Strategic Plan runs from 2022 through 2027

By Joseph Goral
Staff Writer
jgoral@mihomepaper.com
 LAKE ORION — The Lake Orion Community Schools Board of Education discussed year three of their strategic plan during a work session on Aug. 14.
As prior to last school year, five focus areas outlined the district’s goals ahead of the upcoming school year beginning Sept. 3: Academics and Programs, Communication and Community Engagement, Operations, Learning Environment and Culture, and Personnel and Leadership.
1. Academics and Programs
This area’s goal statement is the same as last year’s: “[LOCS] will increase opportunities and flexibility for all Dragons,” and includes scheduling, curriculum and technology.
Scheduling
Year-three plans for scheduling include increasing the number of flexible scheduling options for high school students. Aspects listed under this section include highlighting different scheduling and program opportunities throughout the year, tracking data for diversified course offerings, monitoring the high school’s open lab and student progress for in-person summer school.
Several ways the district would communicate this information is through announcements, newsletters, parent university and in presentations, according to LOCS’s year-three PowerPoint.
Expected scheduling outcomes are communicating in several ways about flexible scheduling and increasing the number of flexible scheduling options.
Student visits to the high school’s open lab were monitored from the week of June 25, through the week of July 29. The total number of visits was 224.
Curriculum
Plans include the sexual education advisory council meeting regularly, elementary math PD implementation, piloting essential elements curriculum in self-contained classrooms, exploring secondary math pilot options, reviewing middle school capacity and elective offerings, and making sure specialized instructional practices align with general education curriculum.
Reviewing middle-school programming and recommendations to the board may take two years, as could making sure specialized instructional practices align with the general education curriculum.
Pilot resources for secondary math with initial PD was held Aug. 9, and elementary math PD implementation was scheduled for Aug. 28, and Aug. 29.
Technology
The district will look to use technology to enhance instruction and student achievement in year three.
LOCS plans to do this by continuing bi-weekly meetings with the technology and teaching-and-learning department, plus quarterly meetings with the superintendent’s cabinet. They also plan to begin a technology refresh with the district’s bond, develop and implement cyber security and critical response plans, and identify and create technology action plans for instructional focus areas.
The first meeting with the technology and teaching-and-learning department for the school year was held Aug. 8, all second through fifth grade student laptops, high school staff and Pine Tree Center staff laptops were refreshed.
2. Communication and community engagement
Goal statement: “[LOCS] will enhance district communications and increase community engagement in schools.” This area includes adult enrichment and community connections.
Adult enrichment plans include creating and executing a marketing plan to increase offerings, participants and revenue. An expected outcome of this plan is increasing revenue and partnership with the Great Lakes Athletic Club to meet the needs of the community.
Plans for community connections is to increase community business partnerships by continuing with Dragon Community Champions and growing relationships with alumni. Its expected outcomes are an increased number of participants for Dragon Community Champions and establishing a dragon alumni organization. Four invites were sent regarding Dragon Community Champions, and LOCS “supported and advertised” the summer’s multi-class reunion.
3. Operations
Goal statement: “[LOCS] will maintain and enhance operations and facilities.”
This area includes three subsections. LOCS will also review areas of operations including transportation and structure of start and end times, indirect costs charged to programs in the district, facility rental processes and enhancing budget procedures.
Manage sinking fund millage
The district plans to continue monitoring, using and reporting sinking fund use. LOCS finalized last school year’s spending and project planning.
This year, LOCS plans to develop a project/spending plan coordinating with future bond projects, and finalize the purchase of the Carpenter property by next June.
Alternate revenue sources
LOCS has continued to provide updates on the development of the Clarkston Road cell tower, plans to complete the sale of the administration building, and more.
Manage district bond projects
LOCS plans to review cash flow and anticipated costs to determine project completions, and consider future bond needs.
So far, LOCS has held construction and budget bond meetings, conducted site plans for current bond projects, and assessed planning for future bond needs.
Expected outcomes include completing remodeling and site work to Oakview and Waldon Middle Schools while continuing planning for upcoming bond projects.
The original project document included projects Moose Tree Nature Preserve and LOCS administration building, but were removed due to not having necessary funds and LOCS moving out of their administration building.
4. Learning environment and culture
Goal statement: “[LOCS] will provide a learning environment where all students and staff feel safe, supported, honored and respected.”
This area includes six sections beginning with implementing social emotional learning (SEL).
LOCS plans to implement SEL by continuing the SAEBERS and MySAEBERS programs, conducting threat assessment group training, analyzing SEL data and reviewing SEL programming to ensure student needs are addressed. LOCS expects to complete these during year three.
The next section is DEI, for which LOCS’s plan and expected outcome is to implement a plan for the 2024-25 school year with a focus on low socioeconomic student population.
The next section, individualized instruction, is focused on monitoring student progress in this area. Its plans are finalizing the MTSS process for middle school and high school, having BOY, MOY and EOY presentations to the board, creating an MTSS handbook, and continuing with the high school student superintendent advisory. LOCS expects to complete these plans.
The next section is the learning environment. Plans in this area include creating an environment conducive to meeting student needs by continuing Parent University and providing resources.
LOCS met with NOCC on Aug. 7, to begin planning Parent University topics.
Professional development was listed after learning environment. LOCS plans and expects to complete the following: implementing a professional development plan for the 2024-25 school year created with district stakeholders, provide professional development 35j grants, identify, develop and implement professional learning for effective inclusive instructional and school practices,  identify, develop and implement least restrictive environment throughout the year for all education teachers and staff, and provide administrators professional development for individualized education program compliance and special education requirements.
Science of reading/Michigan essentials training occurred in July and August for certified elementary staff using the 35j grant.
The final section in this area is mental health. LOCS plans and expects to support staff mental health needs through a well being fair, quarterly challenges, by surveying staff about ways to support their needs, communicating and distributing EAP information to all staff and by increasing staff participation and engagement.
So far, LOCS has selected new leadership for the well-being committee, which will meet on Sept. 16.
5. Personnel and leadership
Goal statement: “[LOCS] will attract, retain, and value exceptional staff.”
The first part of this area is negotiations. LOCS plans to successfully negotiate expiring bargaining agreements responsibly, and expects that the LOEA contract will be ratified by June 30. LOCS also plans and expects to continue labor management meetings with bargaining units throughout the school year.
So far, LOCS agreed on LOAs regarding legislative changes.
Leadership development was listed next, for which LOCS plans and expects to continue the LOCS administration cohort, and create learning opportunities for aspiring district-level administrators and curriculum coaches.
The next section is recruitment, for which LOCS looks to expand community recruitment opportunities.
To accomplish this, LOCS plans to continue its partnership with Oakland University, its recruitment and staffing efforts for all staffing needs, and its work with administration for interviewing and hiring strategies.
Progress completed in this section includes holding a job fair on Aug. 7, and establishing placements for OU students across the district.
For more information on the strategic plan visit www.lakeorionschools.org/district/strategic-plan.