Immaculate High School Strategic Plan 2021-2024

STRATEGIC PLAN 2021-2024 Advancing Our Legacy of Excellence

IMMACULATE HIGH SCHOOL

STRATEGIC PLAN Contributions made by faculty, staff, administration and Advisory Board Final Document Approved by School Advisory Board members March 2021

immaculatehs.org • 73 Southern Blvd. Danbury CT 06810 • 203-744- 1510

TABLE OF CONTENTS > Letter from the President > Letter from the Chairman of the Board > Executive Summary > History of Immaculate High School > Our Mission Statement > Our Strategic Vision > Guiding Principles > Overarching Strategic Plan Issues and Goals > Catholic Identity and Faith Formation > Academics and Student Life > Marketing and Enrollment > Development and Advancement > Financial Sustainability and Capital Improvements > Leadership and Governance

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Introduction Letter from President

Advancing Our Legacy of Excellence represents the collective involvement and perspectives of students, faculty, alumni, staff, administrators and Board members. As has been the case throughout the strategic planning process, there is inherent and intentional interconnectedness among our strategic priorities and initiatives. The initial framework for the planning of Advancing Our Legacy of Excellence was developed through selected focus groups, surveys and professional business advisors regarding the current and future significance of Immaculate as an exemplary Catholic high school.

Several themes became apparent from constituent feedback: the school continues to build a foundation for students to be prepared for college, to be compassionate leaders and to live their faith yet a sensible balance of technology, facility and resource offerings is needed to further support an increase in program and student diversity.

As we move forward with the implementation of Advancing Our Legacy of Excellence, we will continue to work together as a community so that Immaculate High School may achieve its goals and vision while staying true to our mission. I am most thankful to the many individuals whose efforts from our 2017-21 Strategic Plan made it possible to prioritize and create a 2021-24 plan that will ensure a positive, vibrant school community today and in the future.

It is with great certainty that Advancing Our Legacy of Excellence will further the undeniable strengths of our school and make a remarkable, positive, exciting impact on our students.

Mary R. Maloney President

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Letter from Chairman of the Board Dear Friends, This is truly an exciting time for Immaculate High School. Advancing Our Legacy of Excellence provides us with the opportunity to expand our vision, define our priorities and navigate our investments and resources to ensure that our students are prepared, our educators inspire and that our faith continues to be a living experience for our entire community.

In the first year of Advancing Our Legacy of Excellence, our governance model transition to a Diocesan-sponsored school will enable the Board of Directors to ensure institutional advancement, make school-level decisions as well as engage in strengthening our scholarship programs, enhancing school resources and assessing and revitalizing our campus facility offerings.

I am thankful to all those who have contributed to the realistic goals and objectives of Advancing Our Legacy of Excellence to help cultivate our proud tradition of being a community that is a family who cares, prays and supports each other. This plan for our school’s future is insightful and understanding of our need to focus on maintaining the vitality of Immaculate High School.

The Board of Directors will be prudent with effectively implementing all aspects of Advancing Our Legacy of Excellence to ensure the operational sustainability of our school.

Sincerely,

David J. Cappiello ‘86 Chairperson

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Our Strategic Plan Executive Summary: Our Approach

This strategic plan was developed to further articulate the commitment that the administration, faculty, staff and Advisory Board have to identifying the strengths of Immaculate High School and to create school-wide goals that take advantage of those strengths by facilitating an innovative, dynamic environment that further supports opportunities for students to fully prepare for college and beyond.

Though many objectives of the 2017-20 plan were met, some continue to evolve or are being evaluated to adapt to unanticipated events, namely the COVID-19 pandemic. Advancing Our Legacy of Excellence requires us to understand and be prepared for unprecedented challenges so that we may continue to maintain a vision that is mission-centered and forward thinking.

School leadership and school board members recognize that our core values are the foundation that defines our true purpose and, in order to achieve its goals to remain competitive, properly manage operating costs, develop new programs, become more efficient and improve quality, we must embrace the school culture and allow it to transform positively. The school’s new governance model will empower leadership to implement strategies with greater collaborative efficacy as it prioritizes both short-term and long-term needs of the school through increased community engagement.

