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This is part of the blog series, 5 Years Later: Lessons, Innovation, and the Future of Public Education, exploring how PreK-12 education has evolved and what lessons we carry forward. This series highlights the resilience, creativity, and strategic adaptations that have redefined public education since the pandemic. Read more posts from the series here.

A Brief District Profile

Southeast Delco School District serves the communities of Collingdale, Darby Township, Folcroft, and Sharon Hill, PA, with nearly 4,000 students and over 500 staff members.

Following the results of the 2024/2025 School Year End of Year Survey, the district recognized the need to strengthen engagement with staff, students, and the community. Many staff shared the sentiment, 鈥渨e need to push for more fun events for community building鈥� to enhance the learning environment and reengage students and families.

In response, the newly appointed Superintendent established two key positions to raise engagement:

• Chief of Strategic Initiatives

• Family and Community Engagement Specialist

The process not only produced valuable data but also engaged stakeholders by amplifying their voices in decision-making.

Perfect Timing for Transition and Data Collection

The arrival of the new Superintendent, Chief of Strategic Initiatives, and Family & Community Engagement Specialist came at the perfect time鈥攋ust as the district鈥檚 three-year comprehensive plan was ending. This created a natural opportunity for data gathering to inform the next plan.

With college and career readiness in mind for all students, the Chief of Strategic Initiatives began reviewing:

• Historical data from the previous plan

• Standardized test scores

• Attendance and suspension data

• Staff surveys

• Administrator feedback

This review informed a preliminary needs assessment, which was then used to design surveys for staff, students, and the community and create focus group questions for staff and parents.

While time-intensive, the process not only produced valuable data but also engaged stakeholders by amplifying their voices in decision-making.

The surveys and focus groups centered on three guiding questions:

1. What has the district previously done to prepare students, staff, and the community?

2. What is the district currently doing to provide preparation, resources, and support?

3. What should the district do in the future to strengthen student success, staff readiness, and community engagement?

Analyzing the Data and Action Planning

Survey and focus group results were transcribed and analyzed with the help of a consulting team. Internally, the district applied a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) approach and a root cause analysis.

From this work, themes and categories emerged that shaped four three-year priorities:

1. Fostering Academic Excellence

2. Promoting Student and Staff Wellbeing

3. Strengthening Staff, Student, and Community Engagement

4. Enhancing District-Wide Climate

The root cause analysis revealed key barriers to engagement, including:

• misalignment within the district

• inconsistent communication

• limited resources

Cross-district teams then developed action plans to address these challenges and drive progress in each priority area.

When students, staff, and families feel seen, heard, and included, engagement flourishes.

Engagement in Action and Lessons Learned

Guided by staff, student, and community feedback, the district introduced a series of activities and events to boost involvement.

A key lesson from the 2024/2025 school year was that events focused only on passive learning drew limited participation, while those combining fun, interaction, and access to resources generated much stronger turnout.

For example:

• A parent workshop on mental health and student wellbeing, offered without an interactive component, had low attendance.

• By contrast, a summer field day and a basketball tournament, which also connected families with tutoring and academic resources, drew significant engagement.

More recently, registration for a back-to-school event surpassed 180 sign-ups in under 48 hours.

At each event, the district partnered with community-based organizations and staff to ensure families received information and resources relevant to their needs.

These efforts have shown that when students, staff, and families feel seen, heard, and included, engagement flourishes.

Southeast Delco is not just building events - it is building connections, strengthening trust, and laying the foundation for a school community where every student can thrive.