The Eastern Pulaski Community School Corporation now has a strategic plan, but how some of its suggestions will be paid for remains to be seen. The five-year plan was approved by the school board Monday, after hearing a presentation over it the month before.
Superintendent Dan Foster complemented the planning committee on their work but said the tough part will be the potential cost. “There’s a couple strategies there that could involve dollars down the road, and that’s a challenge for us,” he said. “But being in the group as a committee member, I think the committee came up with some pretty good strategies, and we’re very passionate about those strategies.” In particular, Foster liked the emphasis on social and mental health, noting that it’s a huge concern not only at Eastern Pulaski but in society as a whole.
Board member Mike Tetzloff also voiced concern with the potential cost, saying that he wanted to goals to be realistic. He specifically noted the goal of increasing academic offerings by at least three classes a year.
Foster said the school corporation will have to look at what sorts of staff members it hires going forward and added that the Warrior Academy provides some opportunities. “We may eventually have to hire some assistants in there, rather than hiring a full new teacher to teach five or six subjects here, and that’s a challenge for us,” Foster said. “And that’s something that, as a whole, that we’re going to have to look at that, as we move forward.”
Foster pointed out that there are ways to bring in more money. “Nobody likes the ‘referendum’ word in Indiana, but as you can see from some local schools – I don’t know. I don’t know if that’s coming or not, but that could be something down the road.”
Board member Beth Ruff, who also served on the planning committee, noted that the plan wasn’t meant to be easy. Foster added that it isn’t expected that all the goals will be achieved in the first year.
