State of School 2024-2025
00 Introduction
Since joining Cannon School in July 2024, I’ve been warmly welcomed by a vibrant and passionate community. I’m grateful for all that has been done for me and my family to make this place feel like home.
Over the past seven months, I’ve witnessed the unique spirit of Cannon—countless experiences that showcase why our school stands apart. These months have brought joyful moments, important conversations, and expected challenges. Entrusted with charting the direction for our school, I’ve focused on listening to what defines us while being mindful of important areas of growth. Through the wisdom of our community’s collective experiences, I feel confident I am gaining a true sense of our school. I want to thank the Board of Trustees, Leadership Team, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and especially our students for their guidance and support.
MISSION:
C annon School nurtures relationships at the heart of learning and engages the learner in a journey of growth.
VISION:
Cannon School envisions a world of wholehearted and adaptive contributors.
Cannon is a remarkable school, driven by a strong community. The heart of Cannon is its people—faculty, staff, parents, students, alumni—who support our mission and live our core values. I want to particularly thank our faculty, who are deeply embedded in our community as educators, mentors, parents, coaches, and leaders. This year, many exciting initiatives have launched, all aligned with our mission and commitment to continuous improvement as we strive to meet the ever-changing needs of our students and community. These include the debut of the Lower School makerspace, the appointment of a new athletic director starting in June 2025, increased campus security, impactful guest speakers, and programs focused on student well-being and civil discourse.
As we look to the future, the educational landscape continues to evolve. Our current strategic plan, created by our community in 2020, is nearing the end of its intended purpose. Over the next year, under the direction of the Leadership Team and Board of Trustees, we will be engaging in the next strategic planning process. This next chapter will serve as an important guide as we ensure Cannon continues to meet the needs of our faculty, staff, families, and most importantly, our students.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We look forward to sharing more updates in the months ahead.
Mike Drew Head of School
Mornings with Mike
Join the Cannon community for coffee and conversation with Head of School, Mike Drew.
February 13 | 8:15 a.m. Foundation Hall
A heartfelt thank you to Cannon Connections for providing coffee and pastries!
We hope to use this session as an opportunity to address any follow-up questions from the State of School.
Please send your questions by February 10 so we can look to answer them during this session
Submit your questions or feedback: STATE OF SCHOOL Q&A AND FEEDBACK FORM
01 Budget
BUDGET AND TUITION UPDATE
Watch a 9-minute video outlining the operating budget and this year’s tuition.
Whit Brown Director of Business and Finance & Mike Drew Head of School
Cannon’s operating budget is carefully structured to balance the educational needs of our students, a strong return on investment for our families, and competitive salaries for our faculty and staff. Approximately 89% of our revenue is derived from tuition, with 73% of the overall revenue allocated to salaries and benefits, reflecting our unwavering commitment to attracting and retaining dedicated and talented educators.
On average, an additional 11% of revenue is generated annually through the Cannon Fund, student services, and endowments and investments.
Student services revenue encompasses transportation fees, Camp Cannon, Beyond the Bell enrichment programs, and the school store—each playing a vital role in expanding opportunities beyond the classroom while supporting our families and students.
The Cannon Fund adds crucial flexibility to our budget, enabling us to allocate resources to areas of need and innovate, ensuring that we provide the best educational experience for our students on a day-to-day basis.
Cannon’s second-largest expenditure category, after educator salaries and benefits, is campus operations, which accounts for an average of 19% of total expenditures.
With the guidance of our Board of Trustees, we remain focused on aligning revenue and expenditure decisions to uphold Cannon’s values and mission, ensuring the best possible outcomes for students, families, and educators alike.
01 Budget continued
and Benefits Instructional Support** Campus Operations* Auxiliary Programs***
* Gross Tuition revenue less financial aid and teacher remission **Student Services includes: After School Enrichment Program, Beyond the Bell, Camp Cannon, school store and transportation services.
