Craig Carson

The Ozark School District's Strategic Plan aims to inspire innovation and excellence in education, empowering every student to reach their highest levels of achievement with confidence. It fosters a supportive learning environment by strengthening connections and collaboration among students, educators, families, and the broader community. The plan is built upon four key pillars: Academic Excellence, focusing on curriculum, personalized learning, early childhood programming, and real-world learning; Connections, emphasizing relationships, communication, and parent engagement; Operational Efficiency, ensuring safe schools, infrastructure, and resource planning; and Leadership and Government, dedicated to attracting and retaining quality staff, promoting teamwork, and maintaining fiscal responsibility.

The meeting included recognitions of students from various schools for their responsibility and positive attitudes. The student council presented their goals for the year, focusing on fostering a sense of belonging and student voice. The superintendent provided an update, expressing gratitude for the work on policies. There was a discussion regarding the ROAR score and its inclusion of behavior and academic standards. Updates were given on the playground and baseball complex projects, as well as the Tiger Stadium speaker system.

The meeting included recognitions of students from various schools for their teachable qualities. Public comments were heard regarding the visibility of class rank and its impact on student mental health and course selection. The MSTA report highlighted the collaborative approach within the district, including the formation of a calendar committee and improvements in benefit awareness.

The meeting included recognitions of collaborative students of the month from various schools, including Tiger Paw, North Elementary, and others. There was a discussion on donor recognition and gifts to schools, highlighting the importance of recognizing donors at board meetings. The Governor's workforce of the future initiative was discussed, emphasizing the importance of career and technical education and strengthening the state's workforce pipeline. The meeting also covered the alignment of the district's strategic plan with the state's recommendations for workforce development.

The meeting included public comment from a student representative discussing concerns regarding the process, transparency, and authority surrounding the implementation and subsequent policy amendment for individual student rank. The Superintendent provided updates on recent State School Board activities, including discussions on voluntary public open enrollment legislation and proposals to shift the Annual Performance Report (APR) reporting system to an A-F style grading scale. The Superintendent also referenced the School Funding Modernization Task Force. The board proceeded with the consent agenda approval and moved into new business, which featured a presentation of the 2025 financial statement audit results by external auditors, noting an unmodified opinion, an increase in general fund receipts primarily from property taxes, a 26% fund balance reserve equivalent to over three months of expenditures, and no findings in state compliance or federal compliance audits for Title I and Special Education programs.