The planning process for the Vision 2026 Strategic Plan, which began in the spring of 2020, provided an opportunity to engage our faculty, students, staff and business community in conversations centered around creating an educational environment that prepares our students to be successful in an ever-changing world. It builds on our strengths, addresses our gaps, and focuses on our role in this extraordinarily challenging and unique time in our society. This strategic plan will serve as our road map, centered around our mission, vision and values, that will guide our work for the next 5 years. This process has been an all-inclusive one that aims to build upon the work of previous initiatives and the desires of the Gainesville faculty, staff, students and community. Our primary focus will remain the same: to provide opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for immediate and future success for all students, PK- 12, through a cooperative effort of school, home and community.

To build upon and reinforce our past achievements as well as our future areas of focus, we have identified four essential areas of effort for our strategic plan: to ensure that our instructional methodologies are aligned with the needs of our students, therefore increasing academic performance; to recruit and retain effective student-centered instructional leaders; to provide more opportunities for our parents, guardians and community to connect with our schools; and to ensure that ALL of our students receive an equitable educational experience. We strongly believe that these identified areas of focus will pay huge dividends for us in GISD, both inside and outside of the classroom.

GISD is positioned to achieve a higher level of academic excellence as a system that brings together innovative education and unlimited student opportunity. Throughout the next five years of VISION 2026, we will continue to push onward and upward. We will promote innovation, collaboration and discovery across each pathway of study. And we will continue our targeted investments in programs that provide every student with the skills needed to be successful in whatever their career endeavors may be. This is our commitment. EVERY LEOPARD, EVERY DAY!