The initial phase of developing Advancing Our Legacy of Excellence, included feedback from students, teachers and parents through focus group meetings, special committees, and electronic surveys. Ongoing outreach to all constituents to determine support, validation and valuable feedback will be conducted regularly through each year of the plan’s implementation phases. A careful review of academic and extra-curricular programs provided the Strategic Plan Executive Committee and all other sub-committee members insight on how to meet current challenges and transcend existing boundaries in order to provide additional opportunities for all students.

The growing infrastructure requires establishing financial support that is cost-effective. The school continues to seek outside financial resources including security and academic program grants to alleviate some of the financial pressures associated with innovative programs. Advancing Our Legacy of Excellence includes a refined effort to increase financial sustainability with immediate and long-term financial planning through a capital project-based campaign, scholarship endowment fund, annual giving and planned giving contributions.

With an almost 60-year history steeped in tradition, Immaculate High School has been educating and preparing students for the rigors of college and is committed to continuing our legacy of success in forming our students into tomorrow’s leaders and followers of Christ. Immaculate High School students represent the future of our Catholic faith and they will become instruments for change in our world.

To ensure our school’s future vitality, our strategic planning team has evaluated our internal and external environment, identified opportunities and challenges, and established our school’s most important priorities. The planning team is comprised of a standing strategic planning committee along with six other committees focused on core strategic areas.

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Utilizing a long-term strategic focus, we will be well poised to continue to provide an excellent academic Catholic education with a solid comprehensive curriculum for college preparation including enrichment in foreign language, fine arts, and religion, as well as extracurricular programs that promote teamwork, leadership, social development, and physical well-being.

Advancing Our Legacy of Excellence establishes a clear direction for the course of the school during the next three years and represents the collaboration of many individuals, including school administrators, clergy, faculty, staff, board members, alumni, parents, students, and leaders in academia and business. By sharing their expertise and time, they were instrumental in shaping the roadmap for the future of Immaculate High School.

We will monitor, measure, and report on the achievement of the action plan quarterly beginning in the 2021-22 school year.

As we celebrate the past, we look to a very successful future. The achievement of the goals and objectives of Advancing Our Legacy of Excellence is paramount for our school’s improvement and success over the next three years.

History of Immaculate High School

Immaculate High School’s humble beginnings started as a dream of local pastors who were steadfast in encouraging the school’s emergence in a community where no Catholic high school existed. Their inspiration, along with the vision of the first Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, the Most Reverend Lawrence J. Sheehan and the patronage of the second assigned Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, the Most Reverend Walter W. Curtis, resulted in breaking ground in 1961. Parishioners were each asked to contribute one hundred dollars per family to ensure that the vision would be supported financially.

The academic programs grew as well. The curriculum changed dramatically in foreign language, science, social studies, English, computer science, and mathematics under the guidance of the school’s Academic Council, which consisted of all department heads. Honors classes and Advanced Placement courses were introduced into the curriculum.

Immaculate High School enrolls 405 young men and women from Grades 9 through 12. Currently, 42% Danbury 5% New York 53 % surrounding Connecticut towns including but not limited to Bethel, Brookfield, Newtown, Ridgefield and Redding. Additional demographics that help define the student body: 60% are Catholic while 40 % Non-Catholic. Student ethnicity includes 11% Hispanic, 13% Asian, Black and MultiRacial and 76% are Caucasian.

Since the turn of the century, 99% of the Immaculate graduates have furthered their education with 95% enrolling in their first or second college of choice. Ninety percent of those graduating achieve some form of college scholarship or grant, the total of which exceeded $24M in 2020. Immaculate High School continues to upgrade and integrate sophisticated technology and state-of- the-art equipment in support of teaching and learning opportunities and preparing

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responsible students to enter the digital age. Athletics have also expanded to include many outstanding sports, such as football, basketball, soccer, golf, tennis, swimming, baseball, softball, volleyball, track, and cross country.

The faculty consists of 56 lay teachers with 99% having earned advanced degrees. Immaculate High School has a tradition of excellence, graduating many National Merit Scholars and Advanced Placement Scholars. Our students continue to excel and exceed national averages on the ACT and SAT tests and continue to be recognized for the highest SAT scores in the Diocese of Bridgeport.

