Acton-Boxborough Regional School District
How we built the plan
AB Forward began with a year-long, community-driven process in which students, educators, families, and community members helped shape our mission, vision, core values, and Vision of a Graduate. The School Committee then adopted four priority areas to guide the district’s work from 2026 to 2031. The next phase put the plan into action through the reorganization of our elementary schools, with new school boundaries taking effect July 1, 2026. During the 2026–27 school year, we are developing key measures of progress and initiatives for each priority area.
Our mission is to provide high-quality, inclusive educational opportunities that inspire a community of learners.
Our vision is to be engaged, well-balanced learners through collaborative, caring relationships.
Select a competency to open its “I can…” statements.
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Intentional, inclusive school communities that welcome students, families, and educators from all backgrounds and create a sense of belonging for each member of the school community.
In development during the 2026–27 school year.
In development during the 2026–27 school year.
High-quality instruction and districtwide systems of support driven by our Vision of a Graduate and designed to maximize learning for each student, responding to their unique learning and development needs.
In development during the 2026–27 school year.
In development during the 2026–27 school year.
Support for staff, including opportunities for collaboration and professional learning, that is specific to the evolving needs of students and fosters a culture of continuous learning.
In development during the 2026–27 school year.
In development during the 2026–27 school year.
Educationally effective and financially sustainable district operations and systems that invest resources in areas that will deliver the strongest outcomes for students and the community.
In development during the 2026–27 school year.
In development during the 2026–27 school year.
AB Forward Strategic Plan 2026–31
AB Forward began with our community defining what matters most for students. It grew into a five-year strategic plan, built with the community in 2025, and then moved into action through the reorganization of our elementary schools. This page traces that work, step by step.
The plan was built in stages. Each phase set up the next.
Phase 1
A year-long, community-driven process in which students, educators, families, and community members defined our Vision of a Graduate.
Phase 2 · May–November 2025
Working with DMGroup, a Steering Committee gathered community input, studied district data, refined our mission and vision, and developed a theory of action, priority areas, and options for reorganizing the district.
Phase 3 · January–July 2026
The plan moved into action through the reorganization of our elementary schools. New school boundaries took effect July 1, 2026.
Phase 4 · 2026–27 School Year
We are now developing key measures of progress and initiatives for each of the four priority areas.
By the Numbers · Community Input
7,500+
points of community input shaped AB Forward, from the strategic planning survey in 2025 through the boundary decision in 2026.
Totals combine engagement reported by District Management Group (strategic plan and reorganization options) and Dillinger Research and Applied Data (geographic enrollment scenarios). Figures count responses and participation, not unique individuals.
In May 2025, the district partnered with District Management Group (DMGroup) to create an updated strategic plan and a set of actionable options for reorganizing the district to guide operations for the next 5–10 years.
A Steering Committee of School Committee members, families, educators, and school and district administrators led the work in public meetings. In August 2025, DMGroup shared its analysis of the district’s strengths and challenges, which became the foundation for the plan.
Students rank in the top 5% statewide while the district spends less than the state average.
Drop in student enrollment over the past ten years, while the student body became more diverse.
Growth in students learning English over ten years, alongside a four-fold increase in students from lower-income backgrounds.
General education positions reduced: 43 eliminated through budget reductions, and the remaining positions converted to serve students with high needs. Total spending still rose about $16 million in five years.
Of educators reported feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or exhausted at work.
Source: DMGroup findings, AB Forward Steering Committee, August 2025. Staffing detail provided by the district.
Steering Committee meetings were open to the public, and every major step was shared with the community.
DMGroup developed the options based on existing school facilities and projected enrollment. Community feedback guided the Steering Committee as it narrowed them down.
October 7, 2025Preliminary reorganization scenarios presented to the Steering Committee
November 18 – December 2, 2025Five options eliminated; four recommended to the School Committee
January 2026The School Committee chooses a five-school model
Boundaries were drawn so that lower (K–3) and upper (4–6) schools share the same lines, keeping classmates together. The district also weighed building capacity, a hometown feel, and keeping students in schools they can safely walk to whenever possible.
Before
6 Schools
4 buildings · Open enrollment
After · Geographic enrollment
Campus
Campus
Campus
With the foundation set and the new schools open, the work turns to the four priority areas. During the 2026–27 school year, we are developing key measures of progress and initiatives for each one.
Steering Committee meeting updates and materials, DMGroup presentations, forum recordings, and family webinar summaries are available on the district website.
Read the plan history