Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Strategic Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee recommends K12 Coalition to lead Erie strategic plan; board to consider contract
Summary
A district committee reviewed 20 proposals and selected the K12 Coalition to facilitate Erie’s strategic planning process, recommending a $35,000 engagement and a mid-September start pending board approval.
On Sept. 10, 2025, the School District of the City of Erie’s strategic plan proposal review committee recommended the K12 Coalition as the district’s strategic-planning partner, and the board voted later in the meeting to approve awards that include the planning contract.
The committee said the K12 Coalition was chosen after a “rigorous and thoughtful review process” that began with 20 submitted proposals. Committee representative Gatewood said the selection was based on a pre-established rubric and strong reference feedback, including the firm’s experience in Pennsylvania urban districts.
Gatewood said the rubric measured five key areas and the committee reached a consensus that the K12 Coalition “best met the needs of EPS.” She added the firm’s work in districts including Allentown and Philadelphia and its facilitation and stakeholder-engagement skills were distinguishing factors. The committee recommended an initial investment of $35,000 and recommended an optional plan for continued support.
Director Graff, who represented the board on the review committee, told the board the K12 Coalition’s proposal was “head and shoulders above the rest” because it showed in-depth Pennsylvania urban school experience and team members with educator backgrounds. Board member Nichols asked when Allentown’s plan had been implemented and whether test scores had improved; Gatewood replied the Allentown plan began in 2023 and is still in early implementation, while Philadelphia’s work with the firm began in 2023 and has shown “gains,” according to the committee’s reference checks.
The recommendation to contract with the K12 Coalition includes these next steps if the board finalizes the agreement: launch of phase 1 of strategic-plan development in mid-September, monthly progress updates to the board, and a final plan proposed for board approval in March 2026. Gatewood and superintendent Gibbs said the district expects a dashboard to provide live updates and to support transparency and mid-course corrections; staff cautioned that dashboard software or additional implementation supports could require extra cost beyond the initial $35,000 proposal.
Board members and staff said they will include board representation on the plan’s steering committee and that the district will post vendor scores and the committee’s averaged rubric results so the public can review how proposals were evaluated. Assistant Superintendent Brockman confirmed the committee will provide the list of vendors and the averaged rubric scores for public posting.
Action and implementation details recorded in the meeting: the committee formally recommended the K12 Coalition pending board approval; the board later approved the award to the strategic-planning consultant as part of its bids and awards vote during the regular meeting.
The recommendation and the board’s award advance the district’s stated timeline for a districtwide strategic plan aligned to the board’s “core four” priorities: communication, culture and climate, curriculum and instruction, and systems and support. The committee said the planning process will include stakeholder listening sessions and embedded tracking to measure key performance indicators.
Notes and follow-up: the committee reported it will share the vendor list and averaged rubric scores publicly; district staff said they will provide details on dashboard capabilities and any additional implementation costs before long-term commitments are made.
