's close, Speaker 4 announced the county fair media day with district participation and the meeting adjourned.
Next steps: Chapman and the superintendent's team will meet individually with board members and convene steering‑committee workshops; staff will integrate community input and return drafts to the board in the spring for further refinement.