The Poughkeepsie City School District aims to prepare students for post-graduation success through supporting the whole child with rigorous curriculum and establishing a culture of community collaboration and operational excellence.
To reach that goal, the district has established a “Blueprint for Excellence” it discussed at Wednesday night's Board of Education meeting. The meeting was livestreamed on the district’s YouTube page​ ​and a replay is available.
Following a summer-long process that included in-depth community engagement, multiple meetings of district leadership and other stakeholders, assistance from an outside agency and multiple revisions to home in on key values and core beliefs, the district has released its 2025-2028 Strategic Plan, available online at poughkeepsieschools.org/Strategic-Plan
The 23-page plan includes an overview of the plan’s purpose and process that led to its creation; a listing of the district members and stakeholders who took part; statements of the district’s mission, vision and core values; a list of district priorities and goals; and detailed action plans for reaching each of those goals, complete with timeframes by which they should be accomplished. Accountability is emphasized within the plan, just as it is a major part of this year’s theme – “The Urgency of Now” – and many of the tasks listed within the plan are assigned to specific jobs within the district to shepherd execution.
The plan begins with a welcome letter penned by Superintendent of Schools Gregory Mott and Board of Education President Bob Creedon.
“This updated strategic plan will be the backbone for our work,” the letter reads. “It will serve as a roadmap in our efforts to connect with each child and family while enhancing our connections as a school and a community. We’re in this together and look forward to being your teammate as ‘Champions for Children!’”

The strategic plan is built around three pillars:
Culture of Care and Collaboration: “We will establish a systematic process that engages stakeholders in providing input and fostering collaboration to shape professional learning opportunities and promote culturally responsive practices.”
Engaged and Empowered Learners: “We will create safe, supportive environments that prepare all students for post-graduation success by delivering a rigorous P–12 curriculum with embedded SEL, aligning resources and programs, and providing whole-child support through community partnerships, diverse opportunities, and healthy, productive options.” 
Operational Excellence: “We will strengthen retention of staff and students by fostering family partnerships, ensuring transparent and bilateral communication, engaging families in decision-making, promoting equity in resource distribution, and continuously evolving through consultation and collaboration.”

While the district’s mission statement will not be changed, the plan establishes a new vision statement and a set of core values.
Vision: “We work in partnership with the community to provide an education with high expectations for all students, each day in a safe, inclusive and challenging environment where students are empowered to become successful members of their community.”
Core Values:

• Collaboration
• Accountability
• Commitment
• Transparency
• Professionalism
• Integrity
• Passion
• Compassion

The full plan includes detailed descriptions of what each of those values means.
Each of those priorities and values, as well as the mission and vision statements, were refined at a meeting on Aug. 11 in which district and building leadership, and invited community stakeholders, gathered at Dutchess BOCES to work with the Blueprint for Excellence Strategic Planning Service. The several dozen participants – a list is included in the back of the plan – broke into small groups and debated each element, each bringing their own varied perspectives to the document’s creation.
In addition to the Strategic Plan, the district on Wednesday debuted a new webpage – poughkeepsieschools.org/cabinet – featuring the Superintendent’s Cabinet. Each member has a webpage on which KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators, are listed. The progress toward reaching each of those KPIs will be updated on the pages as the year rolls on.

The district’s previous 2020-2025 Strategic Plan was guided by four central areas of focus: student achievement; resource stewardship; internal processes, systems and structures; and organizational effectiveness. During that time, the district, among other accomplishments:

• Stabilized its finances.
• Launched Community Schools and College Readiness and Workforce Development departments.
• Earned “Good Standing” designations for each of its elementary buildings.
• Invested more than $150 million in transforming buildings and facilities into 21st century learning environments.
• Ensured each building has full-time art and music teachers, librarians and social workers.
• Added reading and math academic intervention specialists in all elementary and middle schools.
• Expanded pre-K programming from half-day to full-day and greatly increased seats.
• Created a dual language program.
• Increased supports for English Language Learners and Students with Exceptionalities.
• Created a comprehensive arts education plan that has sprouted theatrical, poetry, strings and art productions, clubs and exhibits.
• Augmented extended learning time and other enrichment like the Community Schools ‘Lights’ programming.

The new Strategic Plan includes a timeline for not only how it will be introduced to faculty and the community, but how it will be supported through a schedule for making recommendations and holding meetings to update the plan each year.