MTSD's Strategic Plan

Our strategic plan, which is updated every three to five years, is a critical tool in guiding our district’s mission, vision, and strategic direction, unifying efforts across our organization. This process follows Board Policy #0117, which requires regular updates to the district’s mission, vision, goals, and objectives.

2025-2028 Strategic Plan

Following a comprehensive review and planning process, the MTSD Board of Education approved the District's 2025-2028 Strategic Plan in March 2025. The new plan builds on the 2021-2024 version to address new challenges and community needs.

Click here to view an enlarged one-page version of the Strategic Plan

2025-2028 Strategic Planning Process

As part of the development process for the 2025-2028 strategic plan, we engaged a wide range of key voices, including parents, students, employees, alumni, community members, business leaders, and government officials. Participants had the opportunity to share their input through surveys and in focus groups designed to gather diverse perspectives and insights.

Building on the foundation of our previous strategic planning efforts, this process continues the tradition of incorporating thoughtful feedback from the community. The Board of Education provided critical input and guidance throughout the process, ultimately approving MTSD’s strategic goals and objectives in March 2025.

In spring of 2024, the 2021-2024 strategic plan was extended by one additional year to allow time for the District to assess the long-term needs of our schools and community thoroughly. This extension provided an opportunity to complete pressing budget-related initiatives and ensure that the appropriate amount of time and effort could be dedicated to the next strategic planning process.

The 2025-2028 Strategic Plan reflects the observations, insights, and contributions of our community. This update represents a continuation of our commitment to fostering collaboration, strengthening relationships, and aligning the district's goals with the needs and priorities of all constituents.

Community Survey & Focus Group Results

Community Survey & Focus Group Results

Thank you to all those who participated in the recent Strategic Planning community survey and focus groups! We recorded more than 1,200 responses to the survey and had approximately 100 participants across 8 focus groups. Dr. Joynt reported the results of these engagement opportunities to the Board of Education during their regular business meeting on Monday, January 27. Detailed survey and focus group result reports can be found below.

Some key themes that emerged across both the survey and focus groups include:

Equity in Resource Distribution
Technology Modernization
Strengthening the Educator Workforce/Teacher Retention & Quality
Fostering Student Well-Being
Enhancing Curriculum Consistency and Alignment/Curriculum Innovation
Building Community Trust & Collaboration/Community Engagement
Innovating Curriculum for Future Readiness
Safety & Security

Next steps in the Strategic Planning process include plan development and plan validation, with a goal of presenting a final 2025-2028 Strategic Plan for Board approval on Monday, March 17.

Strategic Planning - Community Survey Results

Strategic Planning - Focus Group Results

2025-28 Strategic Planning Timeline

November 2024

December 2024

January 2025

February 2025

March 2025

Strategic Plan Archive

2018-2021 Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan 2018-2021
Printable PDF

2018-2021 Strategic Plan Development

As part of the plan development process, we engaged parents, students, alumni, employees, community members, business and organization leaders and government officials. We asked stakeholder groups to share their input via a survey, or participate in one of several focus groups. A community convening provided an opportunity for a diverse group of over 70 individuals to discuss the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors that present potential current and future impacts on the district, its students and employees.

A district strategic team, comprised of district and school administrators, employees, parents, community members and business and organization leaders, was tasked with synthesizing key inputs into strategic goal areas. The team reviewed the data accumulated and identified five themes as the focus of our 2018-2021 strategic plan.

The board of education provided critical feedback and direction throughout the strategic planning process, ultimately approving the Mequon-Thiensville School District’s new mission, vision, strategic goals and objectives in March.

Following the board’s approval, district administrators began the process of developing initiatives and key performance indicators aligned to the community’s five themes.

The 2018-2021 strategic plan is the result of community-wide collaboration, and it represents the observations and wisdom of stakeholders across our community. The community’s contributions, thoughtful engagement and valuable insight has influenced the strategic direction of the Mequon-Thiensville School District for the next three years.

2021-2024 Strategic Plan

2021-2024 Strategic Plan Development

In January 2021, the Board of Education launched a strategic planning process to determine where we are as an organization, come to a consensus on where we want to go, and map the trajectory to realizing our future. The development of the 2021-2024 Strategic Plan included an intense review of the District’s current strategic direction.

