Clay County School Board approves 5 year strategic plan

HAYESVILLE, N.C. – Clay County School Board of Education approved the school’s strategic plan for the upcoming five years at the June meeting.

A strategic plan determines the course for decision-making over the course of the next five years and outlines its vision with the state.

The vision statement was suggested to be changed to “high quality learning environments, high quality professionals, high quality learning at all levels.” The current vision statement provides a little more detail. The board favored the longer statement.

The feedback for the mission also suggested shortening it to “The mission of Clay County Schools is to build high quality learning environments that ensure students learn at all levels.” The board agreed in favor of that change.

The strategic plan can be adjusted over the next five years as well.

Clay County will start implementing a new math curriculum for 3 through 8 once they receive next years budget. The high school will also be implementing a new math curriculum that includes digital textbooks. The public can review the curriculum before the board approves is at the July board meeting.

Clay County Schools will begin executing the DESA mental health screeners during summer learning to identify problem areas before rolling it out to all students. The DESA screeners serve as a check-in to access students mental health.

The school system is also purchasing the Rhythm app. It will be predownloaded on students Chromebooks, and students can take a daily seven question mental health check-in. Students select an emoji to correspond with their mood.

“Typically, teenagers won’t let anybody know anything, including their parents,” Superintendent Dale Cole, “What the research shows is they will go on social media and share everything.”

Teenagers are more apt to share information on an app than in person and the app will let counselors know if there’s an issue, they need to check on.

The school system hasn’t received any negative feedback concerning the social/emotional curriculum, Second Step.

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