Port Jervis board adopts 2025—'2028 strategic plan built from community input

The Port Jervis City School District Board of Education on May 21 adopted a three-year strategic plan covering the 2025—'2028 school years. The plan groups district priorities into three categories: student well-being, academic excellence and operations, and is the product of an online community survey and a committee of roughly 64'165 participants including teachers, administrators, parents, students and community representatives.

Dr. John Bell, the superintendent, described the development process: the district ran an online "thought exchange" where community members could submit and rate ideas, then convened a large committee that met in person and in facilitated online sessions. "We organized them into three large categories of where earlier is, student well-being, academic excellence, and operations," Bell said, summarizing the plan's structure and next steps.

Board member Jeremy Schuringer said he had read the document and was impressed: "I was impressed; I read through it today. It was one of my first documents to read and it was very professionally done," he said. The board voted to adopt the strategic plan; the superintendent said the full document is posted on the district website on the leadership page under "Strategic Plan" and that administrators will work over the summer to translate major action steps into implementation plans for the coming school year.

The plan includes sample action steps with named responsibilities and estimated school-year timeframes. The board recorded the vote to adopt the plan during the May 21 meeting and moved on to implementation tasks and summer planning by staff.