Leland School Superintendent Stephanie Long received top marks in her annual evaluation formally approved this week.
The board voted unanimously Monday night to adopt the executive summary of marks given by members individually and then combined.
Long was evaluated in six different categories: governance and board relations; community relations; staff relations; business and finance; instructional leadership and overall performance. Most cited her strengths and suggestions for improvement.
Long was complimented on her excellent communication through weekly board briefs, accessible one-on-one meetings, and timely followups. She was also recognized for her ability to engage the community by offering meeting opportunities and fostering trust with stakeholders and the press.
In the area of staff relations, the administrator was praised for key achievement such as implementing an employee assistance program, improving staff hiring processes, and addressing challenges like securing a long-term principal.
However, there’s more work to do in this area.
“Some staff feel that decisions are made before input is gathered,” the report states. “(Long) should continue fostering transparency and collaboration while maintaining progress in staff relations.” Board members found that Long has demonstrated exception financial leadership, including balancing the budget, increasing fund balance, securing grants, and initiating capital projects.
Student growth measured on standardized tests comes under the heading of “instructional leadership.”
Board members gave her high marks in this area.
“ (Long) excels in developing staff through professional development, observation, and goal setting,” the report states. “Her leadership has enhanced school improvement planning and interventions, positioning the school as a regional leader in student support and learning outcomes.”
However, the Board of Education suggested the continuance measures to address achievement discrepancies between the bottom and top 30% of student proficiency score.
As to overall performance, the board had nothing than praise for Long, who has been with the district for five years.
“(Long’s) energy, enthusiasm, and leadership which have signifi cantly improved the district’s operations and outcome. Her ability to exceed expectations and maintain a forward trajectory,” the report concluded.
In other business during Monday’s monthly meeting the board:
• Approved an eight week sabbatical for art teacher Lani Hoenshied-Smith to study pottery techniques in Italy.
• Adopted a motion announcing its intentions to levy summer taxes in 2025. The specific levy will be set at a later date.
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