CPS Launches Strategic Plan Process Without Key Details | The Locally Times
As feedback sessions run March 2-5, the district has not released a budget, timeline, or draft proposals for its 2026 strategic plan.
The district is inviting families, staff, students, and community members to contribute their perspectives to help define its future direction. The public input process involves an online survey and in-person focus groups scheduled for March 2-5. According to the announcement, the district encourages residents to participate in the survey and reserve a spot for the focus group sessions. ## Plan Lacks Scope, Process Details The February 24 announcement does not specify the key priorities, goals, or challenges the 2026 strategic plan is intended to address. The document provides no framework or draft proposals for residents to review, leaving the scope of the plan undefined as the input process begins. The announcement also lacks details on the feedback methodology. The district has not published a deadline for the online survey, a process for analyzing the collected data, or a timeline for drafting the plan, presenting it to the school board, and its public release. The district’s announcement does not specify a budget for the planning effort or whether it has hired external consultants. ## Leadership Appointed Ahead of New Plan Concurrent with the call for community input, Columbia Public Schools announced two leadership appointments for the 2026-27 school year. The same February 24 district news release states that John Higgins has been selected as the new director of the Columbia Area Career Center (CACC), and Mitchell Pittman was named the new principal for Beulah Ralph Elementary School. The district’s February 24 announcement does not explain how these leadership appointments, effective for the 2026-27 academic year, align with the strategic vision the community is now being asked to help shape.