The Fountain Hills Unified School District Governing Board and Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sweeney kicked off the new school year with a board retreat to discuss district goals.

Along with conducting some regular board training, this special retreat held before and after the Aug. 12 public meeting allowed board members and FHUSD’s new superintendent to have a conversation about the district’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats before opening up the discussion to crafting new goals.

At the retreat, board members moved around the Learning Center conference room adding items to lists focused on the above four key topics.

A discussion of each topic followed, giving Sweeney some additional guidance to consider when he eventually turns them into more fleshed out goals.

These goals will be presented to the board at a future meeting for possible approval.

Weaknesses

While items like lower teacher pay, communication, the ability to offer a greater variety of courses and providing a solid foundation for all classes being taught were included on the weaknesses chart, two items in particular garnered the most discussion from the Governing Board.

First up was “school transitions” which, according to President Jill Reed, needs a lot of work.

Reed used the term “un-unified unified school district” in reference to this item, stating that FHUSD’s three sites are too separate from each other and don’t offer enough “flow” between schools.

“There’s not enough prep for what to expect between schools,” Reed added, saying that she would like to see a more unified district where students leaving one site are actively prepared for the next.

This might introduce a stronger sense of unity, she said, as well as excitement to continue on the “Falcon” path.

The second item to receive some additional attention was community outreach.

According to Dr. C.T. Wright, there are untapped resources in Fountain Hills when it comes to retired professionals who aren’t aware they have an opportunity to share their expertise with local students.

Threats

Low state funding and the availability of other education options were included under threats for FHUSD, along with items like teacher shortages and families that don’t begin within FHUSD and are unwilling to give it a chance.

Members also discussed the community’s perception of FHUSD and how, sometimes, that perception does not equal reality.

“We’re doing a good job here but, somehow, we don’t have that reputation,” added Wright.

“Some folks are talking about the district as they knew it 15 years ago, and that’s not the district we are now.”

Also causing some discussion was a less supportive culture for staff in the past.

“I’ve heard in the past that it’s not always a welcoming or supportive environment for new teachers,” said member Edith Stock.

Reed, however, said that times are changing in that regard, too.

“I’ve been around to the schools this past week and I haven’t seen this much excitement in the hallways in six years,” she said.

“Things weren’t necessarily ideal in the past, but I think, and hope, the tide is turning in this area.”

Strengths

The board was careful to look at both sides of the coin during its retreat, however, matching weaknesses and threats with strengths and opportunities.

At the top of the list for strengths were items members have praised for years now, including the small community, amazing teachers, small class sizes, anti-bullying campaigns, support for athletics and other programs like band and robotics, FHEA interns in classrooms, AP and honors classes.

Reed also mentioned special classes at McDowell Mountain as being a strength, including art, music, PE and computers.

“That’s the first thing many districts cut when the budget shrinks,” Reed added.

“We’ve managed to maintain them no matter what.”

Opportunities

The first item on the opportunities list was the existence of an empty building. The old Four Peaks campus was closed several years ago due to shrinking enrollment and, since then, the idea of converting the facility into a STEM-focused site or a satellite for a partner like EVIT has been kicked around.

Also under opportunities was the inclusion of a wider range of courses, dual enrollment and a stronger relationship between the district and town.

Board members expressed a desire to see a stronger Falcon culture from K-12, as well as more opportunities for upperclassmen to serve as mentors, more internships and possibly online courses to boost electives.

Goals

All four of these areas are currently being boiled down into goals.

Sweeney helped lead the group through a process of crafting broad ideas for the goals, which he is currently finalizing for possible approval.

Rough versions of these goals included personalized education with multiple paths, community involvement and communication between all parties to create a collaborative learning environment, increased student achievement and the promotion of districtwide achievements, as well as stewardship of district funds and other resources.