Cascade School District adopts new strategic framework for 2026-2031

LEAVENWORTH — Cascade School District (CSD) has adopted a new strategic framework for 2026-2031.

According to CSD, the district embarked on a new strategic planning process during the 2025-2026 school year, with facilitation led by FranklinCovey, a leadership development organization. The updated framework was shaped by input from the school board, staff, parents, students, and community members. The final design was created by Cascade High School art teacher Teara St. Onge.

As part of the process, the district updated its slogan to “Excellence in Learning, Strength in Community.” CSD said this refinement was a result of consistent feedback from participants emphasizing the importance of community within the district schools and in partnership with the broader Upper Valley community.

The new framework also preserves several priorities that emerged in the previous plan, including outdoor learning and the arts. These priorities are now reflected within five newly defined commitments: Community, Culture, Rigor, Learning, and Growth.

“We are proud of the collaborative process that led to this new strategic framework,” said Superintendent Dr. Tracey Edou. “It reflects the voices of our community while providing a clear direction for the district over the next five years. We believe it captures who we are, what we value, and how we will continue to serve our students and community.”

According to CSD, strategic planning began during the 2010-2011 school year, when former Superintendent Steve McKenna and the school board worked to define the district’s core mission. In 2020, the district expanded on that mission by developing a strategic framework that articulated its values and priorities.

The strategic planning process began with in-person meetings and continued virtually when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Feedback from those conversations informed the creation of a concise, one-page framework that communicated the district’s identity, mission, values, and strategic priorities. The CSD Board formally adopted the framework in July 2020.

CSD said the guidance of the framework helped it achieve accomplishments such as being recognized as a FieldSTEM District of the Year in 2023 and earning designation as a Washington State Green Ribbon School District in 2025

The one-page framework can be found on the Cascade School District website.