Mount Lebanon unveils draft seven-year strategic plan called LEADS; board to vote in June

Mount Lebanon School District Superintendent Dr. Fries presented a draft seven‑year strategic plan, called LEADS, to the Mount Lebanon Board of School Directors during the board’s May 21 meeting, and the board agreed to consider a formal vote in June.

The plan, which Dr. Fries said will guide superintendent, executive council and principal goals for multiple years, lays out five focus areas—Leading for the Future; Engagement; Academic Excellence and Innovation; District Systems and Supports; and Safe, Supportive, and Inclusive Environment—each with specific objectives, tactics and proposed performance indicators. “This is most certainly not just one person’s plan,” Dr. Fries told the board. “It takes into consideration all members of our community.”

Why it matters: board members said the plan will set district priorities and annual goals and will shape staffing, curriculum reviews, facilities work and family engagement efforts. The presentation emphasized community input—surveys, focus groups and planning‑group sessions—that informed the draft and a public comment period that will remain open after the presentation.

Key elements in the draft include a district vision for leadership development and future‑ready skills; a communications and family‑engagement strategy that emphasizes multilingual access and a redesigned website; a comprehensive curriculum review cycle and expanded student supports (including a proposed districtwide multi‑tiered system of supports); a 10‑year facilities capital improvement planning recommendation; and initiatives to strengthen safety, inclusion and mental‑health partnerships.

Dr. Fries said the administration will set measurable targets once baseline data are collected and will phase tactics over time. “Please do not anticipate that it’ll all be done by the end of next school year,” she told the board. Several board members praised the scope and the community input behind the draft; one member noted the process included more than 500 survey responses and more than a hundred focus‑group participants.

Next steps: the full draft and an accompanying booklet will be posted on the district website and in BoardDocs. Staff will solicit feedback via emailed links to staff and families; the board plans a formal vote on the plan at its June meeting and will then develop a timeline for priority work and annual measurable targets.