East Brunswick Schools Unveil Community-Built Strategic Plan 2026-2030

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - The East Brunswick Public Schools district has released its Strategic Plan for 2026-2030, titled "Ready for What Comes Next," Superintendent Dr. Evelyn Mamman announced on July 24.

"This plan was not written for our community; it was written by our community," Mamman said.

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The plan was developed over the past year through a community engagement process that began with listening sessions for students, who shared what belonging, challenge and support mean to them, according to the district. Families and community members offered input through surveys and forums, while educators, counselors, paraprofessionals and other support staff contributed through virtual sessions. Principals and supervisors held their own sessions, and a steering committee of Board members and central office administrators rounded out the process.

Six themes emerged independently and consistently across every group involved, according to the district, and now serve as the plan's core values:

• Care — described in the plan as an expectation and legacy shown through kindness, responsiveness and a commitment to ensuring every community member feels supported.

• Trust — built through consistent action, integrity, transparency and accountability.

• Relationships — valuing and respecting every member of the school community, recognizing that every role contributes to student success.

• Belonging — described as a condition the district creates deliberately through equitable access, inclusive design and zero tolerance for exclusion.

• Communication — a two-way process built on listening, learning and sharing, with stakeholders receiving honest, timely information.

• Excellence — holding every student to high expectations while providing the support to meet them.

The district serves more than 8,150 students across 11 schools, with 57 languages spoken among the student body, according to the plan. The district reports a 96 percent graduation rate and more than 50 percent AP participation, and states it ranks in the top 1 percent for school diversity in New Jersey and in the top 20 percent in the state for science proficiency.

Each of the six core values is paired with an overarching goal. Among them: ensuring every student, staff member and family is seen, known and responded to with urgency; making decisions through a defined, transparently communicated process; and ensuring every student has equitable access and a sense of belonging in the district's schools and programs. Each stakeholder group — students, families, educators, principals, administrators and the Board of Education — will select from an inventory of strategies aligned to those goals, with progress shared annually.

The plan will be implemented over a five-year horizon, according to the district, with each year assigned a distinct focus: establishing systems and launching key initiatives in 2026 ("Foundation"); expanding proven strategies in 2027 ("Acceleration"); driving student outcomes in 2028 ("Growth"); scaling successful programs in 2029 ("Innovation"); and embedding long-term success in 2030 ("Sustainability").

Progress will be monitored through a structured cycle of planning, monitoring, reporting and continuous improvement, the district said. Each school and department will develop annual action plans aligned to the strategic priorities, with progress reviewed regularly by leadership teams, cabinet offices and the Board of Education. Updates will be shared publicly through presentations, dashboards and annual reports.

"This plan builds upon that legacy, strengthening not just what our students accomplish, but how we operate, communicate, and care for every member of our community," Mamman said.

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