EDUCATION
An Eye to the Future
District 214 community develops five-year strategic plan
By Jean Murphy
For the first time since 1987, teachers, administrators, parents, students and community members in
High School District 214 have worked together to develop a detailed strategic plan for the
district’s future.
The recently-released plan for the next five school years focuses on engaging all students in
meaningful learning for success; fostering school environments that value everyone and support their
success; maximizing the impact of district resources on student successes; and unlocking new
possibilities for the future of education.
The effort to formulate a strategic plan was spearheaded by the district’s new superintendent,
Dr. Scott Rowe, who was hired in 2023.
“In my previous districts, we always had a strategic plan to guide us, so I am a big believer in
such plans. A strategic plan narrows a district’s focus and gives it a North Star,” Dr. Rowe
explained, “so I pledged to recruit others who wanted to bring one to District 214 and develop
such a plan.”
He wanted all community voices to be heard, so he did a major survey of both district residents and
families in order to recognize the district’s strengths and areas of opportunity. Then they held
focus groups and subsequently put together a 50-person steering committee of focused and passionate
people with different perspectives and challenges.
“We emerged from that process with a vision that all students have the capacity to learn and find
their voices when they know they matter to those around them and when we see inclusivity as a strength
and leverage our various cultures and backgrounds,” he said.
The steering committee also decided that despite the unique cultures in each of the district’s
schools, core coursework across the district needs to be aligned and they need to share a vision.
The district’s main academic goal, as delineated in the strategic plan, is that all students must
be engaged in meaningful learning by staff members so that they can eventually make a strong transition
into a career, the military or college.
Next, each student must be made to feel welcomed, loved and important to the school community,
according to Dr. Rowe. All
students will engage in an embedded Social-Emotional Learning curriculum,
ensuring equitable access to opportunities and fostering a shared sense of ownership and responsibility
across the school community.
The third goal involves operational efficiency across the district’s school buildings, which are
all 52 years old or older. Ways to operate aging buildings more efficiently were explored so that
district funds can be spent on students rather than boilers.
Finally, the fourth goal involved testing new initiatives, allowing more students to engage in
personalized learning opportunities, such as online classes.
“This goal … allows us to lay the foundation for achieving our ambitious vision of
graduating thriving lifelong learners by providing opportunities to innovate and scale new practices
that lead to better outcomes for students,” the plan states.
“Now that we have a Strategic Plan, everyone can see it and know what we are working to do. We
put together a five-year plan with a 20-year vision that gives me guidance so that I can open more doors
for and empower our students but also, when I am presented with a flashy new idea, I can reject it if it
doesn’t align with our plan,” Dr. Rowe explained.
Arlington Heights School District 25
Together Today 2 Transform Tomorrow
In Arlington Heights School District 25, our motto Together Today 2 Transform Tomorrow is more than a
slogan—it’s a way of life, lived out every day by every member of our team. Whether
we’re teaching in the classroom, supporting students, creating curriculum, keeping our schools
safe and clean, communicating with families, or managing operations behind the scenes, we do it with
care, pride, and purpose.
Here in District 25, we take things personally—in the best way. That’s why we use the
hashtag #d25ItsPersonal: because everything we do matters deeply to us. We believe that when we show up
with heart, intention, and commitment, we build stronger schools and a stronger community.
Our nine schools serve students in early childhood through 8th grade and are filled with passionate
educators and staff who believe in the power of connection, innovation, and growth. We are proud to be
part of a community that values education and partners with us to create meaningful experiences for
every learner.
Looking ahead, District 25 is excited to begin work on a refreshed Strategic Plan that will guide us
into the future. While it’s not a full overhaul, it’s a meaningful update to reflect the
evolving needs of our students and community. You’ll start to see this new plan take shape during
the 2025–2026 school year—and just like everything we do, it will be built together, with
purpose.
To learn more about who we are and what we do, visit www.sd25.org and follow us on social media. We’re proud to serve
Arlington Heights—and proud to call it home.
Harper College
As one of the nation’s premier community colleges, serving more than 22,000 credit and non-credit
students annually in Chicago’s northwest suburbs, Harper College prepares students for rewarding
careers and for transfer to four-year colleges and universities.
Located in Palatine, Harper offers associate degree and certificate programs, workforce training,
professional development, community education classes, accelerated degree options for adults and
developmental education programs. Named one of the top 20 colleges in the U.S. by the Aspen Institute,
Harper is a national leader in workforce solutions, connecting talented students with area employers via
apprenticeships, internships and other partnerships.
But Harper serves much more of its communities’ populations than those traditionally considered
to be of college age. It offers a wide range of non-credit, enriching programs for people as young as 6
through their 90s, according to Dr. Scott Cashman, senior manager of Community, Career and Corporate
Education at Harper.
For instance, those seeking a chance to advance in their career may enroll in computer and technology
classes, ranging from project management to AI to business intelligence. Many of these courses are
available both in person and online.
Then there are a wide variety of personal interest courses in foreign languages, the arts, writing and
music. Ceramics and photography are favorites, as is fiction writing. The instrumental and folk music
ensembles are also booming. Many community members choose to enroll in conversational Spanish, Italian,
French, German and Japanese courses, along with special Spanish classes for those studying law
enforcement or nursing.
Each summer Harper offers its InZone enrichment and sports camp for kids from 6 to 14. More than 1,000
children annually take advantage of campus offerings ranging from astronomy and languages to soccer and
math. In addition, seniors 55 and older may elect to participate in the year-round Lifelong Learning
Institute, which offers daytime lectures on everything from AI to American history to music and art
appreciation.
For more information about Harper College, visit harpercollege.edu. For details about Harper’s non-credit
community education, visit ce.harpercollege.edu.
