Kennett board approves five‑priority strategic plan, sends CEP to state

The Kennett Consolidated School District Board of School Directors voted Monday to approve a five‑year strategic plan titled “Building the Future” and the district’s Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP), with a minor amendment to correct an email address in the CEP.

The strategic plan, developed over roughly a year, sets five district priorities — future‑ready students; high‑quality teaching and learning; impactful and empowered educators; informed, engaged and supported community members; and a 21st‑century learning environment — and ties each priority to measurable goals and sample targets. The board approved the plan and the CEP after the administration described the stakeholder process used to create them and a board member moved a technical amendment to the CEP to update an email address.

Superintendent Risa Saunders said the plan “represents a little less than a year's worth of work,” noting the effort included a formal entry plan with interviews and focus groups and more than 1,000 survey responses. Saunders said the development process included a steering committee, six subcommittees and both staff and community participants and emphasized the plan’s intention to include measurable targets and regular progress reporting.

Board discussion emphasized community engagement and accountability. Trustee Ethan Kramer praised the plan’s bilingual and community elements and said the district had achieved 25% participation from Spanish‑speaking community members in the input process, calling that “an extraordinary achievement.” Kramer also highlighted a sample target in the plan: raising the percentage of kindergartners at or above grade level in ELA from a baseline of 79% to 89% by 2030 (measured via AIMSweb), which the plan lists as an example of the kinds of targets the district will track.

Board members asked that the district continue outreach to underrepresented groups and to maintain public reporting on progress. The board adopted the strategic plan and CEP as amended; the CEP will be submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Education as required.

Board president Cronenberg said the level of detail in the plan creates expectations for accountability and progress reporting, and the board asked administrators to provide periodic updates as action steps are implemented.

The approval followed a short procedural amendment — a trustee requested and the board approved updating a contact email in the CEP — and the motion to adopt the strategic plan and CEP as amended carried by voice vote.