Strategic Plan
Path of the Hurricane
In November 2024, the District embarked on a journey to create the Path of a Hurricane - a Strategic Plan forward for our District. Through community, parents, students, and staff collaboration, we have created a plan for 2025-2028.
Vision
Wilmington City Schools will Empower students to Learn, Lead, and Serve with purpose.
Mission
Wilmington City Schools, in partnership with parents and community, will empower every student to be future-ready by providing a safe, diverse, and challenging environment.
Core Competencies
• A unique combination of urban and rural settings with access to three major urban centers.
• An expansive variety of curriculum offerings.
• A culture focused on providing academic and behavioral supports.
• Regionally recognized music and arts programming.
• Traditionally strong athletic programs.
• A diverse student body.
Goals and Action Steps
Student Support
Develop a student behavior support model in collaboration with teachers and community members that meets the needs of all learners.
Action Steps
- Collaborate with staff to review, develop, communicate and follow a tiered decision making process for both
proactive and reactive responses to behavior to ensure that responses are consistent and appropriate. - Form partnerships with community agencies for support of student behavior expectations and responses.
- Establish regular opportunities for parent/guardian and educators to collaboratively discuss student behavior expectations and responses.
- Track all student behavior referrals and regularly analyze them to determine if our proactive and reactive responses are mitigating their frequency. This data will be reflected in an online community dashboard for our stakeholders to review.
- Develop and provide a “menu of services” to parents of the services we offer for all students.
- Develop expectations for student behavior.
Community Connection
Provide communication and engagement opportunities for stakeholders.
Action Steps
- Create a Communication team that will meet regularly to review communication practices, identify gaps and develop strategies with a plan for clear, consistent, inclusive and culturally responsive messaging.
- Provide opportunities for open dialogue with parents/ guardians to build trust through collaboration.
- Position Wilmington City Schools as the premiere educational choice within our region.
Student Learning
Provide the academic offerings and resources necessary for each student to be future ready.
Action Steps
- Conduct an assessment of current staff workloads, including student-to-teacher/staff ratios, administrative duties and extracurricular responsibilities to identify potential overstaffing or underutilization.
- Ensure academic programs and course offerings are relevant and directly aligned with the current educational aspirations of the local community.
- Provide relevant professional development for all staff. Professional development plans will be complementary to the district improvement plan and will be created with staff input.
Provide student “educational” preparedness expectation information to parents/guardians for grades PK-3. - Ensure students are college and career ready by:
- Empowering students to understand their interests and aptitudes.
- Providing resources for students to proactively manage their career path.
- Offering diverse opportunities for students to gain practical work experience and to apply learned skills in real world settings.
- Establish a state report card data team who will regularly review, analyze, correct and work to educate stakeholders on the reported results.
- Establish a state report card data team who will regularly review, analyze, correct and work to educate stakeholders on the reported results.
Financial Stability
Develop a plan for continued transparent spending that promotes support and trust in the school district.
Action Steps
- Develop a capital expenditure plan to prioritize future capital projects.
- Determine, through the district finance committee, a General Fund carryover target balance.
- Offer community informational opportunities to learn about school finance.
- The district finance committee will develop optional strategies to address General Fund deficit spending projected through the five-year forecast.
- Establish a long-term financial plan which is supported by the financial forecast and that fosters support for future financial needs.
Performance Indicators
The District will track their progress in the following areas:
- Enrollment - Kindergarten and overall District
- Graduation rate
- State Report Card rating
- Social media engagement
- Stakeholder satisfaction rate
- General Fund forecasted balance
- Students participating in work experiences
- Student behavior referrals
- Number of Wilmington City School District students enrolled outside the district.
