ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The Allentown School Board set a list of goals for the remainder of the academic year, ranging from community engagement to fiscal responsibility.
School directors approved their 2024-25 goals at last week's school board meeting.
They’re aiming to reduce non-essential expenses by 3% and/or increase revenue and in-kind services by 5%.
School directors also plan to host at least four community forums and to adopt a board policy implementing school governance councils in all schools.
Additionally, school directors want to update at least 20% of the Allentown School District policies and procedures to make sure they’re aligned with best practices. Last school year, the board reviewed 26% of the district's policies and procedures.
School directors will also implement ASD’s strategic plan and an improvement plan — both of which outline goals, action steps and timelines to improve student and district achievement over the next three to five years. There will be quarterly progress reviews on whether goals are being met.
The school board also wants to effectively govern by making sure its meetings are “well-organized, focused and conducted in a respectful and constructive manner.”
As for staffing, school directors are calling for the implementation of “strategic talent pipelines” to reduce district vacancies. Additionally, they plan to introduce new systems for efficiency, such as time clocks.
When it comes to academic goals, school directors want professional development programs for teachers that are “aimed at enhancing instructional strategies and student engagement.” That will include measurable student performance improvement goals, use of “innovative” teaching practices and support for both teachers and students.
