Board hears strategic plan progress; DEI ‘‘common language’’ deliverable paused amid leadership changes

Consultants and district leaders briefed the Rochester Community School Board of Education on May 19 about progress under the district’s newly adopted strategic plan, and discussed next steps for year‑two implementation work, including how to present evidence of progress to the community.

Scott Fuller, the consultant who helped lead the plan process, said the first year was focused on engagement, data review and building a set of deliverables linked to the board‑approved vision. He told the board that year‑one implementation typically surfaces lessons that require refining metrics and timelines. “A good strategic plan is one that is a working document and it's agile in how it goes,” Fuller said.

Trustees raised questions about one specific deliverable (Plan 4) that sought to develop a “common language as to what DEI is and is not” and to create a structured approach to communicating the purpose and impact of district DEI work. Several trustees and administrators said work had started but was paused after leadership changes and recent state guidance and that an existing district equity statement and other artifacts complicated how the deliverable should be presented.

“Some of the work that's been inside of this has not been done the way originally understood,” said Kimberly Hampton, who presented the plan update. Trustees asked for simpler, web‑friendly artifacts that make implementation visible: evidence of inclusive instructional practices, coaching notes, curriculum changes and other concrete examples the public can review.

Trustee Shashar Gupta recalled the deliverable’s origin in community survey results and focus groups that showed confusion about DEI language. Trustee Lacui and others argued that the board should receive clearer, actionable measures and a revised deadline rather than a standalone definition. “We want to see something like that that's digestible to our parents so that they can understand that those people are still included and are still getting an equitable education,” Trustee Alsbaugh said.

Fuller said the team would refine success measures and produce a plan record and recommended 12‑month implementation steps for the board to review in June; he said year two is usually smoother after lessons learned in year one. Superintendent Matthew Russo and cabinet members said they would bring artifacts that show how the district is embedding equity and inclusion into instruction and operations, and propose a revised timeline for the public materials.

Ending: Trustees asked administration to return with clearer, evidence‑based artifacts and a revised, near‑term timeline for public materials and community engagement tied to the strategic plan deliverables.