The USD 418 Board of Education held their regular monthly meeting on June 16, 2025.
The Board of Education gave final approval to the district’s new strategic plan, officially launching a five-year roadmap to guide the future of McPherson Public Schools. This plan is the result of a year-long process that included stakeholder surveys, community focus groups, and multiple planning sessions with the Board, administration, and staff.
The planning process was designed to gather broad and meaningful input from across the district. Community members, teachers, support staff, building leaders, and students contributed ideas, reviewed district data, and helped identify key priorities for the future. Through that process, the district identified three focus areas that now serve as the foundation for the plan:
- Student Success – Supporting academic growth, student wellbeing, and real-world readiness
- Partnerships & Future-Ready Facilities – Building strong industry and community partnerships and aligning facility improvements to student learning needs
- Empowering Culture – Cultivating a district culture that values trust, inclusion, and meaningful connection
Each focus area includes specific action steps, timelines, and clear ways to measure progress. The plan is designed to be both ambitious and actionable—guiding improvement efforts across all schools while remaining flexible to future needs.
"I’m proud of the thoughtful and deliberate work our Board invested in this plan,” said Superintendent Dr. Shiloh Vincent. “Over the past five years, we have made significant strides through Vision 2025, and this new plan allows us to build on that foundation. I’m excited about the direction we are heading and the opportunities it will create for our students, staff, and our community.”
In additional business, the Board took action related to long-term facility planning by approving the selection of an architectural firm. At the March 2025 meeting, the Board of Education tasked the Facility Committee to create a clear process for identifying a new architect for future facility projects. At the June meeting, the Board approved the Committee’s recommendation to hire incite Design Studio (iDS) as the district’s architectural partner.
Board Vice President Chelsea Busch, who also serves on the Facility Committee, said, “incite Design Studio stands out for their dedication to long-range planning. They made it clear that they value input from the entire community and are committed to helping us create a plan that addresses all our needs—using both bond projects and capital outlay funds.”
iDS also brings strong experience in educational design. They have worked with many rural communities and smaller school districts to create practical, affordable, and beautiful buildings. Dr. Shiloh Vincent shared that IDS’s focus on education matches the district’s values and long-term goals. 85% of the districts they have partnered with on long range facility planning are rural districts, the majority of which have less than 3,000 students.
The Board set a special meeting for a Board Retreat work session on July 10, 2025 at 11:30AM. They also accepted handbook updates and began the budget process for the 2025-26 school year by sharing information about the District Needs Assessment.
Dr. Vincent provided updates on several topics:
- The Local Emergency Planning Committee shared about a training drill that will be conducted in July.
The Consent Agenda from the Board Meeting included:
- Personnel
- Early Childhood Monthly Report
- MHS Activity Fund Report
- MMS Activity Fund Report
- PDC Recommendations
- End of Year Transfers
- Policy Updates
- Activity Account for Class of 2029
- Early Graduation Requests
Routine Items included:
- Disposition of Minutes
- Clerk’s Report & Treasurer’s Report
- Payment of Bills