The Harrisonville Schools District Strategic Planning Committee met on May 20 to assess the district’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP). During the spring of 2024, the Committee spent two days laying the groundwork for a five-year plan which includes the district’s mission and vision as well as seven strategy areas - Community Partnerships, Early Childhood Education, Quality Staff, Safety, Student Achievement, Technology, and Safety. Following the committee’s work, action teams came together to create 29 action plans to meet the seven assigned strategies. In October 2024, the Board of Education approved the plan and district administrators then selected seven action plans to focus on for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year.
During the annual meeting on May 20, district administrators provided updates to the Committee on the seven action plans initiated this year. The committee then determined if the action plans were achieved (completed and no further action needed); operational (part of the district’s day-to-day operations); in progress (still work to be done); or not started. Below is a summary of the reports and action determined by the committee.
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Assistant Superintendent Annie Knox provided a progress report on strategy 2.1 to establish full and part-day opportunities for 3-year-olds to school-aged children. She shared actions the district has taken to support the plan, including expansion of our current preschool with four half-day classes to full-day preschool for three- and four-year-olds with five classrooms enrolled for the 2025-26 school year. Additional actions include creating a parent handbook, purchasing age-appropriate supplies and materials, and creating preschool aide positions. The committee determined this action plan to be operational.
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Assistant Superintendent Annie Knox provided a progress report on strategy 2.3 to implement a program to meet before- and after-school childcare needs. She shared actions the district has taken to support the action plan, including implementing a before and after school program for the 2025-26 school year initially at Harrisonville Early Childhood Center, establishing a cost for the before and after school services, and adding a before and after school care director. The action plan status was determined to be “in progress” by the committee.
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Assistant Superintendent Joseph Parkhurst provided a progress report on strategy 3.2 to increase the retention of quality staff within the district. He shared actions the district has taken to support the action plan, including developing and implementing a staff survey regarding staff experience, workplace satisfaction, and areas in need of improvement. Although it was not reported during the committee meeting, updated and revised salary schedules were announced at the May 20 Board of Education meeting, reflecting an average increase of 3%. This adjustment was expected to support the district’s ongoing efforts to retain staff. The action plan status was determined to be “in progress” by the committee.
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Director of Communications Jill Filer provided a progress report on strategy 4.4 to enhance open and accessible lines of communication in regard to increasing a sense of safety for families, students, and staff. She shared actions the district has taken to support the action plan, including adopting the “I Love U Guys Foundation” standard response protocols, conducting training and drills for the protocols at each district building, and placing “Stop The Prop” campaign stickers on external doors to remind students, staff, and families to securely close doors without propping for security. The committee determined the action plan to be “operational.”
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Assistant Superintendent Annie Knox provided a progress report on strategy 5.3 to implement Professional Learning Community (PLC) practices throughout the district. She shared actions the district has taken to support the action plan, including sending 27 attendees to the May 2025 PLC conference, establishing a guiding coalition and leadership roles in each building, setting regular cooperative planning times and meetings for staff, and restructuring instructional support. The action plan status was determined to be “in progress” by the committee.
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Assistant Superintendent Annie Knox provided a progress report on strategy 5.4 to deliver a guaranteed, uniform, and viable curriculum to students. She shared actions the district has taken to support the action plan, including allocating time for curriculum writing and work in all buildings, establishing a universal template to be used for unit plans and curriculum pre-instruction protocol, and providing research-based resources for ELA and math. The committee designated this action plan as “in progress.”
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Technology Director Mike Diggs provided a progress report on strategy 6.3 to implement and enforce age-appropriate plans for cell phone and wearable technology usage. He shared actions the district has taken to support the action plan, including forming a committee, developing and conducting a survey of staff, high school students, and parents regarding cell phone use in schools, and proposing a formal recommendation to be presented to the Board of Education. The action plan status was determined to be “in progress” by the committee until a policy is adopted by the Board of Education at which time the status would then move to “operational.”
The district and Strategic Planning Committee will continue working to implement and monitor the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan over the next four years. This summer, district administrators will select action plans to focus on for the 2025-26 school year and share them with the committee and staff. Work will continue on any action plans determined to be “in progress” as well. The District Strategic Planning Committee will then reconvene next spring to review the status of active action plans. The current strategic plan will guide the district’s work through 2029. To view the district’s strategic plan, visit the district website at https://www.harrisonvilleschools.org/about-us/strategicplan.