Immaculate High School has thrived as a college preparatory school with a 99% college acceptance rate for each graduating class. The school continues to live up to its founding mission of excellence in academics, service, athletics, arts, and Catholic leadership. This commitment drives and inspires us to meet the needs of our youth in an ever-changing world.

Our Mission Statement

An annual review of our mission statement is conducted to ensure that the mission clearly and concisely signifies the purpose and vision of our school environment. Our current mission statement is as follows: In the Roman Catholic tradition, Immaculate High School fosters the development of the whole student by nurturing individual spiritual, moral, intellectual, physical and social growth through an academically rigorous college preparatory curriculum that encourages respect, responsibility, reverence, creativity and leadership.

Our Strategic Vision

Immaculate will continue to be a leader in secondary Catholic education. It is well-known for the caliber of its teachers, the rigor and creativity of its programs, the academic, athletic, arts, and service achievements of its students, and the loyalty and generosity of its alumni and extended communities.

We are and will continue to be a Catholic high school that provides an exemplary college preparatory education for students in Grades 9 through 12. It is our vision to encapsulate specific strategies that focus on learning how to lead and becoming agents of change.

The leaders of our school embrace education models for lifelong learning and growth. Teachers are expected to be leaders who encourage inquiry and collaboration with spiritual leadership evident in every aspect and among every constituency of the school.

The school is currently in an excellent position to challenge itself to provide a progressive, creative and innovative educational approach that aligns with maintaining its heritage while intellectually engaging students in studying issues that will assist them to become critical, effective leaders in our current world.

Our vision not only aligns with impeding shifts in our global awareness, communication, and social engagement, it fundamentally empowers students to rely on their spirituality as they move forward in a world that will challenge their desire to be courageous, compassionate, just and informed leaders.

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Guiding Principles

The National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools are the foundation that structure our mission, our vision and planning strategies. When measuring Immaculate High School’s effectiveness in meeting these benchmarks and standards, the members of the Strategic Plan Steering Committee affirmed the school’s ability to meet the standard benchmarks and identified specific strategic goals and objectives in the area of Catholic identity, governance and leadership, academic excellence and operational sustainability.

In addition, the members of the Committee engaged in SWOT analysis discussions in the areas of Catholic identity, academic and extracurricular programs, enrollment, technology, finance, governance, facilities and development. Feedback from parent, staff, alumni and student surveys and meetings were reviewed and used to support or initiate specific goals and objectives of this strategic plan.

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Overarching Strategic Plan Issues and Goals Our strategic roadmap defines mobilization of the following overarching target goals.

CATHOLIC IDENTITY AND FAITH FORMATION Enhance the academic, retreat and community service offerings to promote improved individual spiritual awareness as well as collaborate with other institutions to provide opportunities for parents/guardians, teachers and staff to grow in the knowledge and practice of the faith. Focus on ministerial formation for teachers.

ACADEMICS AND STUDENT LIFE Further develop, implement and continuously improve, personalized learning and student learning outcomes through faculty team collaboration and with a lead administrator coach and provide additional opportunities for students to exceed national levels of academic performance standards.

MARKETING AND ENROLLMENT Commit to messaging the primary tenets of the school and school mission with the intent of enrolling 110 students per grade.

DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCEMENT Establish a refined plan that sets reasonable target goals for fundraising and philanthropic giving to support the increasing tuition, scholarship and capital needs. Utilize existing data to further engage alumni in events and increased support for school capital needs.

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS Create a reasonable and attainable three-year plan that reflects the school’s sustainability based on enrollment, closing the gap between the costs associated with educating a student and an affordable tuition rate, and advancement projections as well as capital, program and staffing needs. Ensure that the facilities provide a safe environment and meet the needs of student programs and school operations. Enhance facility offerings by launching a capital campaign.

LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE Initiate a new governance model to include a Board of Directors and school administrator leadership.

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Catholic Identity and Faith Formation

The identified purpose of our mission statement is to promote the value of living the Christian way of life according to our Catholic faith; we strive for an increased growth in knowledge, commitment and awareness of each student’s spiritual life.

