THE BENTLEY PROMISE
To pursue academic excellence from Kindergarten to the threshold of college;
To cherish potential and, even more, fulfill it;
To explore the arts, to love the sciences, and embrace curiosity of all kinds;
To teach us all how to think, but not what to think;
To feel the balance of mind and body that comes from companionship on the field of play;
To lead when the time is to lead,
And learn critical thinking that makes for good, reasoned choices;
To celebrate diversity in thought and deed, And be a citizen of the world in all the best senses;
To expect a lot of yourself,
But care and cooperate for the good of all;
In sum, to feel the enthusiasm and fun
That make learning a lifetime pursuit —
These are the goals of Bentley School, and the community inside and around it.
DEAR BENTLEY COMMUNITY,
We are so thrilled to share, after more than a year of thoughtful discussion, collaboration, and development, that we are now ready to launch Bentley’s new strategic plan—built through all of our efforts—guiding our school into the next phase of its journey.
Independent schools utilize strategic plans to consider and advance actionable goals for the near-future, in addition to providing long-term sustainability and the resources needed to stay innovative and nimble— in short, these plans are key to enabling schools not only to grow, but to thrive. In undertaking this work, the Bentley administration and Board of Trustees wanted to cultivate a plan grounded in and reflective of our deeplyrooted values, as cited in the Bentley Promise and echoed in our classrooms and curriculum, while also looking to areas where we knew we had potential to grow. With this plan, we are prioritizing the evolution of Bentley in order to ensure that it offers the best possible educational experience to students who, as graduates, will have the tools they need to flourish in and impact the world beyond.
In the pages that follow, you will learn more about our primary strategic vision, which acts as a kind of North Star to each of the six major focal points of our plan. Each of these components is the direct result of our shared and ongoing work to make Bentley a beacon of independent learning and excellence by asserting our emphasis on the importance of balance in our students’ lives. The Bentley Balance is a hallmark of our high-achieving and supportive culture, and we are proud to make it the cornerstone of our strategic planning going forward.
We want to thank each and every one of you for your commitment to Bentley School and to all of the dynamic, hard-working, and talented people we are lucky to have here. Each of you has contributed to this document, whether through your direct involvement in strategic focus groups, surveys, or discussions or through more broad and ongoing sharing of your support, feedback, and dreams for what our school can become. The future is bright, and we couldn’t be more excited for all that lies ahead.
Warmly,
Christie Moncharmont, Head of School, and the Bentley Board of Trustees
THE STORY OF BENTLEY
Bentley School is founded by Lucy Soule and Edith Ainsworth in Berkeley and named after Ms. Soule’s grandmother, Margaret Bentley.
Ms. Esther Branch, a teacher at Bentley, purchases the school and remains its proprietor until 1969, when Bentley is incorporated as a nonprofit institution by the State of California.
1969 1930
1920
1940
Bentley’s Board of Trustees purchases the fouracre Stanley Hiller Estate in Oakland to provide the school with a more spacious campus with room for future expansion.
The school’s name is changed to “Bentley School,” and is coed through 3rd grade and all-girls from 4th–12th grades. The high school grades will be eliminated by the late 1940s, when Bentley re-establishes itself as a K–8 institution.
The Board approves a plan to double the size of the school by adding an additional kindergarten class each year going forward, until there are two full classrooms of students in grades K–8.
Bentley purchases its Upper School campus in Lafayette, graduating its first senior class in decades in 2001.
1991 2025
1998 1981
Bentley adopts a new strategic plan that will continue to promote excellence in teaching and learning in an inclusive environment that emphasizes balance and growth for each student.
The Oakland Hills Firestorm devastates the area and burns five buildings on the Hiller campus to the ground. The school reopened only months later, in March of 1992. After this tragedy, Bentley adopts the Phoenix as its mascot, a mythological bird that is continuously reborn from smoldering ashes.
THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
Bentley's Board begins developing a new strategic plan.
Bentley sends a survey to parents to solicit additional thoughts and ideas.
The School selects consultant Ross Peters of EXPLO Elevate to help spearhead our efforts.
Ross meets with the administrative team, the Board, and the Parent Advisory Committee.
Bentley launches our strategic planning process; Ross meets with faculty in listening sessions and leads a retreat with administrators.
The strategic plan framework and text is finalized.
Ross meets with students, parents, and the Strategic Planning Parent Advisory Committee, in addition to leading a retreat with the Board.
