Jefferson SD 14J reviews strategic‑planning data; attendance emerges as top priority

The Jefferson School District 14J board met June 1 to review strategic‑planning materials, survey findings and a high‑school leadership exercise. Participants and staff repeatedly identified attendance as the most pressing growth priority, and the board scheduled follow‑up work sessions for June 15 and tentatively June 22 to complete a mission and vision that will guide superintendent goals.

Presenter remarks and packet materials summarized activities with four stakeholder groups (high‑school leadership class, school staffs and a board/community exercise). Five core values consistently surfaced: accountability, respect, equity and inclusion, student well‑being and lifelong learning, with safety and security the single most frequently chosen top value across groups.

The presenter highlighted several academic bright spots: four‑year graduation rates that have improved and now surpass the state average, strong high‑school ELA and science performance, and notable cohort growth in sixth and seventh grades. The presenter also credited an 80% attendance requirement for walking at graduation as a driver of senior engagement at the high school.

But staff and group work also flagged clear growth areas. Elementary foundational math and grade‑level curriculum alignment were repeatedly cited, as was the need for better systems to sustain cohort growth. Most prominently, 68% of the group bridge statements identified attendance and student engagement as the primary opportunity; the presenter said attendance appeared in word‑cloud outputs far more often than other topics.

Board members discussed underlying causes of absenteeism, including illness, unreported absences, family vacations and post‑pandemic habit changes. The presenter confirmed that 9th–12th graders who are credit‑deficient would be eligible for summer school and that credits must generally be completed by June 30 to count toward avoiding a fifth year of enrollment.

Survey findings were interleaved with the board discussion. Of 397 total responses, 292 were from students; the presenter summarized themes from community, parent and staff respondents. Parents rated mental‑health and emotional supports as highly important and reported that 82% of parents felt their child had at least one adult at school they could turn to. Staff respondents (56) said they stay because of supportive colleagues and close‑knit school culture, while identifying time and workload, student behavior and limited resources as barriers to doing their best work.

Students who answered the survey described a mix of strengths and concerns: interest in additional electives and life‑skills courses, but also recurring reports of bullying, feelings of exclusion and specific uncomfortable locations such as some bathrooms and locker rooms. The presenter singled out student comments calling for improved building maintenance, air conditioning and more elective options.

Board members agreed the next step is a dedicated strategic work session to translate these data points into a concise vision and mission statement; members set the June 15 meeting as the primary work session and held June 22 as a tentative follow‑up if needed. The board did not take final policy action at the June 1 meeting.