Because Fulton Public Schools' five-year strategic plan will expire next year, a new one is being devised.
Members of the Fulton Citizens Advisory Committee met with board of education members, Superintendent Jacques Cowherd and Assistant Superintendent Suzanne Hull on Wednesday evening to go over some statistics and information on the way to creating a new document.
"Years ago, the school did strategic planning, long before it was mandated," Cowherd said.
The advisory board met three times this spring, said Rick Nobles, advisory board consultant and president of Patron Insight.
"We have been well represented by the community," he said. "We first wanted to know what residents thought of Fulton the community and Fulton the school district."
The board asked for feedback regarding the school district's most important elements, its strengths and how to maintain forward momentum. It also determined the community's commitment to the district. Results included a desire for improved communication with parents, technology for students, STEM education and district leadership.
"We put (the results) into a stew pot and came up with a list of guiding principles," Nobles said.
The advisory board's list includes:
Facilities and infrastructure,
Leaders and teachers,
Curriculum,
Parental engagement, and
Technology.
The 36-page draft document also includes six extensive goals and opportunities for accomplishing them.
"I can tell you, it's all about quality," Cowherd said.
Cowherd said it's important to establish a publicly-funded preschool. An introductory summer school for incoming kindergarten students has been started, class sizes are within state standards and graduation rates have improved. In 2011, Fulton's high school graduation rate was 70.8 percent; in 2015, it was 89.2 percent, Cowherd said.
"We were right down there with St. Louis (schools)," Cowherd said of former graduation rates. "It had to change."
There is still work to be done, he added.
"Are we the highest? No," he said. "We're not the lowest. We're right in the middle."
He also touched on beginning salaries for Fulton teachers, now set at $32,555 for teachers with bachelor's degrees and $34,230 for those with master's degrees. Starting salaries for teachers with bachelor's degrees are $35,500 in Jefferson City, $28,500 in New Bloomfield, $29,500 in North Callaway and $31,700 in South Callaway.
The highest teacher salary in the district is $57,310, compared to $68,826 in Jefferson City, $47,800 in New Bloomfield, $48,625 in North Callaway and $57,600 in South Callaway. The average Fulton teacher had 11 years of experience, and 53.8 percent of them had master's degrees or higher, making the average teacher salary in the district $40,410.
Cowherd predicts slightly-increasing enrollment over the next five years. He said district officials need to think about how education is delivered in the future, be it in a traditional school environment or something else entirely.
"The community is a different community than it was 20 years ago," he said. "We've got every bus going to every building. Do we maintain neighborhood schools? Do we look at grade-level centers? We've got adequate classrooms to put kids in."
Cowherd said there have been improvements and upgrades.
"I think we've done a lot, but there are a lot of dreams," he said.