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District Initiatives

To set the district’s course and align our actions and initiatives, our leadership team has outlined seven strategic priorities for the 2022-2023 school year.

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These priorities were created with significant input from school- and district-level administrators, faculty association leadership, the DASD Board of Directors, and other members of our school community. These strategic priorities represent a coordinated and responsive effort to prepare students for future success.

Strategic Priorities
  1. Communication
  2. Facilities, Grounds & Operations
  3. Fiscal Stewardship
  4. Personnel
  5. Student Learning
  6. Student & Employee Wellbeing
  7. Technology

Current Projects

 

School budget


2023-24 budget

With the district's commitment to fiscal responsibility and careful planning, DASD continues to provide high quality academics and student support systems with the third-lowest per pupil instructional expenses across Chester County. The primary objectives of the proposed 2023-24 budgets are to cover instructional and operational expenses, as well as to prepare for the implementation of full-day kindergarten across all 10 elementary schools. 
 Learn More about the
2023-24 proposed budget 

Construction


Construction

From responding to enrollment growth to providing increased academic opportunities, DASD is prepared to respond to ongoing facility needs across the district. This includes new building and expansion projects, as well as scheduled maintenance and replacement cycles for DASD equipment, resources and facilities.


 Learn More about Construction Projects

 

Sleeping student


School Start TImes

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine both recommend that teens between the ages of 13 and 18 get at least 8-10 hours of sleep per night. Based on the findings from both the Youth Truth survey and the DASD PAYS data, the majority of our DASD high school students are not getting even 8 hours of sleep per night.


Learn more about school start times

 

Strategic Priorities

Two students posing for camera outside at BC

Communication

  1. Provide proactive and transparent communication that addresses all internal and external stakeholder groups to improve understanding, and to build trust and engagement
  2. Focus on building a school community environment of positivity, openness and understanding by sharing student experiences in DASD schools
  3. As part of security audit, review and update crisis communication procedures
Four high school students sitting in the hallway

Facilities, Grounds & Operations

  1. Elementary Facilities Projects 
  2. Secondary Facilities Projects 
  3. Realize the final location of the 5/6 Center and begin design planning
  4. Perform facility safety and security audits with involvement of community first responders and county emergency management officials
  5. Align and update five-year facility project plan with district capital funding
  6. Consider property acquisition for future facility needs
Three students sitting on floor in cafeteria

Fiscal Stewardship

  1. Develop the 2023-2024 annual budget proposal to focus resources on student learning and operational priorities
  2. Create five-year general fund budgets in accordance with projected Act 1 limits, including progress toward full-day kindergarten implementation
  3. Analyze five-year capital fund planning in support of facilities/construction, technology and curriculum needs
  4. Develop long-term financial plans to support future facility needs using existing capital resources and possible debt financing
  5. Expand partnership with the Downingtown Community Education Foundation’s development and fundraising efforts to “enrich the educational experience of DASD students and create a thriving community.
Group photo of new teachers 2022-23 school year

Personnel

  1. Improve efficiencies in the hiring process to support the search for high-quality candidates and to enhance the applicant experience
  2. Improve marketing efforts to attract and recruit a highly qualified, diverse workforce
  3. Research and analyze recruitment and retention strategies for hard-to-fill positions, including, but not limited to, custodial and facilities staff, classroom support staff, substitutes and bus driverse
  4. Enact succession planning and pipeline development
  5. Develop and propose 2023-2024 staffing plans based upon evidenced needs
Two students sitting at desks with tablets

Student Learning

  1. Implement updated/new K-5 language arts curriculum
  2. Evaluate staffing levels of reading and math specialists using qualifying student caseloads to identify if adjustments are warranted
  3. Continue progress with the district’s curriculum review cycle
  4. Develop mathematics components of K-12 Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
  5. Evaluate Downingtown Cyber Academy (DCA) program offerings, enrollment and financial needs
  6. Reflect on class size policy based on current enrollments
  7. Review and update dual enrollment opportunities for high school students
  8. Identify trends in policy violations to develop interventions and coordinate Student Assistance Program (SAP) services, while continuing to partner with alternative programs to meet the continuum of students’ needs
  9. Initiate the development of an educational model for the future 5/6 Center and the district-wide, full-day kindergarten program
Three students doing a plank

Student & Employee Wellbeing

  1. Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
  2. School Start Times
  3. Secondary Schedule Enhancement
  4. High School Student Attendance
  5. Significant Disproportionality a
  6. Culture of Inclusivity and Empathy
  7. Participate in Chester County Mental Health Consortium
  8. Social-Emotional Curriculum Implementation
Student on laptop

Technology

  1. Continue the systemic alignment, horizontally and vertically, of student and staff devices, software and online systems to support and improve teaching and learning
  2. Utilize the capital plan and budget for technology architecture and infrastructure to improve resiliency, as well as accommodate new construction and additions to DASD sites, including rerouting the wide area network and adding internet redundancy
  3. Evaluate the technology division’s current staffing model to support and maintain the school construction projects, additions and planned new 5/6 Center, including the evaluation of service ratios with K-12 best practice models