Craven County Schools is one of a few districts across the state to include public input in crafting a vision that will guide the school board’s policymaking decisions.
Over the last six months, a group of more than 50 community members, business leaders, elected officials and parents met regularly with school board members to develop a new vision for the district. The new vision, which the board approved on Tuesday, will guide the district’s budget and policies for the next five years.
Superintendent Meghan Doyle says the district modeled the “Community Stakeholder Group” after similar meetings in Alamance and Orange Counties.
“I think that having all those people at the table – diverse views and diverse perspectives – I think only allows us to even make better decisions,” she said. “It’s not just so they can advocate for us, but it’s also so they can advocate for the community where we’re involved.”
Doyle says elevating community members’ voices in the decision-making process could help build public trust in the school district.
“The more knowledgeable and engaged those members are, the more understanding the general public is in the strategies that we’re trying to implement for the improvement of our students and our communities,” she said.
The school district’s new vision will help guide the district’s five-year strategic plan, which is expected to be finalized in early August.