GOAL Immaculate High School will be known as one of the pre-eminent vibrant Catholic learning organizations in the greater Danbury area by enhancing its presence and relationships with the Catholic, diocesan and the local community.

STRATEGIC PRIMARY OBJECTIVES • Intentionally connect community service, retreats, liturgies, and our religious curriculum with the greater school community.

• Increase participation and visitation by diocesan clergy.

• Improve student engagement in community service opportunities and leadership roles in parish ministries.

• Maintain an ongoing program to provide professional development for teachers.

Increase participation in meaningful community service.

• Strengthen our existing ministry partnerships in the greater Danbury community to better meet community needs.

• Offer well-designed, planned mission trip opportunities for students and adults in the United States and overseas.

Increase faith-based opportunities for students.

• Increase faith-based venues to provide opportunities for students to experience their faith with other teens outside the school.

• Increase participation in annual teen events such as Steubenville Youth Conferences, Fan the Fire and Youth Groups to a minimum of 20% of the school’s student population.

• Plan and host teen presentation or concert for school and local Danbury area teens at the school or other appropriate venue to accommodate the number of registered students.

CHALLENGES • Clergy availability is limited.

• Programs rely heavily on fundraising and private donors.

IMPLEMENTATION AND MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS • Partner further with the Diocese of Bridgeport, parishes and local community organizations to broaden community service opportunities and increase student, family participation.

• Provide additional professional development and faith-based engagement opportunities for all staff members.

• Host community-wide events to encourage non-school teen-aged participants to engage in faith-based presentations, concerts or day retreat programs.

• Create an improved, detailed program operating budget to present to the finance committee and school administration to increase funding for planned mission trips.

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• Coordinate the content of retreats to provide meaningful and appropriate experiences at each grade level.

• Add adult faith formation programs and retreats, emphasizing the school’s charism to honor our blessed Mother as the model disciple who leads us to her Son and to His church. Mary is present through our living her virtues of being faithful, compassionate, hopeful, respectful and responsible individuals.

• Strengthen the understanding and the participation of being spiritual leaders among teachers and administrators within and across departments.

• Improve the length of Campus Ministry meetings and foster increased participation of its members to lead daily after school prayer services in the chapel prior to after school activities • Increase student awareness and engagement in available church ministries including that of discernment.

• Guide teachers and administrators in the faith journey as spiritual leaders of the school.

Academics and Student Life

The programs and instructional staff are in compliance with state, national and Diocesan standards. Program priorities are focused on rigor, encouraging creativity and discovery of knowledge and truth within a Christian learning environment. Faculty and staff are charged with challenging and preparing students to be leaders in college and beyond.

GOAL Immaculate High School will continue to promote a community of inquiry that values a creative, interdisciplinary, inquiry-based, student-centered, innovative approach to learning that is founded on researchbased pedagogy and achieving college preparedness. The school will provide a regionally and nationally recognized college preparatory program where all members of the school community are dedicated to work collaboratively and encourage exemplary academic standards, student improvement and effective leadership.

The student extracurricular program provides flexibility to allow every student an opportunity to participate in a broad array of interests with the ultimate purpose of enriching student awareness, expanding their abilities and preparing for their future.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES • Hire an Assistant Principal for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for the 2021-22 school year.

• Provide exemplary teaching guided by the school’s mission and defined by responsibility, reverence, and respect.

• Enhance the existing well-defined curriculum to encourage collaboration, and improve blended learning capabilities, semester courses, ECE and distance-learning offerings, coupled with cultivating studentcentered creative, interdisciplinary technology advancements.

• Refine and expand our high school program offerings to middle school students in math, foreign language and English.

• Expand existing co-curricular programs to increase offerings with the intent of cultivating well-rounded development of the student.

• Make annual incremental improvements in the school program calendar and class schedules that optimizes opportunities to encourage collaborative, academic, personal, professional and spiritual growth by the year 2024.

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• Analyze and plan for a progressive counseling model that empowers maximizing opportunities for learning and college studies.