* Campus Operations include: Admission, marketing, development, custodial, utilities, repairs and maintenance, grounds keeping, professional service fees, insurance, technology costs, equipment leases and debt service.
**Instructional Support include: Curriculum, arts and athletic expenses, and professional development.
***Auxiliary Programs include: Busing, After School Program, Camp and School Store.
The Cannon Fund Update: On Giving Tuesday, Cannon School went all # Paws In 4 Cannon and raised an incredible $176,000, bringing Cannon closer to our annual fund goal. As of January 2025, the Cannon community has already reached 76% of our Cannon Fund goal. The Cannon Fund plays a vital role in enhancing academic excellence, student life, and innovation across the school.
Every dollar contributed to the Cannon Fund directly enhances the student experience at Cannon. These gifts provide the flexibility to strengthen and support initiatives across campus, enabling us to deliver on our mission.
The Cannon community has reached 76% of our Cannon Fund goal as of January 2025.
To achieve our final goal, we aim to raise an additional $135,000 by June 30, 2025.
Reaching this goal by the end of the fiscal year will give Cannon the ability to adapt and enhance student offerings, ensuring academic excellence, a vibrant student life, and the innovation that defines Cannon School.
Thank you to our community for making these opportunities possible!
02 Tuition
How is Tuition Determined?
Tuition at Cannon School is determined through an internal collaborative process involving school administration, the Board of Trustees, and key stakeholders.
Each year, this team evaluates the school’s budgetary needs by determining employee raises, forecasting benefit cost increases, planning for important strategic initiatives, allocating for planned deferred maintenance, and projecting operating costs across the school. Additionally, macroeconomic data—including inflation, past tuition trends, and enrollment projections—are also factored into the tuition determination. These considerations are balanced with the team’s commitment to keeping tuition increases as moderate as possible to ensure Cannon remains affordable for our families.
Beginning this academic year, Cannon has also taken steps to reduce fees by including some incidental charges in tuition wherever possible. We have continued this process for the 2025-2026 school year, and while incidental fees cannot be fully eliminated, this initiative aims to streamline costs and make them more predictable.
We understand that choosing an independent school education represents a meaningful investment in your child’s future, and we truly appreciate your continued commitment to our community.
Tuition Increases for the 2025-2026 Academic Year:
After careful consideration and planning, the tuition for the 2025-2026 academic year will be as follows:
* Based on a 10-month payment schedule
03 Academic Program
ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Watch a 12-minute video on the 2024–2025 Academic Program highlights with Nate Rogers Director of Teaching and Learning JrK - 12 & Mike Drew Head of School
At the start of the 2024-2025 academic year, Nate Rogers assumed the role of Director of Teaching and Learning (JrK - Grade 12). In this role, he fosters faculty development by supporting innovative teaching methods to enhance student learning. Nate shares highlights from Cannon’s academic program during the 2024-2025 year:
Curriculum Alignment:
Deep dives into curriculum offerings, particularly in the Sciences, Arts, Makerspaces, Library and Educational Technology, focusing on adapting to students’ needs as they transition between divisions and move from Cannon into higher education.
Cross-Divisional Collaboration:
Emphasizing departmental collaboration across all divisions on professional development days to ensure a cohesive and connected learning experience for students.
Clearer Reporting:
The introduction of Edsby, a more accessible and userfriendly platform for tracking and communicating student grades and progress to parents and students.
Professional Development Focus for 2024-2025:
Faculty across all divisions have prioritized civil discourse and implemented best practices from the book Powerful Teaching throughout the curriculum. With training from the Close Up Foundation, teachers have skillfully engaged learners in respectful conversations, fostering open dialogue and supporting students’ overall development across academics, student life, and interpersonal growth. All faculty read Powerful Teaching this summer and have applied classroom practices that align with the science of learning. These methods enhanced students’ abilities to identify knowledge gaps, improve retention, and deepen their understanding of course materials, leading to greater academic success.
