Courtesy of San Benito High School:
The first year of the San Benito High School District Strategic Plan, adopted by the Board of Trustees in October 2017, had a focus to promote and establish academic excellence, maintain an inclusive environment for all students, continue facilities maintenance and construction finalization for campus projects and maintain fiscal solvency.
Coordinated by Derek Barnes and Educational Services Director Elaine Klauer starting in 2017, the plan in Year 1 offered a clear vision for the district through 18 action items that were developed through a shared leadership model that involved stakeholders from throughout the district along with input from the community. An Academic Task Force of students, parents, staff, and administrators has met regularly to discuss the impact of the Strategic Plan.
The plan’s Strategic Intention Goals offered specifics for staff, the trustees and administrators to work toward, and the results were impressive. Among the accomplishments:
- Creation of University and CTE Pathways that offer students two graduation options.
- A more focused student recognition system.
- Detailed research, discussion, and planning for the new bell schedule that this Fall will include an intervention period to help support students.
- Expansion of the inclusion/co-taught model into 10th grade courses.
- In partnership with Gavilan College, the creation of Math and English boot camps to help prepare students for the rigors and expectations of college.
- Continued implementation of AVID courses on campus, along with effort to encourage students to take more rigorous courses.
- Additional support mechanisms for English Language Learners.
- The creation and implementation of a Professional Learning Community system that provides instructors time to plan curriculum and work in cross-curricular teams.
- A focused campaign on helping identify underserved students to help them get the services they should be receiving.
- The hiring of a communications officer to ensure the stakeholders of the SBHS community are getting information about what is happening on campus.
- A budgetary focus on utilizing the voter-approved Measure G and U bond funds to foster solid teaching and learning environments.
Barnes said he is proud of the accomplishments related to the Strategic Plan in Year 1 and said “there is still much work to do — this is just the tip of the iceberg.” The plan was adopted with a three-year focus in 2017, but has been expanded to a five-year outlook this year as the district works to support students, increase parental involvement and expand community outreach to help shape, refine and drive the plan.
San Benito High School District Superintendent Dr. Shawn Tennenbaum noted: “On behalf of the Board of Trustees and myself, we are proud of the work to date, knowing our path has been forged now and into the future. We look forward to continued growth toward being a Gold Ribbon school.”
To access the full, 2017-2021 Strategic Plan on the SBHS website, click here.