• Maintain a maximum of 110:1 student to counselor ratio with the intent of maintaining a knowledgeable rapport between students and counselors.

Ensure accessible expansive rigorous programs.

• Identify and perform ongoing reviews of instruction and alignment with curriculum standards.

• Provide additional awareness programs/assemblies to enhance SEL initiatives.

• Continue with a meaningful student advisory program at all grade levels.

• Increase program offerings and support programs for gifted and talented students.

• Enhance existing support programs for students with academic learning needs.

• Collaborate with school therapist to identify areas of student/family emotional needs.

Research best practices in the areas of program and scheduling.

• Review, analyze and discuss program offerings, types of schedules, length of instructional time/day offered

by Catholic, private and public schools.

• Provide enhanced professional development for teachers to include diversity training, inclusion, data driven instruction and curriculum pacing.

• Analyze and refine resources available to teachers to accommodate program revisions.

• Review and implement mandated core requirements; increase and introduce courses that increase existing programs including but not limited to business, wellness, health and technology certifications, credited community service and credited internships.

Increase student performance on standardized testing.

• Provide teacher professional development that focuses on creating instructional plans using ongoing student data analysis.

• Provide teacher coaching program to institutionalize personalized learning, pedagogical best practices to improve student mastery in all content areas.

• Increase professional development for all counselors and counseling support staff to provide robust student college and career planning.

CHALLENGES • Financing facility and program needs adequately.

• Academic and enrichment program offerings are dependent upon student enrollment.

• Limited facilities and resources.

IMPLEMENTATION AND MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS • Establish standardized testing score targets to meet or exceed National Blue Ribbon qualifications by incrementally increasing SAT scores to become eligible candidate for a national Blue Ribbon School.

• Improve measurable instructional practices and collaboration among teachers.

• Attain a 10% increase of acceptances in top 100 colleges and universities.

• Achieve a measurable increase in program diversity, student mental wellness and merit award recognitions.

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Marketing and Enrollment

The enrollment process coupled with a strategic marketing platform generates the messaging of our school mission and attracts, retains students who are mission-centered.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES • Grow enrollment to ensure full capacity of a diverse, 450 student population which includes a maximum representation of 10% international students.

• Continually grow awareness of school programs and student success through a well developed threeyear marketing plan that identifies our mission, vision, value proposition, points of differentiation and innovations, diversity and student outcomes, recent trends and future goals.

• Expand partnerships with local schools, parishes, religious education and youth groups, establishing a connection and affinity for the school to keep Immaculate in the minds of our community.

• Respond to changing demographics and the impact on enrollment trends so that we can be proactive in eeting the needs of prospective families and our enrollment goals.

• Personalize customer service from inquiry through graduation to increase enrollment and retention efforts, and positive word of mouth.

• Collaborate with the Advancement Office to build scholarship revenue and endowment funds.

GOALS Ensure total school enrollment of 450 mission-centric students.

• Offer earlier student exposure to IHS via Grade 7 shadow program, Leadership Seminar for identified middle-school leaders and marketing of summer enrichment programs. Utilize DOB Grades 6, 7 and 8 contact information for admission e-newsletter and postcard marketing.

• Identify, attract and enroll leading scholars via middle-school programming, merit scholarships and Leading Scholar program.

• Encourage and support student diversity.

• Increase student transfer enrollment by 10% annually.

• Expand geographic reach to allow for a 10-15% increase of students from New York and Connecticut towns beyond a 20-mile radius within three years.

• Continue to grow enrollment trends of non-Catholics by targeting students of all faiths who value our mission.

Create a personalized, customer-centric, “family first” approach from inquiry through graduation.

• Review existing application and enrollment process and software to assess customer satisfaction. Simplify process to increase conversion rate of inquiries to applications to enrollment.

• Review existing financial aid application processes, including new fall season timeline and Common Scholarship Application form using results and family feedback to ensure our commitment to work with families one-on-one to arrive at a desired tuition plan.

• Offer adopted partner parochial school in-class HSPT. • Offer Spanish web and print material translation and Spanish parent information sessions to assist increase in Hispanic/Latino families applying to Immaculate.

