FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is PACT?
PACT stands for “Planning a Course Together.” PACT is a community engagement effort created by the St. Joseph School District Board of Education in 2010. This effort is led by community volunteers and, since its creation, has been open to all District residents. PACT was charged by the Board with identifying long-terms goals for improving education in the District and recommending a plan for reaching these goals.
What challenges does St. Joseph School District face?
The District is facing significant challenges in a number of areas, any or all of which could negatively impact the quality of education in our schools. Among the most serious are aging school buildings and potentially unstable resources. In 2010-11, PACT held a series of community meetings to address the major challenges facing the District.
How long did PACT study these challenges and work to develop solutions?
In all, the PACT recommendations were more than a year in the making. A community volunteer-led Facilitating Team began by working to develop an approach that would give St. Joseph residents the best opportunity to participate in the PACT process. A series of twelve community engagement sessions were then held. These sessions took the form of community workshops, in which participants received information and engaged in two-way communication through small group work activities. Community engagement sessions were held over a 14 month period. The first community engagement session was held on March 27, 2010, and the final session was held on May 24, 2011.
How many community members were involved in PACT?
The community engagement sessions were consistently well-attended, with an average attendance of 176. One session attracted approximately 500 community members. In all, nearly a thousand people participated in PACT through at least one of the twelve community engagement sessions.
What happened to the original website?
We have moved the website containing all of the content from Step One of PACT, which was the Facilities Evaluations and Community Engagement Sessions to the following link: http://StepOne.PACTforSJSD.com
How were the PACT recommendations developed?
At each community engagement session, participants viewed a presentation and received information about a particular topic. Experts led each presentation and provided information. A subsequent small group activity in each session provided opportunities for participants to process information and build consensus about approaches to each issue.
Consensus points made at each community session served as building blocks of the PACT recommendations, which were delivered to the Board of Education in June, 2011.
What is included in the PACT recommendations?
The community engagement sessions resulted in 51 statements of recommendation, which were delivered to the Board of Education on June 14, 2011. These recommendations included a draft Facilities Master Plan and recommendations for improvement in several other key areas, including pre-school/early childhood education, technology, finance, staff and safety/security. The statements of recommendation are available for review at the PACT website: www.PACTforSJSD.com.
What are the goals of the PACT recommendations?
The PACT recommendations are designed to address the highest priorities for improving the quality of education in St. Joseph School District. In all, they are meant to create excellence, efficiency and equity across the entire district.
Why is it important to the entire community that we improve the quality of education in our school district?
Improving education in our schools also means jobs and economic development for everyone in our community. Projects included in the draft Facilities Master Plan will put people to work across St. Joseph, and providing a 21st century learning environment will help to attract businesses and families to our community.
How would the draft Facilities Master Plan be implemented?
PACT recommended a conservative approach to completing the Facilities Master Plan, which would build, renovate, expand, repurpose and retire school buildings across the District. The Plan would be completed in four phases, and it is anticipated that it would take more than a decade – perhaps as long as twenty years – before the entire Plan is completed.
Has a decision been made to place a referendum on an upcoming ballot?
No decision has been made about a referendum. After PACT completes the next step of the community engagement process and reports to the Board of Education, the Board will make decisions about addressing the challenges facing the District.
What is this next step of PACT all about?
The Board of Education recognizes the importance of involving the entire community in recommending the best way to improve education in the District. Before taking significant action related to the PACT recommendations, it will consider the community’s feedback about ways to strengthen these recommendations and move forward in the most appropriate way.
When will PACT report to the Board of Education on the results of this effort?
After all input has been reviewed, it is anticipated that PACT representatives will report to the Board of Education near the end of 2011 or in early 2012.
Why is it important for everyone in our community to make his or her voice heard?
The results that emerged from PACT were only possible because people from across our entire community came together to build consensus. In order to ensure that these recommendations are as strong as they can be, it is important to get as much feedback — and from as many community members — as possible.
How can I learn more and provide feedback about the PACT recommendations?
To learn more or provide your input, please visit PACTforSJSD.com or call 816.671.4000. Along with more detailed information about the PACT recommendations, an informational video is available at the website. You may also request a DVD copy of the video or request a presentation for your organization’s next meeting. Copies of the draft Facilities Master Plan and the rest of the PACT recommendations are available at the District administration office.
Open houses will be held October 17 (Troester Media Center) and October 18 (Spring Garden Middle School); each open house will run from 6:00-8:00 PM; please visit the website for more information., and a PACT listeners bureau will be making presentations at meetings across the District.
In summary, you can learn more and provide feedback in the following ways:
Website: www.PACTforSJSD.com
Phone: 816-671-4000
Mail: PACT for SJSD, 925 Felix, St. Joseph, MO 64501
In person: Drop off your comments at the main office of any District school between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, M-F
Open houses: October 17 (Troester Media Center) and October 18 (Spring Garden Middle School); each open house will run from 6:00-8:00 PM; please Click Here for more information.
