Over the past six months, Penfield Central School District has engaged with the ILO Group in creating a new five-year strategic plan. Throughout the process, more than 1,500 students, employees, families, and community members provided insight into their perceptions and experiences with the District through surveys and focus groups. 

“This strategic plan will challenge us to innovate, level up, and ensure we are meeting the needs of every student, every day,” said Dr. Tasha Potter, Superintendent of the District. “Community voice plays an essential role in shaping a plan that reflects the values and aspirations of our students and families, and I am appreciative of the partnership and collaboration that has taken place throughout this entire process. This strategic plan truly belongs to everyone at Penfield.”

The surveys and focus groups helped shape and affirm five goals for the plan:

• Goal 1: Teaching and Learning Quality and Consistency
• Goal 2: Well-being and Belonging
• Goal 3: Equity in Access to Opportunities and Supports
• Goal 4: Preparation for Life after Graduation
• Goal 5: Operational Excellence and Resource Stewardship

At the highest level, the strategic plan is organized around a set of clear goals that define where the District is headed. They are broad, long-term commitments - “north stars” for Penfield. Each goal is then supported by a small number of priorities. These are specific areas of focus that break down the goal into more manageable and actionable components and drive progress. Under each priority, there are specific strategies that outline how the work will be implemented over time.

On Saturday, Feb. 28, more than 60 students, staff, and community members came together for Community Design Day, where participants had a chance to envision the priorities and strategies critical to the strategic plan’s success. At the start of the day, facilitators asked the community a big and important question, “What must be true in Penfield five years from now for students to thrive?” And in small groups, attendees helped answer that question and we thought about the knowledge, skills, and support that can ensure students are set up for success. 

Participants also brainstormed priorities, actions, and initiatives that would have the greatest impact on students and families and discussed how to create systems that could track progress towards the goals. As next steps in the process, ILO will synthesize the ideas and help the strategic planning team create priorities, action steps, and measurement and evaluation benchmarks for each goal. The District anticipates it will have the plan finalized and ready for implementation in preparation for the 2026-2027 school year.