• Enhance experience from deposit to first day, including personalized admitted student webpage, virtual events, spring orientation, e-newsletter and other to increase new family satisfaction.

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Create three-year marketing plan that identifies segmentation and financial planning for recruiting and program marketing.

• Identify the lead person to manage the creation of a three-year marketing plan.

• Establish baseline data relative to school’s reputation among internal and external constituents to inform development and implementation of a comprehensive marketing plan.

• Employ consistent use of Net Promoter Score for internal surveys.

• Analyze and measure effectiveness of current marketing via data analytics to ensure ROI. • Review and respond to enrollment trends and changing demographics with appropriate marketing.

• Maintain success of the newly enhanced student ambassador program and create a robust parent ambassador program in effort to increase enrollment by cultivating the influence current families have via word of mouth.

• Track reasons students are not enrolling or withdrawing, as well as the reasons why families choose IHS, to enhance effective messaging.

• Deploy continuous website improvements with increased focus on SEO. • Increase student-centric marketing emphasis via appropriate social media platforms, current student exposure and testimonials, etc.

• Project to the market a single Immaculate message, and single Immaculate voice as we strengthen our brand in the community.

Develop enhanced relationships with the external community, especially middle-school principals and counselors, and parish partners, with internal operation committees to ensure best practices and family feedback, and with the school community.

• ●Utilize the entire school community to communicate a consistent message about the value of an Immaculate education.

• Ensure the evolving demands of prospective families and a competitive marketplace are met across all departments and programs by sharing feedback gained through the admissions process.

• Broaden membership on the school Enrollment/Marketing Committee to include public schools, college admissions representatives and parishes.

CHALLENGES • Short-term and long-term negative impact that the 2020 pandemic has had on the economy and its impact on international student enrollment and overall student retention • Tuition increases and financial aid availability • Increase in diverse demographics of middle and upper middle-income families • Increased competition in the Danbury area • Decline in practicing Catholics and demands placed on providing diverse exemplary academic programs and college counseling to attract a more diverse student population IMPLEMENTATION AND MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS • Review implementation of our short-term and long-term strategic marketing, admissions and retention plans to assess how they sustain targeted enrollment goals.

• Review of marketing, admissions and retention analytics to measure ROI and planned growth in student enrollment.

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Development and Advancement

Expand and deepen the culture of philanthropy to position the school for long-term financial sustainability and growth.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES • Identify the financial needs of the scool • Increase alumni, community and family giving.

• Collaborate with the administration to formulate an effective advancement plan and case for philanthropic support.

• Devise and create development policies that assist with increasing donor giving.

GOALS Plan and execute Immaculate’s first capital campaign that includes an endowment, planned gifts and facilities updates.

• Partnering with Advancement Partners to build a campaign plan.

• Establish a scholarship endowment and planned giving program.

• Launch a successful capital campaign in August 2021.

• Create a steering committee to meet capital campaign goals and objectives.

• Identify new foundation and corporate giving opportunities.

Broaden and deepen constituent engagement with Immaculate, developing more meaningful relationships with alumni, parents and friends of Immaculate.

• Identify new community-building events and initiatives, both on and off-campus.

• Develop a plan to increase stewardship activities.

• Increase young alumni engagement by 5%.

Utilize donors’ giving data to develop a comprehensive strategy to increase support for the Immaculate Fund annually.

• Continue to educate all constituents on the financial gap between the tuition rate and the cost of educating each student in an effort to continue to build the case for support.

• Segment and personalize Immaculate Fund ask based on giving data.

• Create an Immaculate Fund plan based on data of the last 5 years.

• Identify potential donors and giving capacity through WealthEngine.

• Increase alumni giving yearly by 5%.

CHALLENGES • Potential economic instability.

• Donor fatigue.

• Increase in school operational costs and geographic changes in student enrollment.

• Rising costs of college tuition, families’ ability to donate funds at the high school level limited with knowledge of costs to come.

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Financial Sustainability and Capital Improvements

The financial plans reflect the school’s sustainability based on enrollment and advancement projections as well as capital, program, operations and staffing needs.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES • Create a multi-year financial plan that reflects implementation of the school’s strategic plan.

