In 2008, New Albany for Kids (NAFK), a volunteer led organization, worked diligently to pass an operating levy we believed to be essential for the success of our school district. Throughout the campaign and in the months since passage of the levy, we have heard tremendous support for our schools, but we have also heard and shared many concerns. Some issues may be diverse, but there appears to be common threads relating to concerns about communication and the decision-making process.

These issues make our commitment even stronger to continuing the work and independence of NAFK. New Albany for Kids is proud to serve our community as an independent, grass roots volunteer organization to promote academic excellence through on- going advocacy, communication, and community involvement. Several members of the community have advocated for our school to engage in a strategic planning process.

To support this process and begin to address concerns heard throughout the community, NAFK has developed a community engagement plan aimed to increase transparency of the school board’s decision making process and involve residents in issues of importance to our schools. To continue our development as an outstanding school district will require an open dialogue with the community, greater transparency of process, and important prioritization decisions.

We recognize there may be disagreements about particular personalities or decisions, but there is a strong belief in the shared support for educational excellence. We will not advance as a community if we do not address our concerns and our aspirations in an open, direct manner. This will be a great opportunity for us to act as a “community of one” and share constructive thoughts for defining academic excellence.