Recordpub.com - Streetsboro Superintendent Hunt looks forward to 2012

By Holly Schoenstein | Gateway News reporter

Streetsboro -- Streetsboro City Schools face a busy year, chock full of strategic planning, curriculum and assessment reviews and technology upgrades.

A major focus for the school district in 2012 is continuing the strategic planning process it started last year, including implementing the first year of the plan.

"The district is working on a comprehensive strategic plan throughout the course of the spring. This process has engaged representation from all stakeholder groups and will create a plan for our district to move forward over the course of the next five years," Superintendent Bob Hunt said.

The plan will include using permanent improvement funds to maintain facilities. The administration is working with building principals to determine what projects need to be done. Hunt expects the Board of Education to review a list of suggested prioritized projects in March.

One of the projects the school district will undertake is improving its technology infrastructure so that students will have more access.

Board member Kevin Grimm is looking forward to continuing the "intense" strategic planning process and the cooperation between the school district and the city government.

"The district will be encouraging more community engagement as we continue the strategic planning process," he said. "Also, Board members will be reaching out more to school support groups so that everyone is aware of the great work that is being done behind the scenes by these groups in support of our schools.

"I encourage residents of all ages, regardless of whether they have children currently enrolled in our schools, to get involved. Great schools help make a great community, and Streetsboro has a very bright future," he added.

Hunt doesn't foresee any renewal or new levies on the ballot this year.

In anticipation of the state's new standards and assessments that are expected to be in place by 2012, another significant focus of the district will be the review and alignment of its current curriculum and assessments.

Because Hunt joined the school district last year, Grimm said the Board of Education and the administration have "a fresh set of goals focused on student achievement."

"I feel that we lacked focus at times because we were still in a state of transition as the Board of Education was in the process of hiring a new superintendent," Grimm said.

The school district also is considering the possibilities of dual enrollment, a program in which school districts and colleges can partner to offer college credit for upper-level high school courses, and virtual, or online, learning that's intended to provide more options for students.

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