Oregon school board looks at strategic planning
By Kelly Kaczala | The Press (Oregon, OH)
March 24, 2014
Oregon City Schools Superintendent Lonny Rivera wants to boost the private fundraising potential in the district to help support educational programs.
“We can’t do everything through taxpayer dollars,” said Rivera at a school board meeting on Tuesday. “What I really want to do is try and find a way that we can make the experience second to none for our kids. And one of the ways that we are going to do that is to tap into the private resources in our community – people who have come from these halls, who have a tie to and love for our district. I think we have not tapped into that resource like we should.”
The district, he said, “is on the verge of some really exciting things.”
When he became superintendent last fall, he met with Mike Armstrong, co-founder of the Oregon Schools Foundation, a non-profit group that serves as a catalyst to bring local businesses and the community together to increase educational opportunities for Oregon students. Through an established endowment fund from donations, the Foundation provides grants as well as community resources to support programs to enhance the educational experiences in the district.
“It is my belief that if we want to go above and beyond, we need to have a very active Foundation,” said Rivera. “We have a wonderful group of people that have been assembled and are very energetic trying to bring us to the next level in Oregon city schools. In my six months here, I think it’s time to go to the next level. What I mean by that is how do we find out from our community and other stakeholders what it is that we need to do, where they would like us to go. I have an idea where I want to take our kids, but I want to make sure that all our resources line up.”
Aly Sterling, a consulting firm, will put together a strategic plan “to find out what it is we can do to make this place great,” said Rivera.
Sara Best, of Aly Sterling, presented the board with a proposal for strategic planning.
“We believe that all school districts, institutions, and non-profits need three things: a solid board and strong leadership; a strategic vision – some clarity about where you’re going; and a fundraising program or machine to help fuel those strategic priorities,” said Best…
