MITCHELL — Mitchell Community Schools has been awarded a Next Generation School Improvement Grant from the Indiana Department of Education, district officials announced.
The four-year initiative will focus on strengthening teaching, learning, and student systems across grades K through 8.
The district will use the 2026–2027 academic year as a dedicated planning period to evaluate current practices, identify opportunities for growth, and collaborate with educators and families. Following the planning phase, three years of implementation will run from 2027 through 2030.
Superintendent Todd Tanksley emphasized that the funding is aimed at building upon existing strengths rather than pursuing change for its own sake.
“This is about using this opportunity to strengthen what we do well, think differently where needed, and make thoughtful decisions that can have a lasting impact,” Tanksley noted.
To assist with the transition, Mitchell Community Schools will partner with EES Innovation to serve as a strategic thought partner throughout the planning and implementation process, while district leadership retains ownership of local priorities and decisions.
The district’s overarching goals for the grant include:
- Strong Core Instruction: Enhancing literacy, mathematics, and high-quality teaching across grades K-8.
- Innovation: Exploring new approaches to how students experience learning.
- Stronger Systems: Re-evaluating how time, staffing, resources, technology, and organizational structures support students.
- Future-Ready Students: Developing learning experiences to prepare students for future success.
- Community Impact: Leveraging stronger schools to help build a stronger community in Mitchell.
District officials noted that further updates regarding the planning process will be shared with staff, families, and the community in the coming months.
