Warren County Schools Unveils Five-Year Strategic Plan, But Board Members Want Building Maintenance and Academic Results Added

Warren County Public Schools has unveiled a proposed five-year strategic plan designed to improve student achievement, strengthen school safety, expand career opportunities, and recruit and retain qualified employees.

But during the November 4, 2026, School Board meeting, members raised two significant concerns: How will the division measure whether these efforts actually improve student learning, and why doesn’t the plan specifically address the condition and maintenance of school buildings?

The second question carries particular significance following the August closure of E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School because of structural concerns.

Superintendent Dr. Troy Wright and members of his administrative team presented the draft 2027–2032 Strategic Plan, called ACE ’32: Aligned, Collaborative and Engaged, outlining four major goals and a series of measurable benchmarks intended to guide the school division over the next five years.

WCPS Strategic Plan -2027-2032 Draft

The presentation was intended to gather feedback before the plan is finalized.

Wright said the proposal grew out of conversations with principals, teachers, community members, advisory groups, division leaders, and School Board members, along with assessment data and feedback collected during the superintendent search process.

The goal, he explained, is to create a common direction for the school system, one that emphasizes high expectations for students, meaningful classroom instruction, collaboration among teachers, and a supportive environment for employees.

A New Direction Built Around Four Goals

The draft plan establishes four priorities:

1. Safe, secure, and supportive school environments.
2. Meaningful student engagement and effective classroom instruction.
3. Strategic program alignment, including career and technical education and teacher collaboration.
4. Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing workforce.

Each goal includes action steps and three types of performance measures.

Implementation benchmarks will determine whether the required programs and systems have been established.

Fidelity and sustainability benchmarks will examine whether those programs are being used consistently.

Outcome benchmarks will measure whether the work is producing results.

Administrators also plan to develop a companion data dashboard to track progress annually.

The approach is intended to make the document more than a collection of broad goals that receive little attention after adoption.

Goal 1: Safer Schools and Better Emergency Preparedness

The first goal focuses on providing safe, secure, and supportive learning environments.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Charles Costner explained that safety is directly connected to academic performance.

Students who feel safe and supported can better concentrate, participate in classroom activities, and build positive relationships with teachers and classmates.

The plan calls for the division to achieve and maintain full compliance with applicable Virginia school safety requirements.

That includes annual safety audits, updated crisis management plans, standardized threat assessment procedures, and clear communication with families.

Another major objective involves emergency preparedness.

By June 2028, the draft calls for every school to implement the “I Love U Guys” Standard Response Protocol and Standard Reunification Method.

These systems establish common procedures for responding to emergencies and reuniting students with their families.

Schools would also maintain emergency reunification kits and participate in training exercises with local law enforcement and emergency personnel.

By 2032, the division wants every school to demonstrate operational readiness through annual evaluations and emergency exercises.

Goal 2: Making Classrooms More Engaging

The second goal addresses what happens inside the classroom.

School administrators want students to be more actively involved in learning rather than simply sitting through lessons.

The draft establishes a measurable target: By June 2032, at least 85% of observed classrooms should meet division expectations for engaging, academically challenging, student-centered instruction.

To accomplish that, the division would establish a common instructional framework and standardized classroom observation procedures.

Principals and instructional leaders would receive training to ensure they use consistent standards when evaluating instruction.

Information collected during classroom walkthroughs would help identify areas where teaching practices need improvement.

By the end of the 2027–28 school year, every school is expected to implement the instructional framework.

The plan also calls for greater student involvement in school decisions.

Student advisory committees would give students opportunities to share their perspectives on classroom activities, school policies, and other issues affecting their education.

By 2032, the division hopes to increase the number of student organizations by 10% compared with the 2026–27 baseline and reduce chronic absenteeism compared with the 2025–26 school year.

Wright emphasized that students who feel connected to their schools are more likely to attend regularly and participate in learning.

Goal 3: Expanding Career and Technical Education

Career and technical education is another major component of the proposed plan.

The division wants to expand opportunities for students to earn industry-recognized credentials, participate in internships, and prepare for employment or additional education after graduation.

