Demopolis City Schools will host a community forum session Thursday night in an effort to obtain local input in its efforts to assemble a five-year strategic plan.

“I’ve had several to say they are attending and we hope that’s the case,” Demopolis City Schools Superintendent Dr. Al Griffin said. “The purpose of that meeting is for strategic planning purposes for the next five years.”

Griffin said the session will help the school system and the executive committee tasked with putting together such a plan take into account the needs and desires of the community.

“What are the primary goals and objectives that we want to set to drive our direction over the next five years,” Griffin said of the question the session will pose to community members present at the Civic Center for Thursday evening’s meeting. “Anytime you’re conducting a strategic plan, you want administrative input, educator input and community resident input. This is the normal process for implementing a strategic plan.”

Griffin, who is in his first academic year as superintendent of Demopolis City Schools, added the strategic plan to his list of objectives when accepting the position. The need for such an approach is compounded given the accreditation process the school system is currently undergoing.

“A strategic plan is required,” Griffin said of the plan’s role in the accreditation process. “When the evaluation team comes, they will ask to see our strategic plan. They’ll go through each campus and be sure we’re adhering to the standards that AdvancedEd sets forth.”

The evaluation team is scheduled to be in Demopolis April 3-6.

Thursday’s meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. and will run until no later than 8:30 p.m., will be the next major step in the accreditation process.

The executive committee in charge of the strategic plan will meet Jan. 27 from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Demopolis Higher Education Center.

“We’re looking at having this thing wrapped up early to mid March,” Griffin said.