Octorara Area School District unveils five‑year strategic roadmap to align instruction, behavior supports and facilities

The Octorara Area School District on Monday presented a five‑year strategic roadmap that district leaders said will guide resource allocation, staffing and professional development across six priority areas: culture of achievement; implementation of MTSS (multi‑tiered system of supports); student behavior and discipline; safety and security; facilities and capital planning; and a charter school plan.

"Our kids can," Assistant Superintendent (speaker 18) said in closing remarks, summarizing the presentations and the district's emphasis on shared ownership across staff, families and the community. Presenters said the roadmap was developed over several months using community feedback, staff rotation sessions and surveys.

Six focus areas and measurable benchmarks were described in sequence. Carly Murphy, a sixth‑grade ELA teacher (speaker 9), said the roadmap will push growth in ELA, math and science by strengthening Tier 1 instruction and using a common K–8 curriculum (Amplify) to support consistent teaching practices. Katie McGinnis (speaker 6) and Chris Schultz (speaker 11) detailed MTSS implementation, explaining that tiered academic, behavioral and social‑emotional supports would be standardized across buildings so student support plans move with students.

John Propper, high‑school principal (speaker 4), and Allison Hallman, OAEA president and Spanish teacher (speaker 12), described behavior goals, including using restorative practices and data to identify trends and preventive strategies. Hallman cited explicit benchmarks in the roadmap: a goal to reduce office discipline referrals and to reduce suspensions substantially over five years and a target that at least 85% of students and staff report feeling safe and respected in the learning environment.

Matthew Bristow, director of safety and security (speaker 14), outlined a four‑part safety plan emphasizing district and building‑level committees, partnerships with local emergency responders, expanded training and drills, and clear protocols backed by allocated resources. Bristow said the district will use staff and student survey data to monitor perceived safety and guide adjustments.

On facilities, Chief Financial Officer Mike Stabile (speaker 3) said the district submitted $15.8 million in Pennsylvania facility grant requests and is working with Schneider Electric on HVAC, chiller and electrical upgrades. He said the district is coordinating a feasibility study by EI Associates to scope work across buildings and that the district is considering issuing up to $20 million in new debt to refinance outstanding bonds in a way that could reduce annual bond payments by roughly $600,000 while extending the debt term by approximately four years.

Denise Schreffler, head custodian (speaker 16), said facilities staff and leadership will walk each building to prioritize first‑year projects and identify preventive maintenance that can be performed with district crews. Communications director Zena Giro (speaker 17) described a planned web page, targeted mailings to families in cyber and charter programs, and town‑hall events aimed at increasing enrollment and retention through clearer outreach.

Board members praised the roadmap but asked how the board will keep the plan central to committee work and performance evaluation. A board member (speaker 19) urged that the roadmap serve as a "touchstone," with regular benchmarks brought before committee meetings and periodic public updates against year‑one metrics.

District leaders said next steps include publishing the roadmap web page, establishing baseline data points for each focus area and scheduling regular updates to the board and community.

The presentation was informational; no policy decisions on the roadmap itself were taken at the meeting.