STRATEGIC PLAN One Vision. One St. Mark’s. Together We Roar!
2026-2031
A MESSAGE FROM LEADERSHIP Strategic Plan 2026-2031 October 6, 2026 Dear St. Mark’s Families, Last school year, we set out together to shape the next chapter of St. Mark’s Episcopal School. Today, we are honored to share the St. Mark’s Strategic Plan for 2026-2031 with our school community. This plan belongs to all of us. Through surveys and focus groups conducted last school year, parents, faculty, staff, and students shared their perspectives with honesty and care. More than half of our community participated in this process, a testament to how much we all love St. Mark’s. We are deeply grateful for the time, candor, and trust each of you brought to this process. The plan is organized around five goals that will guide St. Mark’s over the next five years:
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Safety, Security, & Emergency Preparedness: strengthening campus-wide safety systems and emergency readiness.
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aculty & Staff Retention and Support: investing in compensation, professional development, F and a strong culture of collaboration.
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cademic Program Excellence & Student Support: delivering a cohesive, mission-aligned A experience across academics, arts, athletics, and faith.
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acilities Modernization, Space Utilization, & Campus Planning: optimizing our campus to F support learning and long-term growth.
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undraising Strategy & Financial Sustainability: building an advancement strategy aligned F with our mission and priorities.
The Strategic Plan will serve as our roadmap in the years ahead, guiding decisions and ensuring that our daily work continues to reflect the mission and values that make St. Mark’s special. We are excited to build on our momentum and strengthen St. Mark’s for the students and families of today and those who will follow. We would like to take this opportunity to again thank the members of the Strategic Planning Committee for their tireless work bringing this vision to fruition. And to every parent, teacher, staff member, or student who shared a survey response, participated in a focus group, or offered feedback along the way, thank you. This plan reflects your voice, and it would not exist without your generosity of time and spirit. We look forward to walking this path together and to all that lies ahead for our students and our school. Together, we roar! With gratitude,
Dr. Bill Fiordalis Head of School
Michael Woody Chair, Board of Trustees
Lindsay Macdonald Chair, Strategic Planning Committee
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STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS, PRIORITIES, AND INITIATIVES
SAFETY, SECURITY, & EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS Goal 1 St. Mark’s Episcopal School will strengthen campus-wide safety and security through proactive planning, enhanced emergency preparedness, and continuous evaluation of physical and digital security systems. As part of its commitment to this goal, St. Mark’s will:
✢ Engage an independent security firm to conduct a comprehensive assessment of campus safety and security. Based on the audit findings, develop a phased action plan for implementation of recommended security protocols. ✢ Continually strengthen campus safety and security practices through appropriate infrastructure, access controls, supervision protocols, and ongoing evaluations to ensure practices evolve with emerging risks and best practices. ✢ Enhance emergency preparedness through clear response protocols, ongoing faculty and staff crisis response training, and effective emergency notification and communication systems. ✢ Conduct a comprehensive cybersecurity and digital risk assessment, and then implement enhanced safeguards to protect the St. Mark’s community, its information, and its systems.
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STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS, PRIORITIES, AND INITIATIVES
FACULTY & STAFF RETENTION AND SUPPORT Goal 2 St. Mark’s Episcopal School will strengthen the recruitment and retention of faculty and staff through competitive compensation, meaningful professional growth opportunities, and a strong culture of collaboration and support. As part of its commitment to this goal, St. Mark’s will: ✢ Conduct a comprehensive compensation and benefits review and strengthen recruitment strategies to enhance the school’s position within a competitive independent school employment market. ✢ Expand on-campus professional development opportunities that support instructional excellence and innovation and explore the ability to provide certified in-service hours and additional credentialing support. ✢ Strengthen faculty and staff leadership roles, including grade-level leads and department chairs, while creating clear pathways for internal advancement and cross-divisional leadership development. Evaluate sustainable funding approaches to support expanded leadership roles. ✢ Improve the coverage and continuity of instructional support, while strengthening coordination and communication to better balance workloads, protect teacher planning time, and foster effective collaboration.
