Batavia schools seek public input on plan
The Batavia Unit District 101 is seeking input regarding priorities as the first step in updating its strategic plan. The BPS101 Strategic Plan was first developed in the fall of 2006 by a group of parents, community members, staff and students. The current plan was approved by the board of education and provided strategies for improvement.
The updating process is aimed at refining the strategic planning focus of the district, while identifying priorities for the next two-three years. In launching this review process Supt. Jack Barshinger reinforced the importance of planning, "At a time when there are many difficult decisions and fewer resources, it is doubly important that the Batavia Public Schools focus energy, time and resources on the top priorities and those that will help prepare our students for their college and career needs of the future."
A planning team was established that included central office administrators, principal and a board representative to collect data and draft revisions to the existing plan. In a time when school districts across the state of Illinois are facing difficult financial challenges and planning is even more essential than ever before, the Batavia public schools has set a response rate of over 1,000 to give input on educational priorities.
The district strategic planning team has launched an online survey to gather priorities from a wide audience. The target audience for the district survey includes staff, parents of students enrolled in the school district, businesses and community members. District administration have made connections with Batavia government, the chamber of commerce, Holmstad, and other community agencies in an effort to make the survey accessible to a wide audience. The survey will be open for public participation until April 5.
Individuals interested in completing the District Strategic Planning Survey can access it at the following link at bps101.net. All responses are anonymous and will be reviewed by the planning team.
Additional steps in developing the revised strategic plan will include community focus groups aimed at refining the information collected via surveys, drafting goals and strategies for improvement for the board of education.
In describing the planning process, Barshinger said, "We are using a comprehensive strategic planning approach drawn from models successfully used in education and private enterprise. Our goal is to gain insights form the data we collect, develop strategic goals based upon community priorities, and then work with all stakeholders to focus our efforts on those big picture items."