Indian Prairie School District 204 is proudly sharing with the community its first-ever strategic plan, entitled Inspire, Innovate, and Empower the Future. The plan lays a path forward to support students emotionally, socially, and academically so they are prepared for their futures.

The district established a committee which ultimately grew to over 175 stakeholders, including students, staff, parents, and community members, to participate in formulating the plan. Facilitated by Battelle for Kids, with whom the district previously established its Portrait of a Graduate, four meetings were held in which committee members shared their thoughts and hopes for Indian Prairie. The committee engaged in a review of the Portrait of a Graduate competencies, participated in a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis, and brainstormed priority areas for the district.

The final document outlines the key priority areas in the plan: Focus on Student Development, Invest in Staff, Engage with the Learning Community, and Optimize Resources and Operations. Dr. Adrian Talley, superintendent of Indian Prairie School District 204, shared that the plan will guide the school system over the next five years. “Our final product is a forward-looking strategic plan,” Talley said. “It enhances our ability to impact our students, staff, and larger community positively. This plan will inspire us all for the future.”

The Indian Prairie Board of Education supports the roadmap that has been created and noted the gathering of broad input was a key aspect in creating a plan that includes the district’s viewpoints. Board President Laurie Donahue committed to evaluating the results to ensure expectations are met. “Our new plan will drive decision making, define goals, and initiate efforts to continue allowing our students to thrive and prepare for future success,” Donahue said.

The district also recently released its 2021-22 Annual Report which has been on hiatus for the past 15 years and will serve as the mechanism to provide updates on strategic plan performance going forward.

Community members can view Indian Prairie’s strategic plan and annual report on the district’s website at ipsd.org.