Comprehensive Bridge Plan

Draft

January 28, 2020

 

Reasons for Developing the Plan:

• Design a plan to link the district’s previous comprehensive plan to the state’s required comprehensive plan (scheduled for submission in March of 2021.)
• Change academic programs to bring students back from charter school and/or out of district placements to be educated within the Coatesville Area School District
• Partner with all stakeholders (parents, staff, teachers union, PA Department of Education, etc.) on solutions
• Improve financial status of district so that more resources are available

 

Finances are driving the plan. Charter tuitions and special education costs are depleting the school district of funds needed to sustain current operating costs.

 

Why have parents left the district?  Reasons vary, but all circle back to academics, behavioral concerns, transparency, lack of supports for students and families.

 

Board Goals:

• Student achievement goal: Plan and implement (with fidelity) data-driven differentiated instruction, and train staff to meet the needs of all levels of learners using research-based programs.  
• Financial goal: Develop a budget that provides academic resources, supports and services for students while identifying opportunities for marginalizing expenses. 
• Facilities goal: Create and implement a multi-year comprehensive maintenance plan of our current facilities that includes, but is not limited to, the consolidation and reconfiguration of grade levels. 
• School climate goal: Create a positive equitable educational environment that is warm and welcoming where all students and staff feel safe, heard, respected, and are engaged in learning and where families and the community are actively engaged.

 

Focus Group Themes – January 15 and 16 2020

What can we do to keep students?

• Provide staff with proper supports
• Special education specialty classrooms
• Hold students accountable
• Heavy emphasis on K-2 reading
• Climate of academics being priority (not just sports)

 

How to address budget concerns?

• LERTA – tax reduction program
• Get businesses to invest in the district
• Create more partnerships (Longwood Gardens, universities)
• Sell buildings we aren’t using
• 4-day school week
• Corporate partnerships
• Rent out larger spaces (auditoriums and gyms) for events
• Drives for supplies for students (Wawa, Churches, Staples)
• STEM partnerships
• Balance the budget and reduce taxes over time

 

Student Achievement Goal: Plan and implement with fidelity data-driven differentiated instruction and train Staff to meet the needs of all levels of learners using research-based programs.

• Provide a more rigorous academic program to increase test scores
• Provide special education supports for students in the district
• Support staff in supporting students appropriately
• Make academics a priority
• Heavy emphasis on K-2 reading
• Science and social studies full year instead of half year
• Develop flexible academics programs to support our students
• Better planned co-teaching model
• Create a STEM program that provides students with many opportunities
• Cyber Learning – offer part time for all levels
• Add social workers and mental health specialists
• Use our staff to their strengths
• MTSS/PBIS
• Provide a curriculum cycle
• Corporate partnerships/STEM

 

Financial Goal: Develop a budget that provides academic resources, supports and services for students while identifying opportunities for marginalizing expenses.

• School start and finish times
• Better utilization of buildings with staff and students, review owned properties by the district (re-district)
• Get businesses to invest in the school district and work more with municipalities
• LERTA – tax reduction program
• Partnerships with municipalities, colleges and universities
• Communication with all taxpayers
• Establish a three-year financial plan
• Rent our larger spaces
• Corporate partnerships
• Reduce transportation costs
• Cut a balance of all staff to reduce the budget

 

Facilities Goal: Create and implement a multi-year comprehensive maintenance plan of our current facilities that includes, but is not limited to, the consolidation and reconfiguration of grade levels.

• Develop a facilities plan to include preventative maintenance on all properties owned by the district
• Rent our large spaces (auditoriums, gyms, fields)
• Corporate partnerships
• Hire a district facilities director

 

School Climate Goal: Create a positive equitable educational environment that is warm and welcoming where all students and staff feel safe, heard, respected, and are engaged in learning and where families and the community are actively engaged.

• Transparency and communication
• Address disciple issues in schools
• Create more of a sense of family and belonging in each building between staff, parents and students
• Develop a goal to address the perception problem and actively recruit kindergarten students
• Create a mosaic of opportunity for our diverse learners
• Sell the vision of a turn-around plan
• Market the elementary programs
• Set the climate of academics being a priority
• Celebrate all student successes
• Share the positive that radiates in our district

 

Priorities for student achievement goal:
Plan and implement with fidelity data-driven differentiated instruction and train staff to meet the needs of all levels of learners using research-based programs.

