PUTTING YOUR IDEAS INTO ACTION:

As our community and broader environments change, local schools need to adapt to those changes.  The Board’s desire is that the school not only serves as an educational hub for our children but also as a central pillar of our community’s identity and future.

We reached out to you, our ownership group, to gather your valuable insights and suggestions on how our school can best serve our youth, families, and community. Your perspectives are crucial in shaping the direction and priorities of our educational institution.  We wanted to know what you believe an ideal Cascade School, as an educational institution and pillar of the community, would look like.  To ensure the greatest possible dialog, we asked that you please remove every limit that you believe exists regarding education and provide your own vision of perfection.

We asked for your answers to the below questions, and others like them, in order to create a set of benchmarks to gauge institutional success of our school. 

QUESTION 1:

What lifelong lessons (wisdom) should students be taught?

QUESTION 2:

What skills are necessary for them to be immediately successful upon graduation? 

QUESTION 3:

What sort of values and principles should be reinforced in a school setting?

QUESTION 4:

What subject matter is important for young people to learn today in order to succeed in tomorrow’s world? 

We are listening to our community:

During the 5 week period that the survey was open, we received 110 responses to the 4 questions listed above. If you are curious as to what the respondents said, please click the button to the right.

Survey Results Spreadsheet
LTSP Parent Committee Defined

Strategic Planning Parent Committee:

The Cascade School Board of Trustees appointed a Long Term Strategic Planning (LTSP) parent committee to meet the following objectives:

  1. To narrow-down, analyze and interpret survey responses for themes and commonly-held expectations,  to determine meaning, depth, and motives behind the survey responses,  and to organize quantitative and qualitative data from the survey responses to transparently support confident District action.

  2. To provide invaluable assistance in identifying key principles, values, and ethics, and in creating a relevant and community-driven cultural and/or values statement to be implemented within the District, long-term.

  3. To provide invaluable assistance in identifying key objectives for long-term academic and skills-based programs which best align with community expectations.  All themes within the survey answers should be considered potential long-term objectives.  These objectives will become the basis of the Long-Term Strategic Plan for the next 8-10 years. 

Survey Results Quantified:

The committee met several times and decided to quantify the 110 responses into an excel spreadsheet in order to be able to find patterns in the responses.

Click the link to see the quantified results: LTSP Results Matrix

Committee Scope of Work:

The committee met several times throughout the Fall of 2024 to analyze the results and deliver findings to the Cascade School Board of Trustees. Every committee meeting was subject to Idaho Open Meeting Law and was publicized on Cascade School District Board Docs.

Meeting Date:

Meeting Agenda:

Meeting Minutes:

September 17, 2024

Meeting Agenda

9/17/24 Meeting Minutes

September 30, 2024

Meeting Agenda

9/30/24 Meeting Minutes

October 21, 2024

Meeting Agenda

10/21/24 Meeting Minutes

November 4, 2024

Meeting Agenda

11/4/24 Meeting Minutes

Values Statements Draft:

Questions 1 and 3 asked patrons to share what values and principles were important to instill into young people through education. Through the distillation of the committee, the Cascade School Board of Trustees created 4 Values Statements and are in the process of collecting feedback from Cascade School District Staff on the statements before full approval.

DRAFT Values Statements

Vision Statement:

A vision statement serves as a guiding star for an organization, outlining its aspirations for the future and the impact it seeks to make. It provides a clear, inspirational direction that helps stakeholders—including staff, students, families, and the community—understand the long-term purpose of the organization. The rationale behind a vision statement includes:

  1. Inspiration & Motivation – It encourages stakeholders to work toward a shared goal and fosters a sense of purpose.

  2. Strategic Direction – It sets the foundation for decision-making, ensuring that initiatives align with the organization’s future goals.

  3. Identity & Culture – It shapes the values and priorities of the organization, influencing its culture and guiding daily actions.

  4. Accountability & Focus – It helps measure progress by providing a benchmark for success and ensuring efforts remain on track.

  5. Community Engagement – It unites stakeholders by communicating a compelling future that they can support and contribute to.

For a school district, a vision statement ensures that educational programs, policies, and innovations align with the ultimate goal of preparing students for success in an evolving world.

DRAFT vision statement

Please send any feedback that you may have to joni@cascadeschools.org

DRAFT core objectives

Core Objectives:

The core objectives in a strategic plan serve as the foundation for achieving an organization’s vision by outlining specific priorities that guide decision-making and resource allocation. In the context of a school district, these objectives are designed to enhance student success, strengthen educational programs, and improve overall district effectiveness.

Click the button to the left to view the DRAFT core objectives and rationale behind key strategic objectives found in our school district’s plan.

Coming up:

  • Full approval of DRAFT documents

  • Priority development for Objectives

  • Key Performance Indicators for priorities

  • Timeline of priorities