A key proposal is to develop a 10-year Career and Technical Education Master Plan for Blue Ridge Technical Center and the county’s high schools.

The draft calls for publishing that plan by June 30, 2027.

During the presentation, the division’s career and technical education leadership explained that current course offerings and promotional materials do not always match.

Some materials continue advertising courses that are no longer offered, while other available programs aren’t adequately publicized.

The proposed review would examine existing programs, student interests, regional employment opportunities, and partnerships with businesses and higher education institutions.

It would also identify barriers that prevent students from completing career pathways.

Scheduling was cited as one example.

A student who begins a two-year career program as a senior may not have time to complete the second year before graduating.

Adjusting course availability and scheduling could allow more students to complete programs and earn credentials.

The plan establishes several targets for June 2032, including a 90% pass rate on career and technical education credential assessments and a 5% year-over-year increase in participation in work-based learning.

During the presentation, administrators reported that the division achieved an 85% pass rate on credential assessments last year.

The division also intends to strengthen its CTE advisory committee by bringing more regional employers into discussions about needed workforce skills.

Those partnerships could lead to additional internships, job-shadowing opportunities, classroom presentations, and training programs aligned with local employment needs.

Teachers Working Together to Improve Instruction

The third goal also includes expanding professional learning communities, commonly called PLCs.

These are organized groups of educators who work together to review student performance, develop instructional strategies, and identify students who need additional support.

Rather than working independently, teachers will collaborate more consistently.

The proposed plan calls for regular team meetings, common assessments, shared instructional resources, and systematic reviews of student progress.

By June 2032, every school is expected to have a functioning professional learning community that meets division standards.

Administrators believe this approach will help establish greater consistency in instruction across the school system.

Goal 4: Recruiting and Keeping Good Employees

The fourth goal focuses on the people responsible for carrying out the other three.

Human resources leadership described the division’s priorities as recruiting, developing, and retaining employees.

The plan proposes expanding partnerships with colleges, teacher preparation programs, workforce organizations, and military transition programs.

It also calls for examining compensation and working conditions to ensure Warren County remains competitive with surrounding school divisions.

The proposed 2032 targets include:

• Increasing qualified applicant pools for critical-shortage positions by 20%.
• Filling at least 95% of budgeted positions by the first day of school and 98% by October 1.
• Reducing critical-shortage vacancies on the first instructional day by 25%.
• Reducing the time needed to fill vacancies by 15%.
• Maintaining annual employee turnover below 12%.
• Retaining at least 85% of eligible employees for three years.

The division also wants to strengthen mentoring programs, leadership development, and opportunities for current employees to advance professionally.

Annual employee surveys would provide feedback about workplace conditions, with the goal of identifying problems before employees decide to leave.

Administrators said keeping qualified employees is not only important for continuity in classrooms but can also reduce the expense of repeatedly recruiting and training replacements.

Board Members Want Academic Results Tied to Every Goal

While board members generally appreciated the work that went into the draft, Vice Chair Thomas McFadden raised concerns about accountability.

He noted that school divisions and other organizations frequently develop ambitious strategic plans, only to struggle with maintaining attention to them over several years.

“The problem is keeping it for five years and keeping track of everything for five years,” McFadden said.

He questioned whether the proposed benchmarks adequately demonstrate how each goal would improve academic achievement.

Although the draft includes implementation, sustainability, and outcome measures, McFadden suggested adding a specific academic benchmark to each objective.

For example, improving school safety matters, but how will the division determine whether safer schools also produce better attendance, classroom participation, or academic performance?

Similarly, if the division improves employee recruitment and retention, how will it measure the effect on student achievement?

McFadden argued that measurable academic results should remain central to the plan.

He suggested that every goal clearly explain how it contributes to the primary purpose of public education.

Other board members agreed that connecting the goals to academic outcomes would strengthen the document.

The Missing Priority: School Building Maintenance

The most substantial discussion centered on something the draft does not specifically identify as a major goal: maintaining school facilities.

Board member Melanie Salins suggested creating a fifth goal titled “Safe, Well-Maintained Facilities and Sound Operations.”

