The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education heard an update on the 2025-30 strategic plan during their meeting on Tuesday night.
WS/FCS adopts strategic plans on five-year cycles to provide guidance for crafting policies that are in the best interest of student success. The 2020-25 version focused on initiatives like the 90 by 25 literacy movement and the Code of Character, Conduct, and Support. Those issues are still under continuous review, but now the plan is being refined to make sure the district is keeping up with students’ contemporary needs.
Vice Chair Alex Bohannon and Executive Director of Systems of Coherence and Strategic Planning Alexandra Hoskins described the early results of their We Listen campaign to solicit community input for the new plan. They’ve had great conversations with students, teachers, parents, community advocacy groups, school support staff, and more, and they also plan to spend more time talking to principals, district administrators, and local elected officials going forward.
Several themes have been consistent across feedback from different groups, including the need for broad access to high-quality curriculum, improved enforcement of disciplinary rules, strong communication between schools and families, support for staff through compensation and professional development, more elective classes, investments in transportation and special education, and balancing the use of technology in the classroom.
The steering committee will consider all of these ideas and more as they develop a plan to present to the board this spring. Bohannon says there has been an outpouring of interest in the plan from the community – the steering committee was originally going to have 40 members, but it was expanded to 57 due to the large number of applications. While not everyone is able to sit on the committee, he hopes that thorough community engagement and feedback will make sure the maximum number of voices come through in the district’s next strategic plan.
“Our community partners and the people who help us each and every day are an essential part of the work we do,” Bohannon said. “We can’t accomplish our work without community.”
Also on the board’s agenda for the evening were:
- A choral performance from the Atkins High School Golden Girls and Maroon 13
- A proclamation acknowledging National School Social Work Week from March 2-8
- Special recognitions for Gigi Simon from Reagan High School getting accepted to Parsons School of Design in New York, individual state champions for winter athletics, and winners from the 2025 Camel City Game Jam
- Updates on the Heart Math Tutoring program and Additional Targeted Support and Improvement funding
- Approval of an encroachment agreement with the city of Winston-Salem, a contract with Public Impact for Ashley Academy, a mowing contract for multiple properties, and several other action items
Due to Spring Break during the second week of March, the Board of Education will meet again on Tuesday, March 4 at 6:30 pm.