#SchoolPR Insights Blog

After reflecting on this past school year, you have an idea of what you want to accomplish heading into the fall. To achieve those goals, start by planning out the school board calendar. Every meeting should bring you closer to your vision for the school.

Allow your vision to guide the agenda

Building a school board calendar involves more than establishing regular board meetings. The board should also decide what will be discussed at those meetings. Outlining agenda topics ahead of time will allow board members to arrive more prepared, which in turn leads to greater efficiency and better-informed decisions.

That begs the question: what exactly should be on the agenda? The answer lies with your school’s long-term goals for the future. The goals you want to accomplish determine what gets discussed at school board meetings. Every agenda topic should bring you closer to one or several goals laid out for the school year.

For example, the board of education might have a vision for extending the science wing of your high school. To achieve this goal, a portion of each board meeting should be dedicated to tackling each step of the construction process. Agenda topics would likely include budgeting, permit approvals, timelines, blueprints and so on. Be sure to outline agenda topics in your school board calendar.

Tips for staying focused on your goals

The beginning of a new school year is always filled with excitement. Your board members are motivated and ready to tackle their goals for the year. A couple months in, it’s common to get sidetracked and lose sight of those goals.

These tips will help your school board create a well-organized calendar and stay on course to achieve their goals:

• Map out a timeline: Establish a tentative timeframe for achieving a certain goal. Then, put checkpoints in the board calendar to help your team stay on track.
• Make your goals public: Be transparent with the school community about your goals, as well as when and how you plan to achieve them. Sharing long-term plans with the public can help keep your team accountable.
• Reserve space in your meetings: Before each board meeting, decide which topics the team will be discussing, and how much time should be dedicated to each topic. This will ensure every goal progresses forward with each meeting.

Success begins with an effective calendar

How you reach a goal is just as important as the goal itself. Once you establish a specific goal, use the school board calendar to map out stepping stones that lead to your goal. A thoughtful approach to board agendas and meetings is the key to getting where you want to go.