Superintendent Dr. Robbie Koerperich has a number of goals for Holbrook Unified School District No. 3 for the coming year. Koerperich noted that the first of which is always the most important, “We will continue to Help our Unique Students Develop. This means we will provide as many programs and opportunities as possible through leadership, financial support and commitment to help our students succeed. Success is a cornerstone for HUSD No. 3 and the district remains committed to helping each student develop to their fullest potential.”
Some of the programs that will be introduced at the district this year include a culinary arts program, sports medicine program, bike tech program and social and emotional (SEL) programs school-wide, for groups and individual students. In addition to a district-wide mental health program, creating culture-based programs with the school systems, creating pathways for college and career readiness by utilizing the College and Career Center and establish a systematic health and wellness system.
“We have a solid Healthy Holbrook system in place; however, we need to expand upon our health and wellness protocols. COVID and sickness will continue to exist. Developing sustainable healthy buildings will be essential. As social structures, school systems have always managed health and wellness as part of the overall education system. HUSD can become a better system to serve our students, staff and community through the implementation of health and wellness systems,” stated Koerperich.
According to Koerperich, healthy learning spaces will be created within the classrooms through classroom redesigns, new learning space furniture and health air systems. The district will continue to develop and utilize health systems and health protocols to ensure each campus is providing healthy buildings. In addition, new health and wellness plans will be developed and existing ones expanded upon for staff.
Regarding preparing students for college and career Koerperich stated, “Education in the 21st century is about focusing on developing ‘how’ students are smart. We know all students have unique talents and abilities. It is HUSD No. 3’s role to develop those talents and not evaluate whether students are smart but rather how our students are smart. The reality is that success in the 21st Century is less reliant on being book smart and more reliant on being skill smart must drive education systems to rethink ‘smartness.’ HUSD No. 3 will focus on rebranding the way we evaluate ‘smartness’ amongst our student body.”
To do so, the district will analyze and build new student evaluation systems (grading, proficiency testing, student outcomes) and build upon college going environments at each school to promote college exposure for each college bound student. A College and Career Center will be developed at Holbrook High School to help build pre-requisite skills for college and career skills for all students.
Aside from student and staff development, the district will continue to address upkeep of the over 50-year-old buildings and transition to turf in strategic areas on the school campuses and create outdoor learning spaces. The district is also evaluating the potential for new school campuses where feasible.
Koerperich noted that the district will also continue to provide retention stipends for returning HUSD staff, along with a competitive salary and benefit package for district employees.
Koerperich concluded, “Creating a solid vision, mission and action plan to make the vision and mission come to fruition is important in any organization. We will begin planning for 2022 now through the end of the year so we can ensure HUSD No. 3 is the palace to be for our students, staff and community.”
