Session #5 - Goals & Objectives

Session #5 - Goals & Objectives
March 10, 2026 | MJS Media Center, 6:30–8:30 PM

The Strategic Planning Committee held its fifth and final Core Team session on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Facilitators Kaitlin Jones and Rich Panicucci from TMI Education guided the committee through a working session focused on translating broad goals into measurable five-year objectives.

Session Focus

The evening had three goals: reflect on the consensus goals from Session #4, explore a project management framework, and break each goal into annual objectives in SMART format.

The Work So Far

The facilitators opened with a visual overview of the planning process to date. The committee has moved from the "Why" (community beliefs, values, essential skills, district mission, and vision statement) through the "What" (data-driven gap analysis, gaps and opportunities, broad goals) and is now entering the "How" (objective and action plans).

Reaffirming the Five Consensus Goals

The committee reviewed the five strategic priorities established through earlier sessions:

Setting Milestones

Working in pillar-based groups, committee members reflected on their assigned goal and discussed two questions: What do you see as some of the key steps in achieving this goal over the long term? How might you gather feedback along the way to make course corrections?

Groups identified recurring themes including stakeholder education and engagement, patience through phased implementation, consistent multi-channel communication through the website, public meetings, and email, and learning from comparable districts.

The facilitators introduced the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle as a framework for goal implementation. The four phases include: Plan (define needs, resources, and success metrics), Do (pilot at a smaller scale), Check (gather feedback on the pilot), and Act (refine based on feedback). The committee reviewed an example goal showing how objectives progress through this cycle over five years, with early years focused on planning and data gathering and later years targeting measurable outcomes.

SMART Objectives Workshop

The committee reviewed the SMART goal framework (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bounded) and studied examples of well-constructed objectives versus vague aspirational statements. Facilitators emphasized the importance of identifying "needles" (clear metrics that show movement) and setting stretch goals that drive meaningful change.

Groups then used an objectives worksheet to draft five annual milestones for each goal, with benchmark dates set at June of each year from 2027 through 2031. The facilitators encouraged backward design, starting with the June 2031 end target and working backward.

Group Progress Highlights

The Finance and Facilities group developed a phased approach including completion of a capital needs assessment with the district architect and facilities committee, engagement of design professionals to assess and plan priority projects, stakeholder engagement to communicate facility needs and build community support, and measurable targets such as reducing emergency maintenance work orders by 20% while increasing scheduled preventative maintenance.

The Leadership and Governance group began mapping five-year objectives using the SMART framework, with early milestones focused on establishing advisory councils and baseline data collection through climate surveys.

Core Team Feedback

The session concluded with a thank you to Core Team members for their time and effort throughout the five-session process. Committee members were invited to complete a Core Team Member Feedback Survey and an optional open-ended feedback form.

Next Steps

The planning process now transitions from the Core Team to staff-based implementation teams. These teams will develop detailed action plans for Year 1 objectives and establish a framework for monitoring progress. Updates will continue to be shared through the district website, newsletters, and school communications.

"We stopped asking what we want and started asking how we will know we got there.  That shift changed everything."