CV adopts new Strategic Plan

By Nina Culver

Current contributor

After more than a year of open houses, meetings and discussions, the Central Valley School District board of directors have approved a new five-year strategic plan to provide a road map for everything from computer systems to student learning.

In addition to staff and administrators, the district also sought input from students and parents. “We wanted to have representation, solid representation, from our students,” said Superintendent John Parker. “We wanted to have a voice from parents and parent groups. People are very vested in their children’s education.”

Other community groups, including local businesses and the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, were also consulted. The question posed to everyone was simple: what do students need to feel prepared for their future and to thrive academically, socially and emotionally?

“We kept it pretty broad,” he said. “Based on that, ideas flowed.”

After data and community input was gathered, a 27-person core planning team was assembled to determine the bones of the strategic plan. The team included students, parents, alumni, teachers, administrators and community members in addition to representatives from local businesses and colleges. The basics of the plan identified by the planning team was then further refined by an executive team that included principals, administrators and two school board members.

The new strategic plans identifies four key directions for the district: pursuing a culture of belonging and equitable opportunities for all, reimagining systems and structures, prioritizing district-wide support for the whole child and launching infinite possibilities. The district’s mission and vision statements were also updated.

“We really feel these are 21st century statements that say who we are,” Parker said of the vision statements.

The key to any school and any school district is to make children feel like they belong, Parker said. Research shows that if children feel like they belong, that they are welcomed, their learning will improve and they’ll succeed academically.

Another key tenant is to make sure that students in all parts of the 80-square mile district get the same educational opportunities no matter which school they attend. With that goal in mind, the district is being broken into three smaller community-oriented areas called the Western, Central and Eastern Learning Communities. Each learning community is centered around the elementary and middle schools that feed into the district’s three comprehensive high schools.

The district has launched a new CVSD Link newsletter and plans to host Community Link events in each of the three Learning Communities this fall. It’s not like we’re trying to create three smaller school districts within the school district,” Parker said. “It’s almost like creating three houses. We’re giving identity to that.”

As part of the new emphasis on building community, the district will change how it offers preschool classes for children ages 3-5. Previously, all classes have been held in the district’s Early Learning Center on East Sprague, but preschool classes will also be offered in one elementary school in each of the three Learning Communities.

Parker said he wants to expand the work the Early Learning Center has been doing to include students with diagnoses such as autism and ADHD into the classroom. “We are doing preventative and inclusionary work,” he said. “When they hit kindergarten, they already have skills above and beyond other students to self-advocate.”

Changes have also been made at the administrative level. The district no longer has a director of elementary education and a director of secondary education. Instead, there are new academic officer positions for each of the three Learning Communities. “They are going to be leading the charge in the big picture,” Parker said.

The new strategic plan touches nearly all areas. It calls for recruitment and retention of highly qualified staff, equitable resource See STRATEGIC PLAN, Page 22

Student of the Month Citizen of the Month Athlete of the Month

As a standout student and athlete, Kate Schneider stands tall for Scottie Nation. The incoming senior at Freeman High School maintains a 3.98 grade point average and is secretary of the school’s chapter of National Honor Society. As a member of Future Business Leaders of America, Schneider has placed in the top 10 in national competition in three categories. She is president of the Freeman FBLA chapter. Schneider has earned first team All-Academic honors in volleyball, basketball and tennis. She was a second-team All Northeast A League volleyball honoree and part of a U-17 club squad that competed in nationals this summer. She was a reserve on the Scotties’ basketball team that placed sixth in state in 2022 and part of a volleyball squad that was fifth at state in 2021. Schneider was named all-league in tennis as a junior.

Kanoa Rogan represented Freeman High School with a flourish at the 1A state track meet. The incoming senior placed fourth in the pole vault, seventh in the long jump and was part of a Scotties’ 4 x 100-meter relay team that finished eighth. He also qualified in the 100 meters. Rogan took first at regionals in the long jump and 4 x 100 and second in the pole vault. He will be part of Spokane Speed Academy this winter. In football, Rogan was part of a Freeman squad that advanced to the state semi-finals. He averaged 5.52 yards on 81 carries as a running back, piling up 447 yards and six touchdowns for the season. He was selected to the All Northeast A League second team. Rogan maintains a 3.79 grade point average and is part of National Honor Society.

A 1984 graduate of University High, Jennifer Wilcox has gone on to titan accomplishments. She served nine years in the Air Force after completing a degree in Information Systems at the University of Idaho, rising to the rank of captain. Wilcox supports fellow veterans as part of the Eastern Washington Veterans Task Force and has taken part in the Spokane Veterans Forum. She is a volunteer with the Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council, contributing to the DUI Impact Panel and other efforts. The Spokane Valley resident is also part of the Spokane Regional Continuum of Care focused on ending homelessness. She has volunteered with the Point in Time Homeless Count and is a member of the Greater Valley Support Network. “I really feel it’s my duty to give back because I’ve been very fortunate and had people help me,” Wilcox said.