For Niles Township High School District 219 (D219), a suburban district outside of Chicago serving roughly 4,600 students, there was no shortage of initiatives but also no unified framework to prioritize them, track progress, or drive accountability. What D219 needed was a clear roadmap that could translate community values into priorities, and priorities into action. They partnered with District Management Group (DMG) on a Strategic Planning engagement to build it.
The result: a student-centered, data-informed strategic plan with five clear priority areas, measurable goals, and a theory of action developed with input from over 2,200 students, staff, families, and community members.
The Challenge: A District Ready to Sharpen Its Focus
D219 serves a diverse community spanning Skokie, Lincolnwood, and parts of Morton Grove and Niles. Like many districts, D219 faced the challenge of running many initiatives simultaneously without a unified framework to prioritize, track, and improve outcomes. Leaders wanted to build a strategic plan that would truly guide decision-making and create shared accountability across the district.
A Rigorous, Community-Driven Process
DMG guided D219 through a four-phase process spanning March 2025 through February 2026. This included putting together a Strategic Planning Working Committee consisting of district leaders, school leaders, Board of Education representatives, staff representatives, and parents.
- Learn: Engaged the community to start building the strategic plan.
- Lead: Used community input and district data to draft the plan.
- Launch: Refined and strengthened the plan based on community feedback and positioned the district to address needs and priorities.
Central to the process was broad community engagement to keep stakeholders updated on progress along the way. In addition to working closely with the Strategic Planning Working Committee, DMG led two community meetings, 12 interviews, and 24 focus groups with students, staff, and community members. Additionally, over 2,200 students, staff, and community members responded to a survey that was available in six languages, ensuring the plan was reflective of the entire district community.
A Theory of Action to Drive Results
The strategic plan is anchored on the mission that "D219 inspires and empowers every student to reach their fullest potential."
DMG helped the district translate that mission into a theory of action that articulates what D219 believes will ultimately drive success. If the district:
- Centers Students – Establishes and reinforces a culture of student-centered decision making
- Guarantees Consistency – Strengthens systems that promote the consistent and equitable implementation of initiatives
- Simplifies and Prioritizes Programs – Creates coherence by streamlining offerings and resources
- Ensures Accountability – Uses up-to-date data and feedback to monitor progress and drive continuous improvement
Then every student will be inspired and empowered to reach their full potential and succeed after graduation, and the district will be future-ready to navigate a rapid pace of change.
The Strategic Plan: Five Priorities for Five Years
What Comes Next
With the new plan finalized, D219 leaders are now moving into implementation, setting measurable targets, building department and school-level plans, and establishing a clear roadmap of initiatives for the 2026–27 school year.
“The strategic plan framework has provided opportunities for us to collaborate with an enhanced sense of purpose going into the new school year.” – Marlon Felton, Niles North High School Principal
“We are already building productive and engaging experiences for our staff to directly connect strategic priorities to our work in meaningful, measurable ways.” – Steve Parnther, Niles West High School Principal
After months of meaningful community conversations and hard work, D219 has a plan that is student-centered, community-driven, and will define and strengthen the district's initiatives to provide a clear path forward. DMG is proud to have been a partner in that work.