MARIETTA - Marietta City Schools leaders will host a community forum next week to gather input and ideas to help guide the district over the next three years. The Georgia School Board Association will facilitate the meeting, scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Marietta Middle School, 121 Winn St.

"In December 2006, the Board of Education of the City of Marietta approved its current strategic plan," Superintendent Dr. Emily Lembeck said. "We are now taking our strategic plan to the next level to guide our school system for the next few years. The entire GSBA Strategic Planning Process will take about five months, and we expect to have a completed plan for board review by December 2009."

The school system hopes to have the plan implemented by January 2010, said Thomas Algarin, MCS spokesman.

MCS officials will also use an online survey in the process. The online survey will be posted on the school district's Web site at www.marietta-city.org from Aug. 24 to Sept. 8.

"This plan really relies on public input, so coming out to the meeting Tuesday is very important for the public," Algarin said.

The strategic plan will define the district's mission, vision, priorities and goals, MCS officials said.

"Our goal throughout the strategic planning process is to provide Marietta City Schools parents, business leaders, community members and educators with ample opportunity to provide input regarding areas/issues that are education priorities," Lembeck said.

Once all the information is gathered, a strategic planning team consisting of MCS parents, community members, business leaders, students and educators will help develop goals for the operations and services of the school system.

The current strategic plan was formulated after Matthews Consulting Group, LLC gathered feedback during July and August 2006. Algarin said they are not using the consulting group for this plan.