Decoding the School’s

NOTES FROM THE BOARD Decoding the School’s New Strategic Plan in 9 Questions

As CDS approaches its 85th birthday this year, Judith Foley Arnstein, Head of School, and Board of Trustees Vice Chair Ross Hostetter, who chairs the Strategic Planning Committee, share some behind the scenes insights on how our school’s latest master vision for the future came to be.

1. First and foremost, what exactly is included in the Strategic Plan and why is it important to have one?

The strategic plan focuses on five areas: Board-related activities, Development and Enrollment-related activities, Faculty and Staffrelated activities, Student-related activities, and Facilities-related activities. This plan is important because it supports the mission of the school and provides the Board and school administration with a clear path and vision for the future, allowing us to direct resources and efforts efficiently and effectively. Most of all, it ensures that the focus of the school remains on providing the best possible education and school environment for our students while upholding and maintaining the strong legacy of excellence and character development that the school enjoys. In the area of Board-related activities the plan focuses on:

• Building endowment and long and short term financial flexibility to ensure the enduring financial stability of the school.

• Being proactive and forward-thinking with respect to facilities to support the growth and standards of the school. • Maintaining strong and supportive relationships between the

Board and the school community, which is a fundamental component of CDS’s culture. • Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion goals to enhance our children’s education and to prepare them for the next steps in their educational journey. • Supporting the school’s philanthropic efforts. In the area of Advancement-related activities, the plan focuses on:

• Refining and sharpening marketing and school branding to better spread the word about the great legacy of Charleston

Day School and the kindergarten through 8th grade experience. • Creating a defined and proactive philanthropic effort, including a robust alumni program. • Maintaining focused goals for annual fundraising to allow for continued investment in the school for the future of all students. In the area of Faculty and Staff-related activities, we will: • Build a culture of professional development to support our teachers and staff.

• Evaluate employee benefits and salary. • Assess overall staffing needs. • Strive to be an employer of choice and to attract and retain the best teaching talent. In the area of Program-related activities, we will:

• Expand STEAM and coding initiatives in order to provide our students with the skills necessary to compete in an everchanging technological landscape. • Further expand the lunch program to provide greater choice and an even broader selection of balanced, healthy offerings. • Review the current schedule in order to provide additional focus on social and emotional wellness initiatives.

• Grow summer programs and after-school offerings with a view of continuing to enhance the overall educational experience for our students.

In the area of Facilities-related items, we will:

• Develop a long-term property, facilities, and technology plan to effectively steward the use of our physical spaces and review current space utilization in order to maintain the high standards required of our school community and to prepare for continued growth in enrollment. 2. When was the seed of the Strategic Plan planted?

In the summer of 2019, the Board of Trustees began researching and interviewing firms to assist the school in creating a five-year strategic plan. Under the leadership of the Strategic Committee Planning Chair Ross Hostetter, the school spoke with three different firms. In choosing a strategic plan facilitator, it was critical that the firm have experience with independent schools. 3. Who facilitated the plan?

Ultimately, the school chose Independent School Management (ISM) to work with the Board of Trustees on this important project. Utilizing input from the school community, ISM focuses on working with boards to create a strategic plan document that encompasses financial planning (the strategic financial plan), facilities planning and management, enrollment management, development, and marketing. The school was fortunate to work with Terry Moore, ISM’s most tenured consultant.

4. What was the process for creating the plan?

The Board came together as a group to work on the strategic plan, which also included feedback from faculty, parent, and staff surveys, as well as benchmarks from comparable schools. The information provided became the basis for discussion and assessment of the school’s current position. 5. How did you incorporate this information?

ISM utilized a series of deep-dive iterative discussions with the Board to clarify goals and plans. Through a series of workshops, discussions, and independent review, each Board member was tasked with evaluating and prioritizing key objectives. The culmination of this feedback provided the basis for defining the shared goals and vision for Charleston Day School as reflected in the strategic plan. 6. How many years does the strategic plan cover, and how often will it be reviewed?

The plan extends through the 2026 school year and is reviewed consistently throughout the year. Each Board committee has been tasked with monitoring and advancing portions of the strategic plan. 7. Have any of the recommendations been put into place already?

Yes!

8. Could you share a few and how they’ve played out so far?

Last spring, Cap Dev, a philanthropic advisory group conducted an analysis of CDS’s current development activities and recommended re-focusing on relationship-based fundraising, which has been instituted this school year. The school partnered with the Social Institute to provide enhanced social emotional wellness programming in the middle school. We worked with Flik to reevaluate and improve the lunch program and offerings. Increases in the endowment and in giving levels have occurred. The school is hiring a Technology/STEAM/Coding instructor for the 2022-23 school year.

This plan is important because it supports the Mission of the School and provides the Board and school administration with a clear path and vision for the future, allowing us to direct resources and efforts efficiently and effectively.

-Ross Hostetter, Vice Chair of Board of Trustees

The plan ensures that the focus of the school remains on providing the best possible education and school environment for our students while upholding and maintaining the strong legacy of excellence and character development that the school enjoys.

-Judith Foley Arnstein, Head of School

9. What has the Board learned from this process?

Setting aside the time to step back and evaluate the status of the school, and to formally define a set of goals or roadmap for the future was an invaluable exercise. Charleston Day School has a strong and enduring legacy and a mission that has served the school well. As we approached 85 years, it has been exciting and invigorating to spend time thinking about what ‘could be’ while also celebrating the successes of all those who came before.