Focusing On The Future!

The Columbia School District Board of Education, teachers, administrators, staff, students and community members have been collaborating over the course of the past year to create a new strategic plan to facilitate movement towards an increased level of excellence.  As a baseline, our mission ensures that the Columbia School District will provide a high quality education and a variety of opportunities to empower students to achieve success.  

The 2023 - 2028 strategic plan identified areas of importance to continue moving us towards increased success.  We are in the initial phase of our journey, and we look forward to continuing to  work in partnership with all sectors of our community to implement our goals. The strategic goals will pave the way for the Columbia School District to achieve our vision, mission and beliefs.  

• The Columbia School District will improve positive relations within the community by providing accurate, timely and transparent information.

• Columbia School District will maintain and improve facilities that enhance learning opportunities for students and build relationships with the community.

• Columbia School District will update curriculum to increase student achievement and provide opportunities to build life skills.

• Columbia School District will create a culture that welcomes student, teacher and community engagement to provide a nurturing and safe environment.

• Columbia School District will make staffing decisions that ensure appropriate levels of support based on student and staff needs.

As we continue to move forward with our implementation of the strategic plan we look towards an improved academic environment for our students.  The Columbia School District strategic planning process will bring increased clarity, confidence, and productivity to our educational environment.  Our focus is to bring a greater alignment and deeper understanding of common educational priorities.  As we collaborate, we look forward to continuing to pave the way to excellence and success.

Planning for the Future at Columbia School District

In partnership with the community, the Columbia School District developed a Strategic Plan encompassing 2023 to 2028. The strategic plan is a living document.  It will serve as a road map to future planning, resource allocation, staff development and decision-making over the next several years.  Planning participants helped shape the vision for the future of our district.  We are excited about this plan and the possibilities it provides for our students, parents, guardians, and community to continuously improve education at our District.  

Throughout the planning process the community expressed high expectations of Columbia School District, reflecting the strong desire to embrace academic excellence and continue to maintain high standards through sustained improvement.  

There were several clear and consistent beliefs that emerged from this process.

1. Innovative and diverse learning opportunities inspire students to become lifelong learners.

2. A nurturing and safe environment is essential to meet the needs of all learners.

3. Our school district is the cornerstone of our community.

4. The community is an important partner in the educational process.

Our strategic planning team collaborated and operationalized the beliefs into a mission statement to help guide the community for the next five years.  The mission statement establishes, in broadest terms, the purpose of the school district. The Mission statement: 

• The Columbia School District will provide high quality education and a variety of opportunities to empower students to achieve success.  

The vision of the Columbia School District defines in a succinct group of words what will inspire our district to move forward. It’s a statement about our hopes and expectations for the future.  The Vision statement is: 

• Empowering Learners. Achieving Success.

The Columbia School District strategic plan is based on qualitative and quantitative data.  This planning process is focusing on integrating the strategic planning outcomes with the Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Process (MICIP).  Regular monitoring of our progress will be critical to the success of the plan. The Columbia School District strategic planning process will result in improved clarity, confidence, and productivity. The strategic planning process will result in greater alignment and deeper understanding of common priorities. As we collaborate, we look to forward to continuing to pave the way to excellence and success.