On September 13, 2024, the Marion County Board of Education met during regular session to mutually establish and set the goals of Superintendent Dr. Donna Heston for the 2024-25 school year.
Goal 1 ACHIEVEMENT AND STUDENT GROWTH: Implement a system-wide school leadership and administrators’ plan of action that focuses on integration of practical skills, student leadership, career exploration, and hands-on learning experiences that facilitate community and business partnerships and career technical education programming for elementary, middle and high schools by June 2025.
Increase student achievement rates as measured by beginning of the year, middle of the year, and end of the year assessments by June 2025.
Goal 2 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Create student, faculty, and families advisory councils, which will meet four times during the school year by June 2025 throughout the district, to discuss concerns related to the school system and have input for school system initiatives.
Goal 3 FAMILY AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT: Increase positive engagement opportunities with students, families, and the community at-large as measured through Marion County Schools app and social media, stakeholder surveys, open houses, fairs and festivals (social studies fair, science fair, literacy fair, spelling bee, STEAM fair, etc.)
Goal 4 DISTRICT OPERATIONS AND PLANNING: Monitor student enrollment to access and make recommendation to the board of education for a 7% decrease in the number of professional and service personnel over the state aid formula by June 2025.
Goal 5 LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: Increase student learning environment standards as well as safety and security throughout the county as measured by regular walkthroughs by law enforcement and first responders, monthly safety reports, drills and trainings, and submission of funding requests to the School Building Authority to address identified priorities (such as mantraps and roofs) in Marion County School’s Comprehensive Education and Facilities Plans 2020-2030.