The District 97 strategic planning process is getting off to a rocky start, with school board members wondering if the Texas-based consulting firm they hired understands the Oak Park tradition of extensive citizen involvement.
School board members were shocked and dismayed that its strategic planning firm, MGT of Austin, Texas, recommended a 10- to 11-person strategic plan steering committee that would have only one community member.
MGT recommended that the steering committee consist of one or two school board members, two administrators, two teachers, one principal, a high school representative, two office support staffers, and one community member.
“Just to give them a clue, four central office staff people to one community member is not tenable,” said board member Dan Burke. “They need to change it. This is not going to happen in this community.”
The board will meet with consultants from MGT today at 5:00 p.m. at a special public meeting to discuss composition of the steering committee.
Board members thought MGT had promised an open process with wide community involvement during interviews to select a strategic planning firm.
“This almost shocks me,” said board member Julie Blankemeier.
Board member Peter Barber was firm that this composition of the steering committee was not going to pass muster.
“They need to do what we agreed to,” Barber said.
School board President Carolyn Newberry Schwartz suggested that the steering committee needs to be larger and to have more community representation.
“This is a very engaged community,” said Newberry Schwartz.
The district’s contract with MGT calls for termination of the agreement upon 30 days’ notice should that become necessary according to district officials.
