In the summer of 2025, District 207 began work on a comprehensive strategic planning process that will guide the district’s vision, goals and priorities for the next three to five years. As part of this effort, the district, through its consultants, recently gathered feedback about the schools and school district.
In September and October, nearly 1,000 stakeholders participated in a community survey and there were more than 40 focus groups held with students, parents, staff, administrators, Board of Education members, community members and others. This feedback is a critical first step in the creation of a strategic plan as the district learns about what the stakeholders are proud of, what they have concerns about and their thoughts about the future of the school district.
On Oct. 6, the consultants provided the Board of Education with a report on the findings from all of the stakeholder engagement. The presentation to the board is available to view. Please note the strategic plan presentation begins at the 34:14 mark of the video. In addition, the report referenced in the presentation is available to the community.
While the strategic planning process is in the early stages of work, the outcome will be a shared vision for student success and a strategic roadmap that reflects the values and goals of our diverse community.
As part of this process, the district will develop a “Portrait of a Graduate” to define the skills, competencies and experiences all District 207 graduates should have when they complete their high school education. Alongside that vision, the plan will outline specific goals, strategies and metrics for measuring progress. The result will be both a public-facing strategic plan and internal work plans to support long-term execution and continuous improvement. A dashboard also will be developed to keep the public updated on the progress of the plan.
A steering committee made up of students, staff, parents and community members who volunteered for the committee will help guide the strategic planning process. Those individuals will meet throughout the fall and winter to help develop the strategic plan.
In January, the district will again seek input from the entire community through a survey on the strategic plan draft. Please be on the lookout for the opportunity to provide your thoughts and opinions on the draft plan.