In my last blog post, I talked about the strategic planning process this past year, which started with the Mission, Vision, and Core Values. At the September 24th School Committee meeting, I presented our full strategic plan, comprising our priorities and goals for the next three years. The development of the strategic plan began with a thorough analysis of the data to identify key areas for district improvement. That analysis led to the development of 3-year goals, along with annual goals, and action steps for each of the strategic priorities.
BPS strategic priorities:
Academic Excellence and Equity for all Students
Social Emotional Well-Being, Belonging, and Engagement
Family and Community Communication to Support Student Learning
Last spring, the Strategic Plan Steering Committee hosted forums with the community, staff, and students to gather input on the district's needs and stakeholders’ priorities. These discussions provided important insights into what the Belmont community values in students' learning experiences as they relate to the strategic priorities.
The community emphasized the importance of preparing students to become responsible, informed citizens who contribute meaningfully to their communities. This preparation includes:
Developing culturally sensitive knowledge
Engaging in community service
Civic participation
Critical thinking
Collaboration
Creative problem-solving
Effective communication
The community also recognized the value of offering students multiple pathways, emphasizing experiential learning, industry exposure, and real-world, transferable skills that enable students to succeed in varied contexts.
We translated these thoughts into strategic goals that focus on strengthening our instructional systems, establishing a Portrait of a Graduate, and identifying multiple pathways to graduation.
The forums also underscored the need for students to cultivate strong social-emotional skills, learning how to navigate peer relationships while being their authentic selves in a safe and inclusive environment. Students need to feel valued and included, especially in a space where everyone's unique identities and challenges are respected. Resilience is seen as an important trait, helping students work through frustrations and setbacks, often uncovering and honing new skills in the process. This growth fosters empathy, kindness, and self-advocacy.
With this in mind, strategic goals include further developing our social and emotional, programming and mental health supports for students.
Finally, the forums highlighted the importance of integrating school and community, fostering meaningful engagement across generations. Building connections between students, parents, and community members strengthens the family-school relationships and reinforces shared responsibility in education. When families partner closely with educators, they help to create a supportive environment focused on student success and well-being.
These ideas led to strategic goals centered on strengthening our structures and practices for family engagement and communication through a culturally responsive lens that values all families.
This year’s budget process will be guided by our strategic plan to ensure efficient resource allocation, with a strong emphasis on investing in our schools. A key objective will be to realign resources with our priorities, while considering the revenue constraints discussed at the Town Summit on September 26. The override provided crucial revenue to address a persistent shortfall, and the summit discussions centered on using this to achieve long-term budget stability while continuing to invest in our schools. The growth and development of our students is essential, and this year’s budget will assess and allocate the necessary resources needed to support our programs, ensuring we meet their evolving needs and foster their success.
Lastly, this year we introduced new communication tools, which have been key in making our outreach to the community more accessible and engaging.
Here are a couple of specific features to highlight..
Download our Belmont Public Schools MA phone app, which provides important information about the schools, at the iOS Apple Store or Android Play Store
Check out our Community Events page on our website, which posts all the community events that happen throughout Town and our BPS Partner Organizations page, all of whom have a critical role in our school community.
