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District Strategic Planning 2025-2030

 
2025-2030 District Strategic Planning
 

All students, family members, faculty and staff, and community members

are invited to participate in the 2025-2030 District Strategic Planning Process. 

 

Share Your Ideas,

Foster Sustainability and Growth

Provide Feedback

 

All Strategic Planning Dates:

Wednesday, September 25, 2024 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM at Leonia High School, Little Theater 

Thursday, October 17, 2024 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM at Leonia Middle School, Cafeteria

Thursday, November 14, 2024 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM at Anna C. Scott School, Cafeteria

 

Session 1 - September 25, 2024

 

On Wednesday, September 25, 2024, more than 60 Leonia administrators, staff, Board members, and parents came together to initiate strategic planning. The first evening's topic focused on the Strengths/Achievements, and Challenges/Opportunities of the Leonia Public Schools. The meeting began with welcoming remarks by Board of Education President Daniel Lee, who then introduced Dr. Brian Gatens, Superintendent, who provided an informative “State of the District” overview for participants. Facilitator Matt Lee from the New Jersey School Boards Association introduced the strategic planning methodology and assisted throughout the process.

 

Parent, administration and staff participants gathered in 5 groups to identify the Strengths/Achievements and Challenges/Opportunities of the Leonia Public Schools through brainstorming and the sharing of ideas. After discussion, each group came to a consensus on its top 10 Strengths/Achievements and top 10 Challenges/Opportunities and those were then shared with the larger group when group work was completed.

Session 2 - October 17, 2024
 
On October 17, Leonia Schools administration, staff, and parents came together to continue the strategic planning process. The second meeting’s topic focused on creating a shared vision for the Leonia Schools in the next five years. The meeting, facilitated by Matt Lee from the New Jersey School Boards Association, began with an overview of the Strategic Planning process and the steps taken at the September 25, 2024 meeting.
 
To begin the visioning process, participants were asked to picture themselves in 5 years in the audience as the Leonia Public School district is receiving an award for outstanding achievement in education - “Schools that Succeed.” The participants were asked to envision what was written in an article found via a Google search which describes what the district did to warrant such high recognition – what programs / services / curriculum / student outcomes / best practices / facilities would you expect to see in your district that led to such success?
 
The various stakeholders then gathered in three previously assigned groups to brainstorm their visions of how the school achieved this remarkable success. Each group was asked to write a title for the article and come to a consensus on up to 5-8 key visions. Each group’s outcomes were shared with all meeting participants. The session concluded with the identification of common threads throughout the groups’ work and five broad goal areas for the next meeting.
Session 3 - November 14, 2024
 
On November 14, 2024 Leonia Public Schools administration, staff, parents, board members and community members came together to continue the strategic planning process. The third and final meeting’s topic focused on developing a broad goal statement and 4-7 supporting objectives for each of the five goal areas suggested at the conclusion of the October 17, 2024 meeting. These goals will represent a shared vision for the Leonia Public Schools over the next five years.
NJSBA Strategic Planning Process Report

 

 

 

 

 

All sessions are facilitated by the
New Jersey School Boards Association.

 

NJ School Boards Association