Consultant outlines draft strategic plan, next steps and community feedback

Akesha Craven Howe of Bellwether presented the district's draft strategic plan framework at the July 13 board meeting, describing four interdependent parts: an externally facing narrative (the "CPS Promise" and a 2030 commitment), an implementation road map, a financial model and a performance-management framework. She said the consultant team has held four town halls and collected 132 survey responses so far and will continue outreach.

Bellwether emphasized phase-3 work: creating action plans and working groups for each priority, tagging FY26 spending to priorities for an initial look at alignment, and building three financial scenarios (no new revenue, new revenue in FY28, and new revenue in FY29). The implementation teams will convene over the next several weeks to convert priorities into specific initiatives, ownership, staffing and measures. "We will model what it looks like to scale across the number of schools, grade levels and content areas so that you can see what the cost of that priority is," Howe said.

Board members questioned sample size and representation for community input, asked for clearer Cincinnati-specific narrative and asked Bellwether to surface phase-1 assets (what the district already does well) alongside gaps. Trustees and Bellwether agreed the working groups will reconvene this week and that the district's advisory partners (Greater Cincinnati Foundation, United Way, Children's Hospital) are already being engaged to align support and possible grant funding.

Several trustees requested a clearer, costed articulation of priority initiatives before the board authorizes a levy; Bellwether said the financial model and tagged spending will be available within a few weeks, after a final quality check. The board's next regular meeting schedule and a short special meeting to finalize levy action were discussed separately during the evening.