The Albion Board of Education took a significant step toward defining the district’s future during their regular meeting on October 7, approving funding for administrative salaries and hearing a roadmap for a new strategic planning process designed to guide the district through 2029. Superintendent Mickey Edwards and Board President Wayne Wadhams led the meeting, which also featured a check-in on building-specific goals from the district’s three principals. **Strategic Planning Process Begins** The centerpiece of the evening was a presentation by Dr. Marla Iverson from the Warner Center for Professional Development and Education Reform. Dr. Iverson, who appeared via Zoom, outlined the process for developing a new three-to-five-year strategic plan. "If a man knows not what harbor he seeks, any wind is the right wind," Dr. Iverson said, quoting the Roman philosopher Seneca to illustrate the necessity of a defined vision. The planning process will rely on data collection from stakeholders, including the Board of Education, students, teachers, support staff, and community members. Dr. Iverson explained that the district will utilize quantitative data (surveys), qualitative data (interviews and focus groups), and artifact data to create a report identifying district priorities. A writing committee of approximately 20 stakeholders will be formed to identify four to six priority areas. Superintendent Edwards indicated that this plan will eventually tie all district efforts, goals, and decisions together, updating the district’s Vision, Mission, and "Big Rocks." **Academic Focus: Writing and Leadership** Following the strategic planning overview, the district’s building principals presented their specific goals for the 2024-2025 school year. A consistent theme across the elementary, middle, and high school was a renewed focus on writing instruction and the implementation of the "Leader in Me" social-emotional learning framework. **Elementary School** Elementary Principal Mrs. Angela Conway detailed the school’s transition to standards-based grading. By June 2025, the new grading system is expected to be fully implemented. Parents will receive trimester reports, and the school plans to host Parent Square Google Meets to explain the transition and answer questions. On the academic front, the elementary school is focusing on enhancing student response to texts through writing. Teachers are utilizing a writing progression checklist to inform instruction. **Middle School** Middle School Principal Mr. Brad Pritchard highlighted a specific area for improvement: writing benchmarks. He noted that performance on two-point NYS ELA questions has historically been an area for growth. The school will collect data on capitalization, complete sentences, valid inferences, and citing evidence to target student needs in the classroom. The Middle School is also beginning the "Leader in Me" implementation, with surveys and the establishment of a Lighthouse Team slated for this school year. **High School** High School Principal Mrs. Jennifer Ashbery presented goals centered on "Explicit Instruction," a teaching model involving the gradual release of responsibility. She noted that writing is embedded in all subject areas at the high school level. Staff will focus on helping students strengthen written responses by identifying central ideas and pulling evidence from texts. **Financial and Safety Updates** In financial business, the Board approved a budget transfer of $12,779.72 for administrative salaries. Board Member Kurt Schmitt also provided an update from the Health and Safety Committee. He noted that the district’s recent capital project has resulted in significant safety enhancements, including "sally ports" on main doors to prevent unauthorized entry. Additionally, the district has updated its drill procedures; drills are now announced one week in advance, though the specific day and time are not disclosed. **Recognitions** The meeting opened with the recognition of two elementary students: Jaxson Stefaniak received the Character Award, and Gabriella Pritchard received the Leadership Award. The Board also acknowledged upcoming New York State School Board Recognition Week (October 14–18). Superintendent Edwards read a statement from the New York State School Boards Association honoring the volunteer service of the nine board members, who collectively represent decades of service to the community. The next steps for the district involve the continued collection of data for the strategic plan and the implementation of the new academic goals across all grade levels.