The Mitchell Board of Education is gearing up for a special work session to follow up on a previous session held in September 2023. The board is expected to schedule this session during their upcoming meeting on Monday, August 26. The meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. in Room 10 of the Mitchell Career and Technical Education Academy.
Wade Pogany, a school board consultant and development director for the Associated School Boards of South Dakota, who conducted the previous work session with the board, is set to return for the follow-up session. The board will consider dates in late October and early November of this year for the session, including October 23, 24, 28, 29, November 4, 6, and 7.
The work session will focus on strategic planning and board goals for the next three to 10 years. It will be considered a special meeting of the board and will be open to the public. The board is currently scheduled to meet in regular session on October 14 and November 12 during those two months.
During the previous work session held in September, Pogany assisted the board in narrowing down specific topics that were deemed important. After a two and a half hour session, the board identified increasing teacher salaries, improving student attendance, and bringing preschool to the Mitchell School District as top priorities for future discussion and exploration.
Deb Olson, who was the president of the board of education at the time, emphasized the importance of looking long-term at future goals for the district. She highlighted the value of working together to offer feedback and focusing on long-range planning rather than just dealing with immediate issues.
In addition to the work session, the board will also consider various personnel moves at the upcoming meeting. This includes new certified hires, new classified hires, transfers, and resignations within the school district.
Furthermore, the board will review Mitchell Technical College policies on second reading, Mitchell K-12 policies on first reading, hear board member reports, receive the superintendent’s report, and listen to public commentary. The meeting is open to the public, and The Mitchell Republic will livestream the event on its website.
Erik Kaufman, an education and features reporter for The Mitchell Republic, will be covering the meeting. He can be reached at ekaufman@mitchellrepublic.com for any inquiries or additional information. Stay tuned for updates on the outcomes of the work session and other agenda items discussed during the meeting.