School-Community Relations
Week 2 Assignment
Item 1
Identify a school district program or operation that could significantly benefit from an appropriate school-community relations activity. Give a brief explanation as to why you chose the program or operation.
The Lumberton Independent School District and the City of Lumberton has came together to capitalize on an opportunity to receive a FEMA grant to build a monolithic dome structure on the district property to be utilized as an emergency management station and shelter for Southeast Texas first responders. However, the structure can be utilized as a school district building, under the operations of the school district to be designed as a structure fit for educational use. I had an opportunity to visit another school district in South Texas that has received the grant, and have viewed the details in the beginning phases of building the structure. The structure being built at the Woodsboro Independent School District
Whenever it was identified that our school district had the opportunity of receiving the grant, high hopes were shared among the administrative team of this wonderful opportunity. The perspective of this grant outlines that FEMA will be responsible for paying 75% of the grant, and the school district will have to bear 25% of the cost plus any finishing cost.
The reason I had chosen this school-community relations activity was the opportunity we have been offered, the budgetary concerns of the district, and public (both community and faculty stakeholders) view of the structure and cost.
Item 2
Describe the proposed school-community relations activity that could benefit the program or operation. Ex: volunteer program, school-business partnership, communications strategy, etc.
In order to understand the benefits of the operations of utilizing the funds of this grant, it is important to understand the concerns and misconceptions that are viewed in the public’s eye. Whenever the news started spreading in the community about a proposed building project, the first concerns that came to mind was a bond issue that would easily be voted down by the community. Also, concerns were being voiced in the community stating the school had to layoff so many teachers, that now they are considering spending money on buildings, but the students are suffering because of a lack of teachers.
Being mindful of the situations, the school district has not yet received the grant, only the opportunity. Since I have visited another district to gain insight on this grant, and the directions that we need to be heading, I have been told I will be part of the strategic planning team, when a team is created. The precursors of this discussion in the community were first held between the Superintendent, the school board finance committee, city leaders, and the Economic Development Board. Now that misconceptions are moving throughout the community, I propose as part of the District’s Strategic Planning Team a communications plan to market this opportunity to the community.
The main focus we are looking at with this structure is to create a school district auditorium that could be utilized also as a community center. Our school district houses many community events; however, our facilities are not up to comparison as other school districts in the area. This design focus has not been mentioned to the public. First, for the main reason, we have not received the grant, and secondly, the misconceptions that are traveling throughout the community.
The proposed plan would take this information to the various community organizations (service organizations, and churches) as well as the school community, and generate support for the structure and promote the positive aspects and express the community need for this structure. In addition, the communications will focus on the opportunity we would have by only sharing 25% of the cost of this structure, a positive expenditure for the district in light of the economic conditions facing school districts. Once the groundwork has been delivered to the community organizations, it would be the hopes that positive feedback regarding the project would be generated and spread throughout the community. By focusing on the needed structure, and the school and community opportunities that would be created, the community will understand and support the project.
We have learned that just going out and asking the public for funds to build structures without giving the reasons and details of the plan has given the school a negative view of the management of school funds. We need to take this learned information, and give the community what it expects and outline the plans and benefits of the program.
Item 3
Identify the school district goal/objective that would benefit from the proposed school-community relations activity. How would it benefit?
First of all, by creating this communications plan, the main district goal would be to enhance trust by the community in the operations of the school district funds, by displaying transparency and being open and honest regarding the needs and community opportunities that would be generated. We have five district goals that have been approved by the school board. The correlated goals that would be supported in the District Improvement Plan and the five year strategic plan would be to promote academic excellence, practice good stewardship of finances, and develop and maintain physical infrastructure to enhance educational opportunities for all students.
The structure that would be created would promote academic excellence, by offering our students an adequate and supportive place to practice and perform theatre, band, choir, dance, and cheerleading. These extra curricular courses the students have access to would be accentuated. Practicing good stewardship of our finances would be elaborated due to the financial support we would be receiving. Also, the main focus would be enhancing the education opportunities by developing physical infrastructure that would be useful for school, as well as community venues.
Item 4
What school district resources would be needed to initiate this school-community relations activity?
Budgetary funds would be used to fund site analysis, and the architectural design of the structure. An additional budgetary factor is the identification of cost for creating parking spaces and roadways, since the placement of the dome would be in an existing parking lot.
Another resource that would be instituted would be time spent spreading the message of this opportunity. In order to be prepared, several meetings would need to be organized in order to develop a consensual plan of action focusing on the needs of the district, as well as the desires of the community. The actions would be created utilizing the district and campus needs assessments and discussions with the District’s Site Base Decision Making Committee, as well as the Strategic Planning Committee.
Overall, with careful planning and preparation, and learning from past mistakes, the team would be able to come up with a successful marketing package to be delivered to the community. It is understood that our community has wanted to focus on the development of an auditorium. Capitalizing on the desire, and creating a plan, and communicating with the public sector, as well as the school community would enhance the development of this dome structure.
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