The Warren County R-III School Board recently met with administrators to determine its direction moving forward by establishing new goals.Joining board members were Assistant Superintendents Dr. Aaron Jones and Dr. Jill Schowe, along with incoming Superintendent Dr. Gregg Klinginsmith. The group worked together to determine precise marks based upon the district’s current needs.The board focused specifically on developing a culture of success, acquiring and maintaining quality staff and addressing the financial future.“It’s such a great team attitude that we’re there working together, and we’re going to do as much as we can to achieve those goals cohesively,” said board President John Clinger.In regards to a culture of success, the district wants to maintain a positive spirit throughout the campuses and focus on what is going well by celebrating student achievement and other breakthroughs.“The board had a great discussion about all the needs of the district,” said Klinginsmith. “We had a ton of data and correlation studies about what makes up a high achieving school district.”Part of that, says Klinginsmith, is attracting high quality staff members and enticing them to stay through competitive pay, benefits and a thriving work environment. Currently, R-III ranks 432nd out of 514 districts in the state in relation to staff years of experience.“Average years of experience was one of the highest positive correlations to student achievement,” said Klinginsmith. “As we invest in staff, we want them to stay around.”But to do so, the district must also address its financial state. It has made several significant investments recently, including the $10 million bond project for additions and renovations.“Right now projections look like we might be in a situation in a couple of years,” said Klinginsmith. “We wanted to address that now.”During the meeting, specific roles of the school board and superintendent were also outlined, especially with the departure of Schowe after this school year.“It was a very positive collaborative process,” said Klinginsmith. “I thought we did a great job of putting these goals together.”Warren County R-III School District