PRAIRIE GROVE -- More than 50 members of the public recently attended two long-term planning meetings to help Prairie Grove School District create a "road map" for the future.
The district held a luncheon meeting Oct. 29 at the downtown central office and then held a second meeting during the evening the same day.
Top Five Topics For The Future:
1 – Career technical trades/pathways
2 – Life skills
3 – Communication
4 – Strategic planning
5 – Mental health
Superintendent Reba Holmes presented the Annual Report to the Public at both meetings and then gave participants a brainstorming activity to complete. She divided everyone at the meeting into five groups and asked them to rotate around the building to answer questions placed on five sheets of paper posted on the wall.
The purpose of the questions, Holmes said, was to gather information to create a "road map" for the future.
"We'll compile it and get back to you," Holmes said. "We want to define our current reality and envision the future."
She asked those at the meetings to work as a group to write down ideas on the pieces of paper.
The questions asked at the meeting were:
• What do you want our students to look like when they graduate?
• What does it mean to be a successful student?
• What opportunities do you want us to provide our students?
• What are your expectations for Prairie Grove School District?
• What are the potential roadblocks?
At the end of the hour, administrators gave everyone stick-on dots and those present were asked to stop by each station and place dots on two needs they believed should be a priority for the school for those questions.
The following week, Holmes emailed results from the brainstorming activity. Holmes said the top five topics that came out of the long-term planning meeting were career technical trades/pathways, life skills, communication, strategic planning and mental health.
Some of the priorities noted by participants included having students leave the high school with communication skills and a marketable skill set and a plan.
Many wanted students to have life skills and be able to support themselves and to have empathy for others. Some supported more specific training for technical trades and financial literacy.
Expectations for the school district included a plan for growth and balancing short-term and long-term needs, transparency and clear communications. Roadblocks for the school district noted by participants were funding and growth, infrastructure in the community and mental health issues.
Holmes said she plans to continue collaboration by bringing people in after the first of the year to discuss the top five topics. In the meantime, she wrote that research would be conducted on the five topics.
General News on 11/13/2019