NEW SCOTLAND — The Voorheesville Central School District is beginning the process of rewriting its strategic plan.
One of the first steps to begin this process, the district says, is to conduct a survey.
The district first adopted a five-year strategic plan document in 2016, following a year-long process involving presentations, board of education meetings and community forums. Input was received covering several aspects of the district’s programs and operations.
“This document synthesizes the information gathered and options expressed regarding the future direction of the Voorheesville School District,” the district stated within the strategic plan’s summary. “The Strategic Plan provides a roadmap to the future for our school district.”
Voorheesville Central turned to its community five years ago as the district faced dwindling enrollment and increased demands for free and reduced lunch assistance. According to the state Department of Education, enrollment has plateaued from 1,160 students attending K-12 to 1,180 since 2015.
In the original strategic plan, the district target several goals including high quality instruction for all students, increased academic achievement for all students, improved district communications with all stakeholders and effective stewardship of the community’s resources.
The district has since earned accolades. In June, The Albany Business Review named the district second among its top performing schools in its annual schools report.
The publication collected scores in English, math, science, social studies, and graduation rates over the past five years. All kindergarten through 12th grade districts in the 11-county greater Capital District were assessed. Voorheesville, whose high school earned top distinctions from the U.S. Education Department last year, tied Niskayuna with a 98.49 score. The two school district only trailed Bethlehem Central, which earned top distinctions for the fourth time in five years.
“As a valued member of the community, we are reaching out to you to help you understand more about where we are and where we want to go over the next five to ten years, and beyond,” administrators stated in a message to district families. “Therefore, we ask that you please spend 10 to 15 minutes completing this survey.”
The survey can be found on the district website, voorheesville.org.