Huntington School Board members voted without dissent to adopt a set of nine goals for 2018/19. Trustees took the action during their meeting this past Monday night in the Adam Spector Memorial Auditorium at Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School.
Trustees have been “kicking around” possible goals with each other and Superintendent James W. Polansky. During Monday’s night’s meeting, Mr. Polansky discussed the process of developing the final list of goals and then read each of them for audience members. Progress toward meeting the goals is typically reviewed periodically by trustees during public meetings throughout the year.
The adopted goals for 2018/19 include:
• Facilitate implementation of new and existing curricular, instructional and extracurricular initiatives that will promote continued individual student growth and interest-exploration, and improved building/subgroup academic outcomes and cohort graduation rates at the high school, including those that involve post-secondary or community-based partnerships.
• Implement practices and augment structures that best address safety and security needs of students and staff, while maintaining welcoming school environments and engendering a district culture that is valued by students, staff and other stakeholders.
• Implement a fiscally responsible and transparent budget process, continue to investigate/implement energy and other facility-related efficiencies to maximize savings and/or revenue, and revise the district’s long-range capital plan.
• Further engage in technological infrastructure/hardware/application upgrades that prepare students for future academic and professional experiences, as well as enhance district communications.
• Maintain successful recruiting, hiring and retention practices supporting a highly qualified staff, upholding consideration toward its reflection of the district’s culturally diverse population that collectively helps students to reach their academic and personal potential.
• Build upon existing means of home-school communication and collaboration, and further increase parent engagement throughout the school community.
• Support advocacy efforts in the interests of educational needs of Huntington students; maintain communication with town, county, state and federal government officials in an effort to ensure that district interests are continually considered and addressed.
• Continue to provide and augment relevant and engaging professional learning opportunities designed to support staff member growth and morale, with a focus on differentiated and innovative instructional practices, as well as learning relevance.
• Review and improve district “wellness” practices and initiatives; work with food-service provider to evaluate and improve the district’s food service program in terms of student appeal and nutritional value.