January 2020 – June 2021

• Develop a CASD coordinated curriculum plan for each course of instruction taught K-12
• Develop a CASD coordinated STEM plan K-12
• Develop a student support plan to include social/emotional learning, address behavioral mental health support programs, and return or develop any outsourced programs that can be offered within the CASD.

June 2021 – June 2022

• Implement a CASD coordinated curriculum plan for each course of instruction taught K-12
• Implement a CASD coordinated stem plan for K-12
• Implement a student support plan to include social/emotional learning, address behavioral mental health support programs, and return or develop any outsourced programs that can be offered within the CASD.

June 2022 – June 2023

• Implement a CASD coordinated curriculum plan for each course of instruction taught K-12
• Implement a CASD coordinated stem plan for K-12
• Implement a student support plan to include social/emotional learning, address behavioral mental health support programs, and return or develop any outsourced programs that can be offered within the CASD.

 

Priorities for Financial Goal: Develop a budget that provides academic resources, supports and services for students while identifying opportunities for marginalizing expenses.

January 2020 – June 2021

• Institute a budget freeze with the current 2019-2020 budget
• Conduct an audit of all finances with the help of the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Public Financial Management Company
• Conduct a transportation study to reduce costs
• Compete a review of all staffing positions, their impact on instructional practices, and determine which positions need to be eliminated to balance the budget
• Organize class sizes that reflect the staffing needed for the 2020-2021 school year
• Apply to state legislators and PA Dept of Ed for financial assistance
• Balance the budget
• Conduct RFP’s for all contracted services for the CASD

June 2021 – June 2022

• Implement a budget that reflects investments in the fund balance
• Balance a budget that provides instructional supports for students
• Balance a budget that supports a preventative maintenance and facilities program

June 2022 – June 2023

• Implement a budget that reflects investments in the fund balance
• Balance a budget that provides instructional supports for students
• Balance a budget that supports a preventative maintenance and facilities program

 

Priorities for Facilities Goal: Create and implement a multi-year comprehensive maintenance plan of our current facilities that includes but is not limited to the consolidation and reconfiguration of grade levels.

January 2020 – June 2021

• Identify, prioritize and address the necessary repairs to school buildings throughout the CASD
• Before ordering new supplies, ensure that all supplies in multiple storage locations are used
• Develop and implement a CASD facilities plan that assigns students and staff for instruction and incorporates adjustments in district owned properties
• Create a preventative facilities plan that allows the district to address operations/maintenance
• Establish an air quality management program to identify air quality issues in all CASD buildings

    June 2021 – June 2022

• Implement maintenance plan that allows the district to continuously address operations/maintenance items
• Create an inventory list of all cleaning machines, district-wide, including purchase date, warranties and maintenance records
• Implement and manage the CASD facilities plan

June 2022 – June 2023

• Create a three-to-five-year plan for bigger budgetary items at CASD buildings
• Continue to implement and manage the CASD facilities plan

 

Priorities for School Climate Goal: Create a positive equitable educational environment that is warm and welcoming where all students and staff feel safe, heard, respected, and are engaged in learning and where families and the community are actively engaged.

January 2020 – June 2021

• Create a plan based on equity audits
• Conduct an equity audit of classroom, building, and district policies and practices
• Planning for district-wide PBIS/MTSS with Pattan and CCIU
• Develop a CASD communications plan
• Principals identify processes in which they will create warm, welcoming school & classroom environments
• Develop a CASD activity, athletic, compliance strategic plan

June 2021 – June 2022

• Implement equity plan
• Implementation of PBIS/MTSS plan developed by the core team
• Implement CASD communications plan
• Implement CASD activity, athletic, compliance strategic plan

June 2022 – June 2023

• Implement equity plan
• Implement PBIS/MTSS plan
• Implement CASD communications plan
• Implement CASD activity, athletic, compliance strategic plan

 

Next Steps  

• Review presented priorities
• Edit priorities based on recommendations from the Coatesville Area School District Board of Directors
• Develop strategies for priorities
• Start to develop action steps for each of the strategies
• Report out plan February 25^th board meeting