from the desk of the superintendent

A demanding but productive school year is drawing to a close. Before we put the final touches on the year, breathe a sigh of relief, and launch into summer break, let’s take a moment to reflect on what we have accomplished during the 20222023 school year and where we are heading.

As the school year began, we set our sights on improving our communication efforts and working on refocusing the District’s vision for the future. I am happy to report that we have delivered in both areas. In the fall of 2022, we introduced multiple updated lines of communication

(i.e., Revised Cardinal Connection , updated district website, added a school mobile app, improved test messaging system, student, staff, and community feedback surveys) and have received Lawson R-XIV Board of Education (BOE) approval for our updated District Communication Plan. We are excited to continue working to ensure that our lines of communication only improve as we move forward.

Michael Stephenson

Lawson R-XIV Superintendent

As for the work put into refocusing our District Vision, this was a collective effort completed by utilizing feedback from all stakeholders. As a result, our reimagined vision of “LawsonWhere Proud Traditions meet today’s challenges to provide Endless Possibilities” has become known as We Are Lawson! Our vision requires learning from our past while preparing for the future. We are accomplishing our vision by updating our Strategic Plan, which the BOE approved in January 2023, and includes four impactful goals. These four goals are connected to Facilities Planning, HighQuality Career Education, Student

Achievement, and Student Success, and are significant in preparing for a future of “Endless Possibilities.” Facilities Planning is focused on meeting the educational needs of current and future students. We are currently reviewing facilities comprehensively and determining what necessary maintenance and improvement projects must be completed to continue providing top-notch facilities for our students, staff, and community. This work will continue into the fall of 2023. We will be excited to share information surrounding the review and goals for improving our facilities. High-Quality Career Education was adopted as a goal to look for ways to expand course offerings for students in grades 7-12, allowing for greater career exploration and including steps for adopting agriculture education as a part of our future course offerings. Student Achievement is a continuous goal focused on improving our curricular resources and instructional practices to engage students and increase academic achievement. Student Success is intended to look for ways to expand opportunities to grow our early childhood offerings to include preschool learning opportunities for students ages three and four. In closing, we have made great strides throughout the past school year but still have much to do. As we continue to press forward, my mission is to ensure that, as a school system, we focus on working together to provide the best we can for our students, staff members, and community. Thank you for the energy each of you brings to the Lawson community, and I am confident we will continue to positively impact the lives of those who call Lawson home. #WeAreLawson