Washington County Schools

Communication is an important part of any organization, business, relationship, etc. Communication comes in many forms, and we need to utilize as many of them as possible to strive for a well-maintained school. Listening, speaking, writing, etc. are all forms of communication. We need to take advantage of every form possible in every situation. USD 108 is dedicated to telling OUR story. We will continue to maintain and encourage staff to provide input into our social media sites such as Thrillshare. We will maintain our dynamic presence on Twitter and Facebook and any other media platforms that might present themselves.

Continue to focus on accountability and follow through - whether it is a patron concern, teacher concern, mechanical issue, or anything in between. If there is an item of concern, who is accountable for it and is the concern resolved in the best manner possible. Continue to encourage parents and patrons to follow the Chain of Command for the easiest resolution to problems and concerns.

Continue to seek out and support our growing ELL population with translation services as needed.

Maintain a positive culture. We have so much to be proud of with our students, staff, and facilities. Praise and gratitude needs to be given and acknowledged.

Continue practicing proactive measures so we can plan our resources and staff in the most productive manner. Continue to plan for the future with regards to technology, facilities, and personnel needs. A Technology Rotation plan has been developed and needs to be maintained. A rotation of textbooks, uniforms, and other equipment has also been developed and provides needed clarity and planning for costs. A list of Capital Improvement items is ongoing and, as funding allows, they are addressed.

Our Redesign efforts and the COVID pandemic have resulted in some great "outside the box” thinking that has been a benefit to our students, staff, and community. We want to continue to focus our efforts on "pivoting" when we run into an obstacle.

Continue to work on improving the efficiency of facilities and faculty. The lack of space at the elementary is critical at this time.

Continue to evolve as a district and work to meet the needs of ALL our students.

Continue to expand College Credit offerings to our students and include availability to Community members, if they choose. The number of available online classes is abundant.

Continue our efforts in the area of Early Childhood. While we now offer preschool for all district 4 year olds, we need to explore other areas where the district might take the lead in Early Childhood, including the possibility of a 3-year-old program. Our PAT slots need to stay at 15 or expand as necessary.

Be sure that we are monitoring ALL students for success. While we do a good job focusing on the students who excel and the students who are on the lower end, we need to remember the students "in the middle", which is sometimes a majority of our students. Redesign efforts have helped us reach more students at ALL levels. Our MTSS program at the elementary is also a great step in this direction - possibly expand MTSS to the secondary level. The newly developed At-Risk program at the secondary level has shown great promise in keeping track of these students and providing them what they need.

Improve graduation rate - while graduation rate has been at 100% the last two years, it is recognized that in a district our size, one or two students can really bring that average down. We are committed to ensuring all our secondary students graduate from high school in a timely manner.

Create a focus on the emotional/mental health of our students. Long-term goal would be to hire an elementary counselor or a social worker just for our district.

Continue ongoing professional development. After some trial and error, the district now has one monthly Professional Development day designated on the school calendar. We are committed to providing ongoing PD for ALL staff, including paras, bus drivers, custodians, and kitchen staff.

Expand on team-oriented collaborative processes. The district has implemented a District Leadership Team to advise the administrative team on decisions and to provide guidance with our Redesign efforts. Our Negotiations process now includes Interest Based Bargaining practices, which is a much more team- oriented, collaborative effort for all. These efforts are encouraged to continue.