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NHSBA consultant outlines steps, timeline and committee size for school strategic plan
Summary
An NHSBA consultant told the school board that a concise, community-driven strategic plan — built by a diverse 8–12 person committee and validated through surveys and forums — can keep district initiatives aligned. She recommended a short plan (4–5 core pages), roughly 12 meetings, and clear monitoring and communication steps.
Kathy Kelly Edbert, an NHSBA (New Hampshire School Board Association) consultant, told the school board the purpose of strategic planning is to align scattered initiatives and give the district a long-term view of priorities.
"Strategic planning can help the district develop the long view and stick with it instead of moving from one initiative to another," Kathy said, explaining that different districts need very different plans depending on local concerns.
Kathy said the consultants use an "appreciative inquiry" approach that highlights strengths and opportunities rather than starting from deficits. She recommended forming a diverse strategic-planning committee of about 8 to 12 people that includes teachers, support staff, parents and community members and cautioned that members must be willing to commit time and be clear communicators.
The consultant said the core planning process typically runs September through March and can involve about 12 meetings if the committee meets twice a month; subcommittees can meet virtually where appropriate. "A typical meeting will last about two hours," she said.
Kathy described typical plan content as succinct ("probably the meat of it would probably be 4 or 5 pages") and focused on a small number of topic areas (she recommended a maximum of four). Each focus area should include one goal, indicators and measures with timelines; the plan should also include a communications strategy and a monitoring and evaluation cycle to keep the plan alive.
Board members asked whether strategic planning should address possible school consolidations or SAU-wide issues. Consultants and board members drew a distinction between goal-setting and detailed fiscal consolidation studies: strategic planning can flag topics to study further, but a separate fiscal analysis would be needed to evaluate closures, transportation and staffing costs.
On cost, the board discussed a starting price for full-service consulting. Barrett said a full package "is sort of the starting point" around $25,000 plus expenses for a complete process; Kathy and the board agreed cost and scope can be tailored and that smaller or phased engagements are possible.
Kathy and her colleague emphasized the facilitator's role in keeping meetings productive and in ensuring the plan is owned by the community and committee rather than becoming only the superintendent's task. She offered to take follow-up calls from the superintendent and board members and to supply sample materials, facilitation tools and templates.
The board thanked the presenters and discussed next steps for follow-up and potential engagement with NHSBA consultants.