The academic year has been rich with various highlights across all divisions, including:
Lower School:
Emphasizes hands-on, experiential learning through makerspace integration, simulations, and research projects like Arctic animal dens and Living Museum prototypes.
Middle School:
Features new immersive learning experiences, such as Silk Road Week and BizTown Project Weeks, where students actively engage in simulations and explore applications of adaptive expertise.
Upper School:
New courses like Advanced Topics(AT) Design Thinking and Entrepreneurship, Business of Esports, and Glocal Perspectives connect students with practical, hands-on experiences that prepare them for opportunities beyond Cannon.
Adaptive Expertise in Action:
Across all levels, students engage in simulations and hands-on projects where students apply their Adaptive Expertise skills, such as the Oregon Trail in Lower School, Innovations Project in Middle School, and Signature Learning experiences in Upper School courses.
Looking ahead to the 2025-2026 academic year, several exciting initiatives are planned:
Lower School: The math curriculum will be refined with a hands-on, spiral approach that revisits topics over time, building on prior knowledge to strengthen foundational skills and deepen conceptual understanding. This approach aligns with current research on learning science from Neuroteach and Powerful Teaching , as well as insights from our ongoing partnership with the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL).
Middle School: Introduction of a thematic U.S. history approach in 7th grade with rich opportunities for interleaving course content and for students to connect critical moments in history, allowing for a deep understanding of the material.
Upper School: Launch of new courses, including 9th Grade Principles of Chemistry and Physics and 10th Grade Civics: Foundations of Democracy and Citizenship, designed to deepen students’ scientific and civic understanding.
04 Campus Master Plan
CAMPUS MASTER PLAN
Watch a 7-minute video exploring the Campus Master Plan with Karin Cain Board of Trustees Chair & Mike Drew Head of School
In 2020, Cannon School embarked on a forward-thinking journey to anticipate and address the future needs of our campus. By 2021, the Campus Master Plan was revised to modernize our facilities, meet the ever-changing learning needs, and align with the school’s mission. During this time, a new Head of School and Director of Advancement joined our leadership team, bringing fresh perspectives and energy to our community.
Over the past seven months, strategic priorities, missionaligned initiatives, and the evolving landscape of education have been carefully evaluated, building on the success of prior planning and development efforts.
Looking ahead, we will re-engage in the work of refining our Campus Plan to ensure that it aligns with mission priorities and needs for the next ten years.
CAMPUS MASTER PLAN* Strategic
Planning Initiatives
Evaluating the Renovations and Expansion of the Upper School
Evaluating the Vision for a Community Center
Evaluating Security and Access Enhancements
Evaluating Development of Athletic and Arts Facilities
Evaluating the Requirements of Renovating Existing areas on Campus
*Campus Master Plan future developments are constantly in development based on campus requirements.
05 Admission
ADMISSION
Watch a 3-minute video for Admission updates with Bill Diskin Director of Admission and Financial Aid & Mike Drew Head of School
FEB 1
Re-enrollment Begins
Email with links to enrollment contracts will be sent to Cannon families
FEB 15
Re-enrollment
Contracts and Deposits Due
FEB 15
Financial Aid
Applications Due
Applying for financial aid is an annual process. Families interested in financial aid for 2025-26 must submit their online application via Clarity by February 15.
Applications received after February 15 will be processed if funds remain available.
Re-enrollment Summary
The Admission team has enjoyed another exciting and productive season, welcoming hundreds of prospective students and families to campus for tours, visits, and Open Houses.
Cannon’s current enrollment stands at 1,041 students, including 151 students who are new to Cannon in 20242025. Approximately 50% of our students live in Concord, Kannapolis, Harrisburg, Salisbury, and North Charlotte, while the other 50% reside in Davidson, Cornelius, Mooresville, and Huntersville.
As we approach re-enrollment season, we want to thank you—our current families—for your continued support.
It’s Time to Re-Enroll!
On February 1, Cannon families will receive an email regarding reenrollment. Please follow the instructions to sign and submit your online re-enrollment contract and deposit by February 15.