• Increase annual revenue by not less than 120% of the yearly increase in individual student tuition (i.e., if student tuition increases 3%, total revenue target increases 3.6%).

• (Upon receiving loan forgiveness), use a significant portion of the Paycheck Protection Program proceeds to build an endowment base.

• Partner with the school’s Development Committee to ensure the success of the planned capital campaign and endowment initiative.

• Explore, identify and implement means to provide additional revenue growth.

• Allocate resources in support of the school’s mission, philosophy and strategic plan.

• Align faculty, facility and technology funding needs with enrollment and endowment plans.

• Continue ongoing reviews of alternative funding sources, including government grants and private funding.

GOALS Attain a position of lasting financial strength.

• Create a plan to close the gap between education cost per student and tuition income • Evaluate rationale for maintaining aspects of the school’s academic and athletic programs that provide subpar return on investment • Allocate a portion of school revenue, including endowment income, to student body outreach and profileraising efforts • Improve cash flow management planning; minimize, with the goal of eliminating, use of debt financing for non-capital expenditures Build a significant endowment that provides financial flexibility, particularly with respect to tuition.

• Work with school administration and Board committees to ensure success of capital campaign • Engage with parents to ensure understanding of parent financial commitments and Immaculate financial assistance/stability • Provide support for alumni engagement, including awareness of planned giving options Leverage the physical plant and community relationships to increase auxiliary income.

• Seek out opportunities for school administrators and advancement team members to foster relationships in the local business community • Pursue grants and similar resources to augment tuition and endowment income • Work with other Board committees to identify events that both raise revenue and increase Immaculate’s profile • Evaluate “best practices” used by other Catholic schools; consider application to Immaculate program

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Continue the school’s reputation for outstanding financial stewardship.

• Hire and work to retain qualified staff who provide accurate financial reporting and analytics • Conduct annual audits; provide briefings and Annual State of the School Report for public viewing • Review school financials with Board on a not less than quarterly basis • Conduct continuous self-review of all financial practices and policies • Provide annual professional development opportunities for the school business office and administration CHALLENGES • Enrollment decline due to competing demands for parent/student financial resources.

• Depth of public school resources; need to highlight Immaculate advantages in order to increase enrollment/revenue.

• Lasting financial stability relies, in part, on the success of the pending capital/endowment campaign.

• Recruiting/retaining top-notch financial staff who possess both bookkeeping and analytical skills • Unpredictable investment returns.

IMPLEMENTATION AND MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS • Reduced reliance on borrowing to fund operations/capital needs • Reduced dependence on tuition income to meet annual operating expenses • Fundraising income substantially exceeds costs associated with the efforts • Continued receipt of unmodified audit opinions

Leadership and Governance

The leadership of the school and the management of its operations are crucial to the sustainability of the school and success of every student.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES • Assess the school’s current governance model and evaluate its effectiveness.

• Implement a governance model that is two-tiered where the primary tier is the Board of Directors.

• Create Board of Directors By-laws that articulate the roles of the executive board, school leaders as well as subcommittees.

• Establish a communication process that is inclusive and relative to the management of school operations.

GOALS • Create a Board selection process and membership guidelines.

• Membership should include professional leaders from the business community who have a commitment to Catholic education.

• Create a defined selection process that includes a nominations committee and voting process.

• Identify the terms of Board members.

• Provide Board members professional development opportunities.

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Create an organizational chart to identify roles, operational responsibilities and governance structure.

• The Head of School/President reports directly to the Board of Directors • The school Principal reports directly to the school President.

• The Board of Directors assumes the fiduciary responsibilities of the school and are delegated the responsibility of its success.

• The Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport is the sole member of the corporation and acts as the Sponsor of the school.

CHALLENGES • Operational transitions and revisions to existing operational and employee guidelines.

• Time commitment required of newly inducted Board of Directors.

• Creating a clear, concise communications platform to be used by Board of Directors to inform all constituents on about the decision-making processes.

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73 Southern Boulevard • Danbury, Connecticut 06810-7994 Telephone 203-744-1510 • Fax 203-744-1275 www.immaculatehs.org