As part of the strategic review and plan development process, we engaged students, parents/guardians, alumni, employees, and community members. We asked stakeholder groups to share their input via strategic planning surveys. Additionally, organizational performance indicators provided quantitative measures used to inform the evaluation process, and the results of different analysis activities including SWOT and PESTLE, were used to ensure our strategic plan minimizes risks, eliminates threats, and maximizes opportunities to achieve the District’s vision.

The 2021-2024 Strategic Plan affirms the school district’s focus to our mission, vision, guiding principles, and commitment to equity. Additionally, the plan includes revised strategic goals and correlating objectives which represent the observations and insights of stakeholders across our school community.

Strategic Plan 2021-2024
Printable PDF

2024-2025 Strategic Plan Update

Strategic Plan Update for 2024-2025

Recognizing the complex issues currently being managed by school district leaders, including the need to solve a sizeable budget deficit for the 2024-25 school year, it was determined the best option for the development of the MTSD Strategic Plan was for the Board, as liaisons for the public, to review the current Strategic Plan. In their review, Board Members have considered the objectives associated with the existing Strategic Plan Goals.

To inform the Board's review of the current strategic plan objectives, a SWOT analysis for each of the five strategic goals was shared at the Board's January 22, 2024 Business Meeting, and the corresponding objectives were reviewed and discussed by the Board. With feedback from the January meeting, the MTSD Administration engaged the Board in further discussion of the strategic plan objectives including recommendations for revisions at the February 5, 2024 Working Meeting, February 26, 2024 Business Meeting, and the March 4, 2024 Working Meeting.

During their March 18, 2024 Business Meeting, the Board approved the following updated objectives and measurable targets for the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan. Following the Board's approval of the Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives, the MTSD administration will develop another year (Year 4) of action items in alignment with the Goals and Objectives to be carried out during the 2024-2025 school year.

Goal 1: Academic Achievement and Growth for Each Student

Provide instruction and support, informed by achievement and progress measures, to ensure the academic growth of each student.

Measurable Target: Achieve a greater than 0.00 overall growth effect size for all tested students across all tested content areas (meaning better than their projected growth).

Objectives:

A. Identify priority academic standards and establish proficiency scales to produce high-quality instructional lessons.

B. Refine academic assessment practices to inform instruction and support student goal-setting and teacher feedback.

C. Use professional collaboration practices coupled with data-driven systems to enhance instructional design and delivery.

Goal 2: Students' Future Success

Provide each student with the information, opportunities, and skills needed to understand and access pathways toward their future career aspirations.

Measurable Target: Achieve a greater than 90% completion rate for career plan activities for each grade, 6 -12.

Objectives:

A. Design opportunities for students to learn about a variety of careers and the pathways taken to attain those careers.

B. Help students in grades 4K-12 make the connection between activities in the classroom and how the activities relate to developing universal work readiness skills.

Goal 3: Student Belonging & Well-Being

Foster collaboration and develop relationships to enhance the safety, connectedness, and well-being of our students.

Measurable Target: More than 60% of students will average a 3.0+ across all sections of the annual engagement survey.

Objectives:

A. Implement culturally responsive principles and best practices throughout the school environment, including co-curriculars, to foster the connectedness and belonging of our students.

B. Cultivate authentic and positive internal and external relationships amongst students, staff, and families to enhance our students' physical and psychological safety.

C. Integrate social and emotional learning practices within the instructional environment to strengthen student engagement and well-being.

D. Respond with urgency, flexibility, and compassion to the individual social and emotional needs of students.

Goal 4: Workforce Environment

Cultivate a workplace environment where professional growth is a priority to strengthen employees' belonging and impact.

Measurable Target: Achieve 20+ on the MTSD Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS).

Objectives:

A. Prioritize employee development, professional growth, and collaboration.

B. Recognize and celebrate employee and organizational successes.

C. Enhance trust and loyalty through open communication and transparency.

Goal 5: Stakeholder Relationships

Produce meaningful communication and engagement opportunities with all stakeholders to build strong relationships and trust across the school community.

Measurable Target: Meet or exceed a 50 on the MTSD Net Promoter Score (NPS).

Objectives:

A. Build community and business partnerships to broaden support for student learning.

B. Engage internal and external stakeholders in two-way communication to build understanding and ensure appropriate funding and fundraising for programming and facilities now and for the foreseeable future.