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Palm Beach school district reports literacy gains, expands career pathways and AI training in annual strategic-plan update
Summary
District leaders told the school board the strategic plan has moved 10 of 14 initiatives into standard practice, citing K2 literacy gains, expansion of career and trade accreditations, increased parent-portal adoption and broad staff AI training; board members pressed for more outreach to families lacking digital access.
The Palm Beach County School District presented an annual strategic-plan update to the School Board, saying multiple initiatives have moved into a "closure" phase after being embedded into district practice.
Chief of Staff Dr. Yolanda Morgan told the board that the plan is organized into four themesacademic excellence and growth, student-focused culture, mental health and wellness, and committed and impactful employeesand highlighted measurable progress this year. "This year, 88 percent of our elementary schools achieved greater k through 2 literacy gains from p m 1 to p m 2 as compared to f y 25," Morgan said, pointing to classroom coaching at Lake Park and Forest Park Elementary.
Morgan and Director of Strategy Management Yvette Pilliner described work to strengthen career pathways and credentials: the district secured accreditation from the National Center for Construction Education and Research for its adult and 912 trades programs so students can earn industry-recognized credentials, and expanded middle-school career exploration programs.
Pilliner also reported digital and family-engagement milestones: more than 7,000 new parent portal accounts were created this year and roughly half of those parents are actively using the SIS gateway. On student experience, Pilliner said initiatives established curated grade-level community experiences across Palm Beach County, including planned visits to Loggerhead Marine Life Center and the Cox Science Center and Aquarium.
On wellness, district presenters cited gains in student connections to trusted adults, with a quoted improvement on the SEQ survey from 77.6% in 2024 to 84.9% in 2026, and described use of the SRMQA tool to align behavioral-health data with academic outcomes and to identify students for interventions.
Theme D focused on staff: Morgan said the district trained more than 6,900 staff on AI policy 2.505 and expanded tools such as Canva and Conmigo. The district also launched a ServiceNow chatbot for real-time public support and reported a 109% increase in peer recognition submissions, which staff said reflects improved employee engagement.
Board members commended the work but pressed for more outreach to families who lack connectivity or digital skills. Board member Marsha Andrews asked for data on bullying incidents and how the district is tracking them. Pilliner said telehealth services and translation features exist and that communication efforts will be expanded so families know where to find help.
Superintendent Michael Burke said staff will follow up with written answers to board questions and that the final FY26 metrics will appear in the superintendentannual report.
The board did not take formal action on the strategic-plan items at the workshop; staff will provide additional follow-up and continued updates as initiatives move from tracked projects into standard operating practice.
