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Bozeman district previews five-year strategic plan with reading, PLCs, Bozeman Reads and well-being goals
Summary
District staff presented a draft five-year long-range strategic plan at a retreat, highlighting a 3rd-grade reading proficiency of 74%, a graduation goal of 95% by 2029, expansion of multilingual learner support, districtwide PLC rollout, Bozeman Reads early-learning startup funds and staff/student well-being measures including Panorama surveys and a working group on student mental health and cell-phone policy.
At the retreat, district staff member Casey walked trustees through a draft five-year long-range strategic plan (LRSP) framework and asked for feedback; the item was discussed as informational and is slated to return in August as a consent item for approval.
Goal Area 1 covers grade-level reading and graduation. Casey said the district’s most recent third-grade reading proficiency is 74% and that the district extended the target timeline to 2029 to account for realistic timelines and increasing numbers of multilingual English learners. To support reading, the district will repurpose an existing multilingual teacher-trainer position into direct-service roles shared across elementary sites and expand parent-portal PowerSchool reporting in K–5 to show essential standards.
On graduation, Casey said the district aims for a 95% cohort graduation rate by 2029 and noted pathway options (e.g., HiSET) and schedule changes to build intervention and collaboration time in high schools.
Goal Area 2 addresses operations and capacity building, including a districtwide rollout of professional learning communities (PLCs). The district hired Sarah Hayes as a PLC administrator coach for two years (focused on K–8 first, then 9–12) and places a target of being a model PLC district by 2028. A separate placeholder goal will formalize measurable targets for non-instructional operations (custodial, food service, secretaries) with Mike Waterman leading that work.
Goal Area 3 focuses on community engagement and partnerships, with Bozeman Reads named as the primary driver for early-literacy efforts. Casey said the foundation secured a $50,000 matching grant from AMB West and that foundation fundraising has raised close to $200,000 to cover startup costs for furniture and curriculum materials for early learning classrooms.
Goal Area 4 centers on staff and student well-being. The district plans to replace prior survey work with Panorama Education to measure staff well-being, leadership relationships and school climate, then develop action plans based on baseline data. For student well-being, Casey proposed forming a small working group including deputy central-office staff, local health partners and parents to assess mental-health data and consider policy responses; he specifically flagged cell-phone policy as a potential board-level policy topic after phased community engagement.
Trustees asked clarifying questions about language ("rollout" vs. "maintenance") and timelines; Casey agreed to revise wording, adjust some dates, and return a refined LRSP for trustee approval in August. The LRSP discussion produced no immediate motions or votes; it remains a staff-led work plan to be finalized with trustee input.
What’s next: staff will revise wording and timelines per trustee feedback, collect baseline data for well-being measures and bring the LRSP back to the board as a consent item for approval.