The Board votes to approve Bentley's new strategic plan.
STRATEGIC VISION: THE BENTLEY BALANCE
Bentley’s two campus communities will advance a clear and compelling one-school vision centered in the recognition that intentionally balancing academic achievement, co-curricular engagement, and social-emotional well-being generates the most transformative student experiences.
SIX AREAS OF STRATEGIC FOCUS
In support of our vision, we will thoughtfully advance each of the following six key areas of focus through projects, initiatives, and programs on both of our campuses:
STUDENT WELLNESS
FACULTY EXCELLENCE INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING
CROSS-CAMPUS CONNECTION
CAMPUS & FACILITY ENHANCEMENTS
PHILANTHROPIC ENGAGEMENT
AREAS OF STRATEGIC FOCUS
STUDENT WELLNESS
Bentley will develop and implement a robust wellness program, ensuring that all students acquire and learn to apply the social-emotional skills they need to grow and thrive throughout their K–12 journey and beyond.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR BENTLEY
» Establish a wellness task force comprised of students and faculty to lead our programming efforts.
» Conduct a full audit of our School’s wellness programming and staffing to identify where we can expand and build.
» Analyze and act upon data drawn from annual student wellness surveys.
» Increase parent education opportunities focused on student wellness topics that emphasize the partnership between school and home.
AREAS OF STRATEGIC
FOCUS
FACULTY EXCELLENCE
Bentley will deepen its commitment to investing in attracting and retaining exceptional educators who are aligned with the Bentley Promise and dedicated to their continued professional growth.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR BENTLEY
» Tailor professional development opportunities to ensure K–12 faculty and staff alignment.
» Build a culture of philanthropy that will inspire robust investment and fundraising dedicated to professional development with the understanding that our faculty are our greatest asset.
» Deepen our research on emerging benefit and compensation models to ensure that Bentley remains a leading destination for the most talented teachers.
AREAS OF STRATEGIC FOCUS
INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING
In the age of Artificial Intelligence, Bentley will commit to embracing technological and educational innovation in order to maximize student success, preparing graduates to meet the future with confidence and impact.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR BENTLEY
» Establish an AI and Innovation task force to lead Bentley's educational technology efforts and program expansion.
» Develop a more intentional plan to thoughtfully integrate technology into our K–12 curriculum to ensure that our students have the adaptable skills they need for a digital world.
» Explore opportunities for partnerships with local and national institutions to expand our STEM programming.
AREAS OF STRATEGIC FOCUS
CROSS-CAMPUS CONNECTION
Bentley will extend and enrich the connection between its two campuses in order to provide a fully cohesive experience from Kindergarten through 12th Grade.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR BENTLEY
» Re-establish and articulate core Bentley values across our campuses and within our K–12 culture.
» Facilitate further opportunity for connection between faculty and students through educational, professional development, and community-building events on both campuses, such as shared assemblies, projects, and traditions.
» Continue to build a cohesive K–12 Parent Association that fortifies connections between families across grades and divisions.
AREAS OF STRATEGIC FOCUS
CAMPUS AND FACILITY ENHANCEMENTS
Bentley will assess and design the School’s facilities in ways that best support the academic and co-curricular programs, with an emphasis on fortifying collaboration and connection between campuses.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR BENTLEY
» Invest in master planning to explore ways both campuses can better meet the needs of our community through reimagined spaces, as well as building expansions and upgrades.
» Explore ways that we can introduce greater connection between both campuses through changes to our facilities.
AREAS OF STRATEGIC FOCUS
PHILANTHROPIC ENGAGEMENT
Bentley will prioritize building capital support to not only address the School’s current needs, but also invest in its aspirations.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR BENTLEY
» Expand major gifts program in order to fund capital improvements, ambitious programming and facility projects.
» Launch mission-driven fundraising initiatives to fund capital improvements, support faculty professional growth and program innovation.
» Strengthen the School’s alumni relations program by increasing alumni engagement and programming efforts, and offering sustainable networking events and opportunities for the alumni community.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
2025–2026
Reagan Brooks-Jimenez PRESIDENT
Joanna Grossman VICE-PRESIDENT
Celessa Baker SECRETARY
Sarah Bromma
Ray Chery
Rebecca Harlow ‘04
Cynthia Hays
Mike Hughes
Eric Ingraham — Hiller '91
David Kaplan
Rich Maiers
Andrew Mason
Jodi Noack
