The Columbia School Board will vote to adopt the district’s five-year improvement plan at its meeting Monday.
The Continuous School Improvement Plan, also known as CSIP, is a state-mandated strategic plan that is regularly updated. It is meant to organize Columbia Public Schools’ goals and ambitions as it looks toward the future.
Superintendent Jeff Klein will present the latest plan, which includes a new vision statement. Core focus areas of the plan are learning, teaching, leadership, professional leadership, community partnership and operation excellence, according to documents prepared for board members.
Community surveys, focus groups and interviews were conducted to find a vision that matched the heart of Columbia Public Schools. The vision “empowers every student to thrive in college, career and life,” according to the documents.
Counseling program review
The School Board will also hear a review of elementary and secondary counseling.
Helen Porter, the district’s chief schools officer, will present a review of how the district has progressed in achieving set goals for counseling as well as how it can improve in the 2026-27 academic year.
According to Porter’s presentation in the board documents, goals include: expanding college career and readiness; measuring student impact; increasing small group counseling; increasing academic progress; and documenting a multi-tiered system of support and coordinated support systems.
Special recognition
The board will recognize Izayah Christopher, a recent graduate of Battle High School, for winning the William Woods Tate, Jr. National Student of the Year Award.
Christopher was selected out of thousands of students from across the country for the highest honor given by the National Speech & Debate Association.
Christopher was captain of Battle High School’s speech and debate team for two consecutive years and a member throughout high school.
Paul Wagner to be sworn in
Also during Monday’s meeting, Paul Wagner will be sworn in as the newest School Board member.
Wagner was appointed Sept. 3 in a unanimous board vote to succeed Jeanne Snodgrass, who resigned in July.
Wagner serves as the second executive director of the Council on Public Higher Education. He has lived in the district for 26 years and will fill the final year of Snodgrass’ term, which ends in April.
The seven-member board is unpaid. Members serve for three years and are elected on a rotating basis in the April election.
How to watch
The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Aslin Administration Building, 1818 W. Worley St. For those unable to attend, a livestream is available on CPS-TV and viewable on the district website, Apple TV, Roku and Fire TV.
