SouthWest Metro Strategic Plan

A SouthWest Metro High School graduate in a cap and gown hugs a family member tightly on graduation day, both smiling with joy and pride.

About Our Strategic Plan

Developed through nine months of actively engaging staff, parents and community, and in alignment with key strategies and initiatives identified early in the Strategic Planning process; SouthWest Metro is excited to share changes for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond that have been established through share-out sessions, listening events, and Thought Exchanges. These conversations have been essential in shaping our vision for the future.

Below you will find our adopted mission and vision statements along with five strategic pillars that will guide the work of our community over the next five years.

Together, we are building a student-centered, future-focused model of education. We want to thank our community for their partnership and feedback.

Our Mission

SouthWest Metro empowers every learner with a personalized and adaptive education,
fostering workforce readiness and essential life skills for success.

Our Vision

SouthWest Metro is a destination for students and staff, pioneering integrated services, challenging the status quo,
and cultivating strong community partnerships to inspire lifelong learning, growth and success.

View the SouthWest Metro Strategic Plan Flyer

SouthWest Metro Strategic Plan Pillars

Pillar 1: Community Engagement for Workforce Development

Community Engagement for Workforce Development

Our Goal: Fostering Real World Learning Opportunities
By June 2030, SouthWest Metro will develop and strengthen community partnerships to foster real-world learning opportunities through workforce development certification opportunities for secondary, post-secondary and adult learners aligned with the Minnesota Department of Education's Career Fields, Clusters & Pathways.

Pillar 2: Academic & Student Engagement

Academic & Student Engagement

Our Goal: Maintaining a continuum of services that support student success
By June 2030, SouthWest Metro will implement and maintain a continuum of services within its Multi-Tiered System of Supports framework for SouthWest Metro Schools/Programs and ancillary support to Member Districts, ensuring that services are research-based and aligned with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness (CACR). This includes the annual evaluation of ESSA and CACR goals, increasing access to opportunities in the six career fields, clusters, and pathways defined by the Minnesota Department of Education, and utilizing generative artificial intelligence to support best practices in academics and student engagement.

Pillar 3: Employee Development

Employee Development

Our Goal: Investing the development of employee talent
By June 2030, SouthWest Metro will establish itself as a regional Employer of Choice by investing in the development of current and future talent through a comprehensive, future-focused professional development system. This includes building a strong brand in the education workforce marketplace, enhancing each stage of the employee journey—from recruitment and onboarding to professional growth, retention, and offboarding—aligned with organizational priorities and innovation goals.

Pillar 4: Operational Excellence

Operational Excellence

Our Goal: Ensuring long-term financial stability
By June 2030, SouthWest Metro will secure long-term financial sustainability and operational excellence by maintaining a healthy fund balance aligned with board policy targets, implementing and regularly updating a long-range budget model to forecast and plan effectively, establishing and adhering to a sustainable replacement schedule across all departments, integrating generative artificial intelligence tools to enhance data-informed operational decisions. This includes strengthening community understanding of education finance through transparent, accessible, and ongoing engagement.

Pillar 5: Learning Environment

Learning Environment

Our Goal: Fostering safe, adaptive, future-ready learning environments
By June 2030, SouthWest Metro will foster safe, adaptive, and future-ready learning environments that reflect educational best practices as well as meeting the workforce development needs of students and staff. This includes the development and implementation of a long-range facilities plan that minimizes waitlists, prioritizes safety, supports workforce development education and supports optimal teaching and learning conditions. Generative artificial intelligence will be leveraged to enhance environmental planning, space utilization, and student-centered design.