Over the past five years, Cannon’s retention rate has ranged from 94%–96%—thank you for your continued commitment to our community!
Why is re-enrollment due February 15?
On March 1, the Admission Office will share enrollment notification letters with 200+ new applicants for the 2025-2026 academic year. To better understand seat availability for the upcoming year, we ask current families to complete re-enrollment in February. If the February 15 deadline presents challenges for your family, please contact Bill Diskin in the Admission Office to discuss possible solutions.
Financial Aid
Cannon School offers need-based financial aid to qualifying families. For more information, visit the Financial Aid section on Cannon’s website.
06 Calendar
AUG
2025-2026 ACADEMIC YEAR
August 7, All Faculty Return
August 13, Student Orientation
August 14, School Begins
SEP
September 1, Labor Day, School Closed
September 2, Classes Resume
September 23, Rosh Hashanah, School Closed
September 24, Classes Resumes
OCT
October 2, Professional Development Day, No Classes
October 3, Fall Break, School Closed
October 6, Classes Resume
October 16, Parent Conferences, Early Dismissal
October 17, Parent Conferences, No Classes
October 20, Faculty Workday, No Classes
October 21, Classes Resume
NOV
November 21, Lower School Grandparents and Special Friends Day, Early Dismissal in Lower and Middle School
November 24 - 28, Thanksgiving Break, School Closed
DEC
December 1, Classes Resume
December 12, Project Wrap In Professional Development, Early Dismissal
December 19, Early Dismissal for Lower and Middle School
December 22 - 31, Winter Holiday, No Classes
JAN
FEB
2025-2026 ACADEMIC YEAR
January 1 -2, New Year’s Holiday, School Closed
January 5, Classes Resume
January 19, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, School Closed
January 20, Classes Resume
February 2, Faculty Workday, No Classes
February 3, Classes resume
February 13, Educator Professional Development Day, No Classes
February 16, Presidents Day, School Closed
February 17, Classes Resume
MAR
APR
March 5, Parent Conferences, Early Dismissal
March 6, Parent Conferences, No Classes
March 9, Classes Resume
March 16 - 20, Spring Break
March 23, Classes Resume
April 3, Good Friday, School Closed
April 6, Easter Monday, School Closed
April 7, Classes Resume
April 17, Educators Professional Development Day, Early Dismissal
MAY
May 22 , Graduation, No Classes
May 25, Memorial Day, School Closed
May 26, Classes Resume
May 28, Last Day of School for Lower and Middle School
May 29, Last Day of Upper School
07 Student Highlights
What do our students have to say?
Three students from across the divisions share their stories and key highlights of the year.
Lower School
Student: Thomas G. ’33
Highlight of the Year: My favorite part of the school year so far is the new equipment and soccer goals on the playground. Now I play soccer with my friends every day at recess and my game has improved a lot. I also like using the new basketball hoops because they’re not torn anymore.
Recess is the best!
Middle School
Student: Kaylee D. ’29
Highlight of the Year:
Although Middle School is an experience in itself that I will always remember and cherish, my favorite memory is spirit days. I have countless photos of me dressing in the most intricate and bizarre outfits, always in something wackier than before!
I think a lot of people take spirit days for granted, using them as free dress-down days. But not me! My peers often look forward to what outfit I’ll be wearing, and it’s a wholesome experience that I’ve enjoyed throughout the years.
Upper School
Student: Wil M. ’25
Highlight of the Year:
My favorite memory from this year is the recent Students vs. Teachers basketball game. After the teacher team pulled out a win last year, the student team was ready to win this year. The game was fast-paced and exciting.
The Student Council and I worked hard to plan the event, and to see it come to life was amazing. The best part of the game was watching Spencer Hillman hit two deep threes and watching the student body go absolutely berserk. While this is only the second year the council has put on the event, I look forward to seeing how the event evolves in the years to come. Even though the students crushed the teachers this year, I heard some of the teachers scheming about their future victories!
Good luck with that!