Board restarts five‑year strategic plan; steering and subcommittees to meet over summer

Superintendent-level leadership told the board the district is restarting a five-year strategic-planning process built on last year’s sessions run with New Jersey School Boards.

Dr. Alfone and Mr. Cullen summarized the outcomes from three previous community sessions and said the board will form steering and subcommittees aligned to five goal areas: community engagement; school climate and culture; student learning, achievement and experience (including special education); facilities and finance; and communication. The district has solicited volunteers and filtered new survey responses to identify potential members for steering and subcommittee roles.

Administrators said the steering committee has approximately 100 members identified to participate across subcommittees, and that committee sessions will run over the summer to refine objectives and action plans. Mr. Cullen said administrators will lead subcommittee dialogues and that administrative staff will report progress back to the board through committee reports and superintendent updates with the goal of public presentation and a board approval vote in the fall.

Board members asked about timing, membership and how budget and facilities workstreams would interface with the long-range facilities plan. Administration confirmed that planning would coordinate with facilities and finance committees and that subcommittee participants and meeting dates will be communicated to members within the next week.