Hyde School Consolidation Chronicle #2 January 2017

Consolidation Chronicle #2

A Progress Update on an Educational Coming Together

by Malcolm Gauld ’72, President & CEO January 2017

This is the second in a series of newsletters intended to inform the extended Hyde community of our progress regarding our plans to consolidate Hyde’s two boarding campuses – effective September 2017 – into a single campus at Bath, Maine, where Hyde first set out on its mission of family-based character education in 1966.

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James Roman Tournament – December 2016 Update – Key Developments Since Consolidation Chronicle #1

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James Roman Tournament – December 2016

Hyde-Bath and Hyde-Woodstock Boys Varsity Basketball teams

Just before breaking for the Holidays, four basketball teams – Hebron, Kents Hill, and both Hyde boys varsity teams – met on the Bath campus for the annual James Roman ’91 Tournament. The two Hyde teams went at it Day #1 with Bath emerging victorious and eventually emerging as tournament champions. Both squads later assembled for the above group shot.

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Update – Key Developments Since Consolidation Chronicle #1

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Woodstock Academy Approved for Financing On December 20, 2016 the Norwich Bulletin reported that Woodstock Academy (WA) has been formally approved by the USDA to receive funding for purchase of the Hyde-Woodstock campus. The article discloses the price of the sale as $14.2M. (The actual price is $14.25M.) The article also describes the terms of the loan. For more information, here is the link to the article: http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/20161220/woodstock-academy-gets-federal-funds-tobuy-hyde-school Due Diligence Underway Now that the offer has been agreed upon by both parties, WA is engaged in the due diligence phase of our agreement. This will continue through most of the winter months. Closing is scheduled for June 15, 2017.

Hyde and WA working together Officials from both Hyde and WA are working closely together to ensure a smooth transition.

Discussions regarding employment for the 2017-18 school year are underway. In midDecember, Laura Gauld met with Hyde-Woodstock faculty and staff on campus. This was followed by WA administrators conducting a meeting open to all Hyde-Woodstock employees to discuss potential employment opportunities. Our intention is to complete negotiations for employment by March vacation break. We plan to communicate this information in Chronicle #3 in late March.

Hyde Day #2 In early December, the second “Hyde Day” was held on the Bath campus. Nearly 40 students came to Bath for tours and a series of meetings.

Open House Dates Speaking of campus tours, on Monday, 1/16 (MLK Day), an admissions open house will occur on the Bath campus. Call the admissions office (207-443-7101), if you would like to attend.

New Strategic Plan Since last spring, our senior administrative team has been working closely with the Board of Governors on designing A Roadmap to Hyde’s Unique Potential – Hyde’s Strategic Plan. Since November, we have been revising the plan in accordance with our planned consolidation. Our intention is to publicly present the plan in April. As a preview, we are organizing the plan in accordance with five areas of focus: -

Program – Cutting Edge, Differentiated, Co-Curricular Teaching and Learning People & Succession – Highest Quality Teachers & Leaders; Engaged Alumni Long-Range Financial Sustainability – Fiscal Stability with Entrepreneurial Spirit Enrollment & Communications – Robust Mission-Appropriate Enrollment Coupled with a Clear and Respected Brand

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Scalability – “More Hyde to More People” via Broad and Meaningful Access through 21st Century Delivery Methods

Final Good-Bye It goes without saying that this year’s Woodstock commencement (Sunday, May 28) will be especially poignant. Our plan is to devote the first half of that Memorial Day weekend to the graduating seniors and their families. Once graduation is over, we will then transition our focus to a celebration of the efforts and memories of both our faculty and our alumni. Suffice it to say that this will be a deep and meaningful weekend for all of us. Look for details in Consolidation Chronicle #3.

In conclusion, I thought I would close off with a Hyde-wide reminder of the four guiding principles of our consolidation effort:

1. The Consolidation is a coming together; it is not an absorption. – Next year represents the opportunity for all Hyde students, parents, employees, and alumni to start a new school and everybody must be in, make that “All In,” on it.

2. The Consolidation begins now. – We’re all on the same team.

3. “Nothing Changes.” – Bob Felt. The current school year will finish just as strongly as it has started.

4. Partnership with Woodstock Academy – Ours is much more than a buyer/seller relationship, we are partners in education.

Onward,

Malcolm Gauld ‘72

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