Eatonville School District unveils strategic plan

The Eatonville School District has released its strategic plan for the 2024-29 school year.

The five-year plan will guide educational decisions to ensure academic success for students and provide the support and resources necessary to succeed after graduation for the district.

“The plan will encourage collaboration between our board of directors, our staff members, our students, our parents and our community members,” Superintendent Jay Brower said. “As we collectively focus on academic rigor and student wellness, Eatonville students will achieve their academic goals and be prepared for a lifetime of success as they pursue their future goals and dreams.”

Highlights of the plan include academic success, preparation for life, community and belonging, health and well-being, communication and transparency, and fiscal responsibility.

Academic success: Learners will acquire foundational academic skills, critical and creative thinking skills to meet the high academic standards and achieve their highest academic potential.

Objectives:

• Promote a culture that prioritizes academic success through curriculum and instruction

• Implement academic intervention support and enrichment systems to encourage student ownership

• Partner with families and the community to support student learning

• Promote higher order thinking by facilitating student-led academic opportunities that encourage resilience, problem solving skills, and self-advocacy

Preparation for life: Students will graduate with the skills to navigate, adapt and innovate for a sustainable future. This will be achieved through an increased percentage of students who successfully navigate critical transitions in their educational experience as evaluated by course credits, early warning system data and student and parent feedback.

Objectives:

• Provide opportunities for student-driven exploration at all grade levels to discover and develop passions, talents, and career goals

• Develop and establish partnerships within and beyond the community to expand opportunities for career exploration in and out of the classroom

• Provide opportunities to learn and practice life skills that are transferable to long term success

Community and belonging: Increase the percentage of students reporting a perception of safety, fairness, inclusiveness and support for emotional, behavioral, mental, and physical health as measured by a yearly Healthy Youth Survey as well as student survey data.

Objectives:

• Ensure that students are included and valued through a focus on building relationships and developing a positive school culture

• Seek community partnerships to create mentoring opportunities between students, teachers, and community members

• Support the learning of effective communication

• Utilize community-wide resources to provide students access to sports and extracurricular activities

• Partner with community agencies to develop a mentorship program

Health and well-being: Students will experience a school community where health and well-being are prioritized, and student voice is valued.

Objectives:

• Establish more classes, clubs, curriculum and learning opportunities based on child's needs

• Redesign, expand and identify the social emotional learning systems to serve staff and students

• Utilize community partnerships and resources to fulfill basic needs and support the health and well-being of our students and families

Communication and transparency: To strengthen relationships and increase communication with students, families, staff and community members, as measured by growth on the student and family survey.

Objectives:

• Enhance district communication through innovative and comprehensive platforms

• Implement a standard communication structure to inform all district employees of departmental operations of ongoing processes and systems

• Engage community members to create partnerships among all stakeholders and build transparency in programs, schools and events that affect the students and community

Fiscal responsibility: To ensure that fiscal priorities are aligned to the strategic plan to achieve outcomes for all students, including identifying, planning and budgeting to address priorities.

Objectives:

• Use data to manage district finances recognizing changing funding patterns and mandates from local, state, and federal governments

• Collaborate with district departments to maximize available funding for student programs, services, and facilities

The strategic plan was developed based on the input, values and priorities of members of the Eatonville community. The district held 16 hours of focus groups and feedback sessions gathering feedback from 84 people. Thirty-four people provided feedback on the first draft of the plan.