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STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS, PRIORITIES, AND INITIATIVES
ACADEMIC PROGRAM EXCELLENCE & STUDENT SUPPORT Goal 3 St. Mark’s Episcopal School will deliver a cohesive, mission-aligned educational experience that fosters academic excellence, student well-being, spiritual growth, and meaningful engagement across academics, arts, athletics, technology, and faith. As part of its commitment to this goal, St. Mark’s will: ✢ Continue to prioritize vertical and horizontal curriculum alignment across PK through grade 8 to ensure a cohesive educational experience. Evaluate staffing, leadership, and resource needs to sustain curriculum development and instructional alignment efforts. Establish clear instructional expectations and program-wide standards to promote consistency across classrooms while preserving teacher creativity and autonomy. ✢ Evaluate enhancements to social-emotional and academic support systems, including the need for additional school counselors, learning specialists, and student wellness resources. Strengthen communications to ensure families understand all available pathways for student support. ✢ Explore division-specific approaches to faith formation, character development, and Episcopal identity that thoughtfully integrate these elements throughout the student experience and within the broader academic program. ✢ Evaluate opportunities to expand and enhance academic, arts, athletics, and technology programming to enrich the student experience and support emerging student interests and needs. Explore the feasibility of expanding enrichment and summer programming through additional diverse offerings.
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STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS, PRIORITIES, AND INITIATIVES
FACILITIES MODERNIZATION, SPACE UTILIZATION, & CAMPUS PLANNING Goal 4 St. Mark’s Episcopal School will optimize and modernize campus spaces to support student learning, operational efficiency, community engagement, athletic programming, and the school’s long-term strategic priorities within sustainable enrollment parameters. As part of its commitment to this goal, St. Mark’s will: ✢ Conduct a comprehensive space audit, including opportunities for future expansion. Develop and implement a phased improvement plan based on audit findings. ✢ Establish a campus maintenance and modernization plan, addressing facility upkeep, furnishings, infrastructure, and aesthetic improvements. Align campus enhancements with projected enrollment capacity and future programming needs. ✢ Develop and implement sustainable technology infrastructure that supports modern classrooms, campus-wide connectivity, and expanded opportunities for STEAM learning and innovation. Streamline centralized digital platforms and information-sharing tools to improve accessibility and user experience for faculty and families. ✢ Develop a master plan for enhancements of Robb Field and the athletic complex that support athletic programming, student experience, operational efficiency, and long-term campus needs.
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STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS, PRIORITIES, AND INITIATIVES
FUNDRAISING STRATEGY & FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY Goal 5 St. Mark’s Episcopal School will develop a clear, mission-aligned advancement strategy that strengthens philanthropic support, aligns fundraising priorities with institutional goals, and fosters a culture of informed and engaged giving. As part of its commitment to this goal, St. Mark’s will: ✢ Develop a comprehensive advancement strategy that strengthens the Annual Fund, donor engagement and stewardship, cultivates alumni relationships, and explores opportunities for endowment growth and strategic giving. ✢ Establish annual fundraising priorities aligned with the school’s institutional needs and create meaningful opportunities for donors to support areas of interest and impact. ✢ Develop a structured annual advancement communication and engagement plan to consistently share giving opportunities and demonstrate the impact of philanthropy through stewardship updates, donor recognition, and annual impact reporting. ✢ Strengthen awareness of the school’s fundraising priorities and philanthropic opportunities through digital storytelling and outreach that engages current and prospective families, church families, alumni, and donors.
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OUR MISSION The mission of St. Mark’s Episcopal School is to provide an academically enriched program in a nurturing Christian environment.
2026-2027 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Michael Woody, Board Chair James Kenny, Vice Chair Ryan Tyler, Treasurer Juan Tagle, Secretary Mark Busse, Vestry Liaison The Rev. Marty Zlatic, Priest-in-Charge Dr. Bill Fiordalis, Head of School Sergio Perez, CFO Jerry Haffey, Jr. Lindsay Macdonald Caron Morton Kevin Reid Tim Turpen Tiffany Cohen, Trustee Emeritus
STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE Lindsay Macdonald, Chair Marco Cirillo Tiffany Cohen Dr. Bill Fiordalis Elizabeth Fisher Sarah Hunt Jessica Pate Ashley Woody
St. Mark’s Episcopal School 3395 Burns Rd. | Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410 561.622.1504 | www.stmarkspbg.org