Board discusses next steps for strategic planning

CLINTONVILLE – At its Jan. 26 meeting, the Clintonville Board of Education heard a presentation from Dave Honish, superintendent for CESA 8, about the process the district could take to do strategic planning for the district and how CESA 8 could help with that process.
Clintonville Superintendent Troy Kuhn started the discussion by stating, “As the district leader, I don’t know about doing the whole mission statement and all that right now is the right time or right place. But I’ll be the first one to admit I don’t know everything.”
Kuhn said because of that, he asked Honish to address the board regarding the next steps in a potential review of the district’s mission statement and other strategic planning.
Honish told the board that he watched the board’s meeting from Jan. 14 and heard the conversion from board members that the board needed help to work strategically as a board.
“I would argue and say that it isn’t just about strategic alignment as a board, it’s about strategic alignment as a district and as a community here too,” Honish said.

He said he has worked with several school boards on similar strategic planning. This involved working with survey data and creating a team to review the survey data. This team would consist of members of the board, as well as citizens in the district.
“We would help frame-out a mission, vision, and values that align with what you’re getting from your constituents,” Honish said.
With the district working on getting a referendum passed in the spring election, Honish said CESA 8 would recommend that the district begin the strategic planning process after the spring election. This would allow the district to be fully committed to the strategic planning, which he said would be “tough work.”
“It’s a challenge I’d love to take on with your board and your district because I think you’re going to find it pays huge dividends,” Honish said.
He reiterated that the recommendation would be for the district to start that process after the referendum vote in April.
“Do this at a time when the other leaders within your system can also engage in the process and not have it be one more thing added to their plate,” Honish said.
Starting the process after the referendum vote would still allow the district to implement the strategic planning prior to the 2026-27 school year, Honish said.

Process
Honish told the board members that they would have to commit to four or five working sessions to review all the survey results in-depth.
He added that his definition of strategic planning is a “process that engages leadership and the board, and you take a look at aligning the things you are hoping to accomplish with your mission, vision, and values.”

Most school districts have 3-4 strategic initiatives that they are trying to accomplish, Honish said. This could include financial, academic, or facility items that the district wants to improve.
“If you don’t have a solid foundation as far as the values that you all believe in, then it’s going to be very difficult to have strategic initiatives that you can get behind,” Honish said.
Board President Glen Drew Lundt said he gets impatient and asked what the district could do until the referendum vote is completed.
Honish said CESA 8 would start developing the survey during that time. He added that the referendum vote results could change some of the strategies the district may use.
“Going into that process and trying to rush your way through that process without having all the information, I think is not going to serve you as well as you’d like,” Honish said.
Board member Christopher Hoffmann asked what the cost to the district would be for having CESA 8 work with the district regarding strategic planning.
Honish said the cost would be based on a daily rate.
“I’m the cheapest show in town,” Honish said, regarding the rate. Honish did not provide the board with a specific rate the district would be charged.