Overton Co. BOE Plans To Boost Facility Upgrades And Special Ed Services

The Overton County School Board has a new strategic plan for the next five years of the school system.

Board of Education Chair Jarman Hicks said the outlook of goals and action steps was made in collaboration with members of the board and school leaders.

“Our building and facility maintenance that is a major need,” Hicks said. “That’s something over time that just gets neglected as your trying to allocate moneys and that type of things. We are also trying to update our special ed services.”

Hicks said the board also envisions establishing a Technology Department and a Financial Reporting Plan. According to the strategic plan, the director of schools will develop the actions to meet these goals and report progress to the board.

“What we usually do is we have a meeting with our director of schools and the supervisors of instructions and principals,” Hicks said. “We sit down and go over this information, the plans and the vision of this board.”

The plan also states the director of schools will make recommendations and cost projections for needs of the school system regarding facilities, technology and curriculum.  Hicks said the strategic plan was made effective immediately on approval.

“Some of these are already taking place,” Hicks said. “We have ESSER money that is coming in that will take care some of these items. ESSER funds are over a three year time frame, which will help suffice this five year plan.”

The Technology Department would have its own five year plan created by the director of schools. The goal to provide needs to all members of the school system and developing a virtual program for K-8.