Published November 6, 2025
BY JOHANNA MELTON
Over the last four months, Carmel Unified School District has introduced a new strategic 5-year plan titled “CUSD Forward,” currently in the works to stand as a set of goals for schools to work towards and use to improve the overall quality of their education.
The school board approved CUSD Forward on June 4, and once school resumed in the fall, the idea was shared on the official Carmel Unified website and Instagram page. The plan was conceived by superintendent Sharon Ofek, and many district principals, teachers, students and community members were included in a strategic plan committee that focused on highlighting four key areas in need of improvement.
The main goals of CUSD Forward are to enhance achievement, safety, engagement and resources. courtesy of CARMEL UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
“It had been nearly a decade since the district dedicated time to discuss its core values or fundamental purpose as a school district,” Ofek explains. “Reflecting upon and clarifying what the district stands for and what the district hopes to achieve are essential in determining the future direction of the district.”
With this need for a refreshed idea of core values in mind, the following four focus areas of CUSD Forward were created: Student Achievement and Instruction, Safety and Wellness, Engaged Families and Community Partners, and Optimized Resources.
The focus of Student Achievement and Instruction is to improve by adding personalized counseling services to support student interests and long-term goals. Preschool through 12th-grade literacy methods will also be aligned across grade levels to make education more consistent.
According to the district’s strategic plan, providing support for mental health and behavioral needs, in addition to bullying prevention practices, are examples of how the district intends to address Safety and Wellness. Educating students about drug use and making important security updates to campuses will further these objectives.
The Engaged Families and Community Partners area targets strengthening communication and collaboration between staff, administration and families in order to support students.
The objectives of Optimized Resources provide a framework for the district to ensure that facilities are up to date, funded and supportive of all key focus areas. This includes modernization of district facilities and digital safety systems, as well as addressing evolving staffing and enrollment changes.
Another way that CUSD Forward intends to optimize resources is by providing fresh, nutritious meals to students on campus during lunch. By enhancing the meal programs, the district hopes to support students’ fundamental needs so that they are better able to learn.
Rather than a list of actionable tasks for schools to carry out, CUSD Forward is a set of specific measurable goals for the schools to work towards, meeting over an extended period of time.
“It’s a document to help us maintain a direction moving forward over the next few years and really stay focused on the areas that we need to improve on,” says Tularcitos principal Ryan Peterson.
When planning events or lessons, Ofek says administrators can use CUSD Forward as a reference point to ensure that they are meeting the set criteria for the district. Instead of simply declaring that changes need to be made, this strategic plan serves to hold them to these standards and make sure schools are actively trying to improve.
“Some things are in great shape, and you just need to enhance them to make sure you’re up to date on policies, laws and technology,” explains Carmel High School principal Libby Duethman. “Other things you have to completely create because it doesn’t exist, so [CUSD Forward] is a mixture of that.”
CUSD Forward is still early in development, and the CHS principal says they are still editing and identifying opportunities for improvement. The plan to equalize Carmel Unified’s education and enhance the district as a whole will be a lengthy process, but the aim is to succeed in this project by 2030.
“I’m hopeful that it’s going to help unite the school district around things to focus on,” Peterson says, “making our district even better.”
