Local & Community
PSUSD Vision 2031: Supporting Scholar Growth and Future Success
Palm Springs Unified School District is looking ahead with Vision 2031, a roadmap for how the district plans to support scholars and prepare them for the future.
Created collaboratively with scholars, staff, families and community partners, Vision 2031 is built around three pillars designed to guide the district’s work over the next several years.
The first pillar focuses on equity and excellence in scholar performance and preparedness, with an emphasis on helping every scholar grow academically while recognizing that each may need different support and opportunities to succeed.
“Every scholar will achieve growth through the targeted and equitable supports and experiences that we provide for them,” Superintendent Dr. Marcus Funchess said.
Funchess said achieving that goal also means creating consistency in teaching and learning throughout the district.
“Instruction, assessment, teaching, and learning practices across our school sites will be clear, and focused, and coherent,” he said.
At Painted Hills Middle School, Principal Sean Pendergraph said that work begins with strengthening instruction in the classroom.
“Making sure that everybody is creating and strengthening their practice around lesson design and delivery, because that is the one thing that we can control as adults, in order to deliver great instruction,” Pendergraph said.
The school has aligned professional development and teacher collaboration around that goal, giving staff opportunities to strengthen their practices and work together to support scholars. But Pendergraph said strong classroom instruction is only one part of ensuring scholars have what they need to succeed.
“In terms of making sure that all students have equitable access to their education, it's providing all the supports they need to succeed,” he said.
At Painted Hills, those supports can range from tutoring and wellness resources to other opportunities that help scholars stay connected and engaged with school. For students, that support can have a meaningful impact.
“Like sometimes, like I didn't understand things as fast as the other kids did, and I would feel sad about that,” student Journey Keith said. “But as soon as [my teacher] noticed, she would always come talk to me, and she would come help me with all my work.”
Student Ikum Singh said relationships with staff also help create a sense of connection at school.
“I feel seen by them,” Singh said. “Like for example, Mr. Custer, he makes jokes with us, like trying to find a way to connect with us, and he makes me feel seen.”
Student Princess Barnes described the impact simply: “I feel very supported academically.”
Together, the districtwide goals and the work happening at schools such as Painted Hills demonstrate how the first pillar of Vision 2031 is intended to move from a long-term vision to everyday experiences for scholars.
Learn more about Vision 2031 and all three pillars at www.psusd.us/vision2031.
By: NBC Palm Springs
September 23, 2026
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