LH_StrategicPlan2024

Moving Forward With Mercy Strategic Plan 2024

To the Lauralton Hall Community

W

e are pleased to report that Lauralton Hall’s Board of Trustees approved a new Strategic Plan for our school at its March 19, 2024 meeting.

The Plan, Moving Forward with Mercy, is intended to serve as a comprehensive roadmap for our school over the next three to five years as we work toward the objective of being the Catholic college preparatory school of choice for girls in southern Connecticut.

The Plan was developed by a Strategic Planning Task Force made up of volunteer representatives from across our school community. In conducting its work over the last six months, Task Force members obtained input from across the Lauralton family.

They considered our school’s opportunities and challenges and developed the following Strategic Goals: Preparing Young Women to Excel in College - Foster the intellectual, spiritual, social, and emotional development of every student in an empowered and diverse learning environment.

Cultivating Community—and a Commitment to Service—for Life - Deepen the legacy of enduring relationships and traditions within the Lauralton Hall community.

Promoting the Lauralton Hall Experience - Clearly and consistently convey the value of a Lauralton Hall education that is designed to provide a foundation of lasting self-confidence.

Strengthening Our Foundation—Securing Our Future - Further enhance resource development to maintain and invigorate the highly talented faculty and staff, rigorous program, exceptional campus, and holistic student experience for which Lauralton Hall is known.

The stated Goals emphasize the need for Lauralton to innovate to maintain the excellence of the education our students receive while honoring our school's traditions. They acknowledge the importance of athletics, arts, and co-curricular programming. They focus upon building Lauralton’s future through strengthening student recruitment and marketing, improving alumni engagement, investing in our campus and facilities, and increasing sustained philanthropic support.

Lauralton’s leadership team, faculty and staff have already begun to develop action plans for each Goal with assigned responsibilities and timelines for completion.

Catherine McAuley, the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, said, “No work of charity can be more productive of good to society than the careful instruction of women.” In that spirit, we extend our gratitude to the Task Force members, and we are excited to begin our work to make our vision a reality.

In mercy, Beth Coyne Head of School

Patrick Lagrange P’19 Chair, Board of Trustees

Our Process

T

o guide our planning process, the school’s leadership engaged Educators Collaborative, a nationally recognized firm that assisted with the Head of School search in 2021 and knows Lauralton Hall well. A Task Force composed of trustees, parents, and senior administrators worked collaboratively through a series of exercises designed to establish priorities based on trends, data, and feedback from our community. Meeting throughout the fall the Task Force crafted Strategic Goals, Strategies, and Work Plans with action steps. Estimated costs, metrics of success, and responsibility for implementation are in development, as Lauralton Hall moves forward with the execution of the strategic plan.

Identify the Big Questions Where do we need or have the opportunity to innovate?

What do we need or want to preserve?

Where do we see the risk?

What are the issues we are trying to address?

What additional information or data do we need?

Craft the Strategic Goals Do these Strategic Goals capture the opportunities and challenges we have identified?

Do the Strategic Goals reflect the mission and values of Children’s Academy?

Based on the information we have, is there anything missing?

Explore possible Strategies Do the strategies align with and/or enhance our mission?

Do they build on and/or reinforce our competitive advantage?

Are they financially viable?

Do we have the organizational capacity to implement these strategies?

What will we not do as a result?

Do these strategies advance our vision for Children’s Academy?

Develop Work Plans Articulate the action steps Estimate the resources needed Identify metrics and deliverables Specify who holds responsibility Establish priorities

Our Mission Inspired by the Mercy tradition, Lauralton Hall empowers young women to pursue their highest potential through lifelong learning, compassionate service, and responsible leadership in a global society.

Our Intention To be the Catholic college preparatory school of choice for girls in southern Connecticut.

GOAL

Preparing Young Women to Excel in College

ACTION

Foster the intellectual, spiritual, social, and emotional development of every student in an empowered and diverse learning environment.

• Embrace an academically rigorous, values-based, single-sex learning program anchored to the Mercy tradition while continuously evolving to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex society.

• Invest in curriculum, program, and faculty development to enable our graduates to succeed in competitive colleges and universities.

• Recognize the value of athletics and the arts and expand opportunities for participation.

GOAL

Cultivating Community—and a Commitment to Service—for Life

ACTION

Deepen the legacy of enduring relationships and traditions within the Lauralton Hall community.

• Strengthen and enliven alumnae engagement.

• Engage current parents to deepen their involvement and support.

• Infuse the Mercy Core Values throughout our programs and traditions, inspiring alumnae to carry them forward motivated by the conviction that all are worthy of God’s mercy.

GOAL

Promoting the Lauralton Hall Experience

ACTION

Clearly and consistently convey the value of a Lauralton Hall education that is designed to provide a foundation of lasting self-confidence.

• Recognize that families are making a crucial decision and ensure that we present the essential components of a Lauralton education in an approachable and welcoming way.

• Invest sufficient resources in marketing to effectively support the Lauralton Hall brand and refresh annually or as needed.

• Sustain and deepen ties with our historical feeder schools while identifying and developing new markets for recruiting prospective students.

GOAL

Strengthening Our Foundation— Securing Our Future

ACTION

Further enhance resource development to maintain and invigorate the highly talented faculty and staff, rigorous program, exceptional campus, and holistic student experience for which Lauralton Hall is known.

• Increase revenue from fundraising, grants, and facility use.

• Prioritize allocation of resources to focus on areas that support and expand revenue opportunities.

• Establish partnership opportunities for area businesses and organizations.

• Engage the Lauralton Hall community as ambassadors in support of enrollment.