Consultant unveils East Brunswick's 2026'1030 strategic plan centered on six core values

The East Brunswick Board of Education on July 23 heard a formal presentation of the district's draft strategic plan for 2026'1030 from Dr. Michael Salvatore of the Replete Group.

Salvatore said the plan was developed from extensive stakeholder input, including steering-committee sessions, staff and faculty feedback and student voice. "This plan is not really a plan that a consultant came in and baked up. It is a plan generated from the voices, the hearts, the minds of everybody in the community," he said. He described six core values that emerged from listening sessions and surveys: care, trust, relationships, belonging, communication and excellence, and said each value is paired with exemplars and measurable action plans.

Board members and administration pressed for details on how progress would be monitored. The superintendent and Salvatore said the district will develop dashboards and a monitoring plan to hold departments and schools accountable. "When we make progress on our core values and our overarching goals, the community should know about it in some way," Salvatore said. The district intends to create action plans at the school and department levels and to report progress publicly, the superintendent added.

Board members praised the plan's emphasis on inclusion and accountability. One board member said, "This is a plan the community authored," stressing that broad participation gives the document weight. Dr. Ford, president of the Replete Group, urged the board to hold leaders accountable to the plan: "This gives you your guiding light," he said.

The board did not take a final vote on adoption at the July 23 meeting; administration said implementation steps and reporting tools will be developed over the coming months and an updated communication to parents and the broader community will follow.