She said the division needs a comprehensive system to evaluate the condition of every school building, prioritize maintenance, and plan for future capital expenses.

The ongoing problems at E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School provide an immediate example of why such planning is necessary.

Salins described a facilities management approach used by Alexandria City Public Schools that includes detailed building assessments and software to evaluate maintenance priorities.

Under such a system, the division could identify needed repairs, estimate current costs, and calculate how much those expenses might increase if work is delayed.

For example, postponing a roof replacement could result in additional water damage, increasing the eventual repair cost.

The information could also help school officials present clearer funding requests to the Warren County Board of Supervisors.

Rather than simply requesting money for repairs, administrators could show the financial consequences of delaying them.

Salins outlined three possible objectives: establish the condition of every school building, maintain facilities before major failures occur, and create a long-term funding plan for capital needs.

She suggested that the facilities goal could stand alone or be incorporated into the existing school safety goal.

E. Wilson Morrison Closure Raises the Stakes

The discussion repeatedly returned to E. Wilson Morrison, which has remained closed because of structural problems discovered before the school year began.

The closure has forced the division to relocate students and staff while officials investigate the building’s condition and consider possible solutions.

Board members said the situation demonstrates the consequences of failing to anticipate maintenance problems.

One member emphasized that developing a facilities management system should begin immediately rather than become another goal postponed until the end of the five-year plan.

The suggestion included establishing a baseline assessment of every school building and creating a schedule for regular reviews.

The School Board’s facilities committee could oversee the effort, with monthly committee reviews and quarterly updates to the full board.

Members also discussed making the information public so residents could better understand the condition of school buildings and the costs of maintaining them.

Cline Calls for a Living Facilities Plan

Board member George Cline supported a comprehensive maintenance plan.

He said the division has spent too much time responding to problems rather than following a clearly established maintenance standard.

Cline described the need for a living document that could be reviewed and updated as conditions change.

Such a document would help officials identify immediate repairs, long-term projects, and expected expenses.

It could also improve discussions with the Board of Supervisors by providing a consistent record of identified needs.

Cline pointed to the E. Wilson Morrison situation as evidence that the division cannot continue relying on a reactive approach.

The issue, he said, extends well beyond the current School Board and reflects maintenance challenges that have developed over many years.

Board members also noted that facilities planning could consider changes in student enrollment and whether existing buildings could be used more efficiently.

For example, available classroom space might offer opportunities to expand career and technical education programs without immediately constructing additional facilities.

Making Sure the Plan Doesn’t Sit on a Shelf

Another concern was how the School Board would keep the strategic plan relevant as board membership and division leadership change.

McFadden emphasized that a strategic plan should guide decision-making, budgeting, and long-term priorities.

If facilities are considered essential to the division’s success, he argued, they should be clearly identified in the document.

The proposed annual data dashboard would help the board evaluate progress, but members stressed that the plan must remain part of regular discussions rather than becoming a document that is approved and forgotten.

That includes reviewing whether the division is meeting its benchmarks and determining whether changes are necessary.

The discussion also highlighted the connection between strategic planning and funding.

The school division depends on the Board of Supervisors for much of its local financial support, particularly for capital improvements.

A detailed facilities plan could provide stronger documentation when requesting money for roofs, building repairs, and other major projects.

Revisions Expected Before Final Approval

Following the discussion, Wright thanked board members for their suggestions and said the administration would review the feedback.

He indicated that staff would return at a future meeting with a revised version of the strategic plan.

The draft presented November 4 has not yet been finalized through the process described during the presentation.

The proposed goals establish ambitious targets for the next five years, from improving classroom engagement to expanding career education and retaining qualified teachers.

But the discussion made clear that board members want the final plan to do more than identify worthwhile objectives.

They want measurable evidence that those objectives improve student learning.

And following the disruption caused by E. Wilson Morrison’s closure, they want school buildings and long-term maintenance needs to receive the same attention as classroom instruction and staffing.

The final version of the plan will help determine how Warren County Public Schools approaches those challenges through 2032.

Watch the Warren County School Board Meeting of November 4, 2026.