The Benjamin School Strategic Plan 2018-2023

STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023 GOAL STATEMENTS AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2018-19 ARI ZUR, CHAIRMAN

DARREN LOWE

BARRY POSTMAN

CHRISTOPHER M. TIGHE, JR.

MATT BRANNON

VINCE MAROTTA

TOM ROONEY

BRIAN WAXMAN

SHEREE DAVIS CUNNINGHAM

BOB MARTIN

SHANNON SMITH

DIRK ZIFF

JILL FRIED

KRISTA NICKLAUS

MARK SORENSEN

AMY ZITO

JAY HORGEN

SANDY O’CONNOR

CHRISTOPHER SORENSON

LYNDA JACOBS

KELLY PERKINS

SAL TIANO

ROBERT S. GOLDBERG Head of School (ex-officio)

TRUSTEES EMERITI NANCY BENJAMIN*

KEVIN KENNY*

MARTHA KENNY* *deceased

BARBARA NICKLAUS

JACK NICKLAUS

MISSION STATEMENT The mission of The Benjamin School is to provide a challenging college preparatory education to a diverse student body in a structured, nurturing community environment. The School motivates students to master the skills of learning, communicating and evaluating choices, and encourages them to grow intellectually, socially, morally, aesthetically and physically to their fullest individual potential. Benjamin inspires its students to develop a coherent set of values that includes love of learning, personal responsibility, self-motivation, concern for others and a commitment to serve society.

Focus Area: Program - Academics Goal: Continue to enhance the academic program to provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in college and beyond.

Strategic Initiatives: • Continue to set appropriate academic expectations for all students and provide the strategies to best help them all reach their potential • Identify and more broadly implement pedagogies that enhance student engagement and promote interdisciplinary learning • Explore additional certificate-based programs and varied international programs to help students develop global competencies • Continue to address the vertical continuity across the three divisions so that the transitions from gradeto-grade and level-to-level are seamless, and the curriculum provides an appropriate level of rigor for the developmental age of the student • Continue to review and update how we support incoming students and families who transition from other schools • Continue to seek and implement innovative ways to use technology, enhancing meaningful technology integration, as appropriate • Continue to review the college counseling process to ensure that students in grades 8 through 12 receive guidance appropriate for their grade-specific needs

Focus Area: Program - Student Life Goal: Continue to develop a well-rounded and balanced school experience that supports student growth beyond the classroom.

Strategic Initiatives: • Continue to seek ways to enhance the quality of the athletic experience • Continue to seek ways to enhance the quality of the performing and visual arts experience • Identify ways to increase audience support and turnout for co-curricular events • Identify more ways that the co-curricular programs can better support the development of student leadership and student-driven initiatives • Continue to develop and broaden the Upper School internship programs and implement an evaluation of students’ experiences • Continue to strengthen ways to use the advisee programs to support students in their academic needs and social and emotional growth • Continue to evaluate and address the School’s security and safety needs • Explore, design and implement lunch options that provide nutritious and satisfying meals for students in all three divisions

Focus Area: Faculty and Staff Goal: Ensure that we utilize the best practices to attract and retain faculty and staff and cultivate their growth.

Strategic Initiatives: • More broadly market teaching and staff opportunities to seek out and attract the best candidates • Seek to offer competitive and equitable compensation and employee benefits • Create greater opportunities for professional growth • Enhance appreciation and recognition of excellent work • Identify ways to ensure an equitable workload among employees • Ensure that sufficient professional development and faculty feedback have occurred when introducing new academic programs and pedagogies • Ensure that the evaluation process is well defined, and that faculty and staff understand that it is clear, transparent and fair

Focus Area: Community Goal: Promote a shared excitement for the culture, purpose and direction of the School across both campuses.

Strategic Initiatives: • Build a greater sense of community by uniting the campuses through activities and events that help establish a singular culture and a shared set of traditions • Continue to develop a culture where students better understand the value of their Benjamin education as it relates to college and the broader context of life • Continue to find ways to promote the 12 Benjamin values and to improve our character education programs • Encourage the School’s support for embracing diversity, equity and inclusion in all of its forms among faculty, staff, students and parents • Continue our commitment to help the students, parents, faculty and staff support underserved communities through service opportunities, curriculum and special programs • Enhance both external and internal marketing initiatives to improve the reputation of The Benjamin School and the value of the Benjamin experience • Continue to strengthen the relationship of the School with its alumni so that they feel connected, valued and engaged

Focus Area: Financial Sustainability Goal: Maintain strong financial management to ensure financial sustainability and to develop more resources to support the quality of Benjamin’s programs.

Strategic Initiatives: • Expand and enhance the School’s development operations through a focus on the endowment, pursuing new donors and communicating a stronger sense of philanthropy among current parents • Continue to review the strategic capital needs and update, as needed, the fundraising plan to support these priorities • Optimize enrollment by coordinating marketing, admission and retention activities through an Enrollment Management Committee • Continue to manage budgets conservatively and efficiently to keep tuition costs affordable as compared to peer schools • Continue to refurbish and upgrade facilities, as outlined in the 5-year Needs Assessment Plan and in response to ongoing needs, to meet program needs on both campuses • Review and update financial aid policies to ensure that they are sustainable and allow for the enrollment of a diverse student body • Create a long-term financial plan that anticipates the challenges of potential economic downturns

BOARD STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE Robert S. Goldberg, School Co-chair

Jill Fried, Board Co-chair

Ken Didsbury, School Co-chair

Deanna Ball

Leslie Downs

Vince Marotta

Kelly Perkins

Sheree Davis Cunningham

Krista Nicklaus

Amy Zito

Sandy O’Connor

Ari Zur

STEERING COMMITTEE Fletcher Carr

Ken Didsbury

Juan Carlos Fanjul

Chuck Hagy

Mary Lou Primm

Nick Crisafi

Leslie Downs

Jill Fried

Kelly Perkins

Kristen Sheehan

Robert S. Goldberg

11000 Ellison Wilson Road | North Palm Beach, FL 33408 thebenjaminschool.org