News release from Buncombe County:
The Board of Commissioners continued to refine Strategic Plan 2030 goals and strategic priorities during today’s special called meeting.
Focusing on long-range planning and shared goals, the first part of the day was a joint meeting with Asheville City School Board and Buncombe County School Board members. This early conversation and planning session is the first time all three boards have come together around a long-term goals conversation. No action or formal votes came from this meeting.
Asheville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Maggie Fehrman and Buncombe County Schools Superintendent Dr. Rob Jackson started the morning sharing presentations outlining how the school systems are meeting Commissioners’ strategic priorities and their goals and concerns moving forward.
Buncombe County’s Strategic Policy and Analysis Manager Heather Parkinson led the group through a series of exercises to help define shared purpose, goals, and future strategic priorities. Conversation centered around student success, state funding, retaining and recruiting teachers, and universal pre-kindergarten. Both school boards expressed gratitude to the Board of Commissioners for creating the space to have a conversation around the importance of a successful local school system.
Following a break, the Board of Commissioners reconvened for a Strategic Plan work session, taking a deep dive into strategic SMART goals and objectives as they work toward consensus on the 2030 plan for the next five years. These goals are building upon feedback from the community, partner organizations, and the 2025 Strategic Plan. “Sessions like this are important because it helps us build and track our goals, define what our priorities are, and what is realistically achievable,” says Chair Newman.
You can find the school board presentations attached, watch thejoint school board meeting here and strategic plan work session here.
Over the next several months staff will continue to refine goals, a virtual public feedback session is scheduled for Sept. 9, there will be additional work sessions scheduled in October, and the goal is for the Board of Commissioners to adopt the Strategic Plan 2030 in November.
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