Every five years, the Pleasantville Union Free School District implements a strategic plan for school operations and improvements. As 2019 comes to a close, the district is preparing to initiate phase two of its 2026 strategic plan.

“The goal of the strategic plan is to bring all stakeholders (community members, teachers, parents and students) together to ensure the Pleasantville School District is providing educational programs that support and enhance our students’ academic, social and emotional needs,” said Peggy Galotti, principal of Bedford Road School.

Later this month, a Strategic Planning Team of around 40 volunteers will  meet to discuss six strategies that will form the basis of the new action plan. The strategies are leadership, curriculum, wellness, communication, infrastructure and resources, and partnerships. Action teams will be developed in order to make each strategy come to life.

“Each strategy can have multiple action plans,” Galotti said. “Team members research, do site visits to other schools and investigate cost, if any, to the implementation of the plan. For example, last time one action plan was to have an increase art electives. The team did site visits, determined the additional staff needed, the type of resources, and space needed to implement.”

The first meeting for action team members is October 22nd, and the action plan will officially begin in 2020. Completed goals from the 2014-2019 action plan include giving each student a laptop and improving the infrastructure of the schools.

“Having just completed the first five year plan, I believe it was the best thing that ever happened to our district,” Galotti said. “There is a huge accountability factor to putting plans in place. It streamlined specific ideas/programs/initiatives that were great for our students. It gave us time to implement the action plans over five years and kept us focused on our goals.”

Galotti encouraged Pleasantville residents to get involved. She said decisions made now will have a lasting impact.

“As an employee of the district for 30 years and the principal for 13, the Strategic Plan raised the bar high for academic success for all students,” Galotti said. “It equally recognizes the importance of the social and emotional well-being of all.”