MANCHESTER, N.H. – Although there is still work to do, it seems that the Manchester Board of School Committee (BOSC) is pleased with the progress shown by the administrative leaders of the Manchester School District.
Manchester School District Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Gillis and other leaders within the district presented an update on the district’s goals on Monday night, which concluded with a round of applause from members of the BOSC.
Within the categories of Equity, Teaching and Learning, Student Services, Communications, Finance, Policies, Operations and Technology, 11 of the 17 2022-’23 Manchester School District Goals were completed according to Gillis, with the other six “in progress.”
Each of the goals were separated into either district-wide, department-wide or school-specific initiatives coordinated with the district’s strategic plan, which was released in 2020.
Gillis added that much of the district’s efforts were focused on recovering educational progress lost during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as attempting to stabilize the district’s identity given that there have now been four superintendents within the last ten years.
Response from the BOSC was universally positive, ranging from comments from Ward 11 BOSC Member Dr. Nicole Leapley stating that this report provided more transparency to the district’s progress to newly sworn-in student BOSC Member Erika Barberi praising efforts made to provide more culturally diverse food offerings at Central High School.
Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig also praised Gilis for the first curriculum updates in decades and providing a focus on professional development compared to a time when the district spent no money on professional development in addition to other plaudits.
In addition to their praise, members of the board such as Ward 3 BOSC Member Karen Soule echoed the comments of Gillis and her team that more work remains despite the positive efforts so far and that the work done this year is a foundation toward those efforts.
“From my perspective, this is an outstanding start,” said Soule. “Because until we stabilize this district, we don’t really know where we are or where we’re going. Now we know where we are beginning and we have direction to move forward.
