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Superintendent outlines gains in literacy, graduation and retention as district moves to Blueprint 2030
Summary
At a Jennings County School Corporation board meeting, Superintendent Nikki reviewed results from the outgoing strategic plan and introduced Blueprint 2030, citing higher third‑grade reading scores, improved graduation and teacher‑retention rates, and staffing adjustments amid declining enrollment.
At the Jennings County School Corporation board meeting, Superintendent Nikki presented a closeout of the district's outgoing strategic plan and introduced the new Blueprint 2030 planning effort, highlighting gains in student outcomes and staffing adjustments.
Nikki said the district's third‑grade IREAD pass rate rose from 77% at the start of the plan to 92% in the last reported year and described a jump in the district graduation rate from 79% in 2021'22 to 95.9%. She noted districtwide ILEARN gains (ELA from 32 to 36, math 35 to 39, science 32 to 42) and a biology score increase at the high school from 14 to 54. "That is a significant amount of growth for a graduation rate in that short amount of time," Nikki said.
Nikki attributed enrollment pressures to two factors: expanded school choice options in the state and the statewide growth of online transfers. She reported the district counted 173 students enrolled in online programs this fall, 38 of whom were enrolled in the district's own online offerings. The administration hired a demographer during the last plan period; Nikki said the demographer predicted continuing decline in enrollment.
On staffing, Nikki said the district has reduced about 69 positions since the 2021'22 school year and expects to approach roughly 100 reductions by the end of the current cycle as staffing is realigned with lower enrollment. She framed the reductions as an effort to match staffing levels with student population while preserving instructional supports.
Nikki also highlighted a rise in teacher retention, moving the district into the top ten of state retention figures at about 92%, and noted chronic absenteeism fell from roughly 23% when the plan began to about 17% in 2024'25, with some buildings showing larger improvements. She credited interventions, mentoring and STEM and career programs for parts of the progress, and described expanded CTE offerings (CDL, welding, CNA) and STEM certifications.
Looking ahead, Nikki said teacher leaders and administrators will meet on June 10 to define SMART goals tied to Blueprint 2030 and that the administration will return with action plans for board review.
The presentation was informational; no board action was taken on the strategic plan summary at this meeting.
