AS A PART OF A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS that began in 2013, WCMS developed five strategic priorities in 2014 to guide Winchester Community Music School for the next several years. With input gathered from nearly 200 stakeholders through interviews, surveys, and a focus group, the strategic priorities represented a unified vision for WCMS, with goals in five areas.

The five strategic priorities affirmed WCMS's mission to provide outstanding and diverse music education and performances, accessible to all, in Winchester, neighboring communities, and beyond.

As 2019 came to a close, the school's leadership reviewed and refined the five priorities, reflecting all of the work that had been accomplished to date. Setting the stage for how we wish to serve our community into the future, the Board of Trustees adopted the following five priorities in May of 2020 to help guide us in our planning and decisions for the next several years.

These priorities truly represent a shared vision for WCMS's future. We hope you will join us in embracing these strategic priorities and making this vision WCMS's reality.

Strategic Priority #1: Program Development and Expansion
Create and implement programming that provides greater artistic growth and depth both on campus and with collaborations in the community.
We will continue to fulfill our mission to provide outstanding and diverse music education.

Strategic Priority #2: Marketing and Strategic Communication
Develop strategies for more effective communication with internal and external audiences.
Using multiple strategies across the four pillars of our brand – messaging, visual identity, customer experience, and communications – we will refine and expand our communications to engage a variety of audiences. We will gauge the effectiveness of our marketing and communication efforts using data analysis and use the data collected to inform key decisions.

Strategic Priority #3: Customer Experience Improvement
Assess every point of contact to enhance customer service and safety.
We are committed to proactively cultivating a warm and welcoming environment to ensure WCMS is accessible to all. We will strive to be responsive and adapt to the changing needs of our constituency.

Strategic Priority #4: Employee Engagement and Satisfaction
Maintain a supportive, diverse, and inclusive workplace consistent with attracting and retaining high quality teaching artists and administrative staff.
We are committed to providing our employees with a supportive workplace culture. We will strive to be responsive to the needs and professional development of our teachers and staff.

Strategic Priority #5: Facilities Alignment with Performance & Programming Needs
Plan, organize fundraising, and implement building renovations to meet the current and future performance and programming needs of the school.
We will examine fundraising potential for a capital campaign while continuing to refine plans for a building renovation and expansion. We will complete planning and construction in accordance with our fundraising capability.