About > Governance > Strategic Plan

The statements that follow are grouped alphabetically according to subject area and are best understood as a series of commitments-of time, resources, expertise and imagination.

Because the seven areas of focus are interrelated, they are hard to prioritize. Action in some areas is already under way; in others it has yet to begin. Some goals are relatively inexpensive; others not so much. Some are short-term, and some will require time for a cultural shift to take effect.

• As the first step in developing a master plan for the campus, we are working with a school space consultant to develop a comprehensive master plan that addresses short-term needs in the context of long-term planning for an increasingly green campus. We are studying space use in Gilkeson and are in the process of considering options for enlarging that space. We hope to add several urgently needed ample and flexible teaching spaces.
  

Community and Family Life

• The board's standing committee on diversity will be working this year as a task force to establish and support constituent groups in areas of diversity efforts. This year we have established a faculty diversity team to focus on a definition of diversity for Poughkeepsie Day School and on issues of inclusion, equity and justice, appreciation of difference, cultural competency and curriculum concerns.
• Equity and social justice have always played an important role in the life of the school. This year a student diversity leaders group has been established to start this work within the student body.
• We are committed to effective and efficient communication between the school and its community of current and alumni families. To facilitate better communication, we are developing a comprehensive plan to reach out to all our constituents in ways that are effective, efficient and useful. We have already started that work and will have a comprehensive communications plan in place by June 2008.
• We also are reimagining and redesigning our Web site and examining database needs with a view to streamlining our technology and efficiently integrating our information flow. These efforts are already in progress.
• This year the faculty and administration have formed "theme teams" to address key issues-diversity, the future, salary and benefits, green issues, mission metrics and all-school activities. These teams correspond to focus points of the strategic plan and ensure that faculty and staff are involved in moving these goals forward. As work progresses, we also anticipate increased student involvement in many of these areas.
• Founders' Day in September was a wonderful alumni event, honoring Don Fried's 30 years of service to the school. As always, we have planned a number of alumni events and this was a good beginning to a more systematic approach to staying in contact with our graduates. We are delighted that two more alumni became PDS parents this year; it is gratifying to see alumni choosing to send their children to the school and sometimes even relocating to make it possible.
  

Educational Program

• This year we have designated subject-area leaders in academic subject areas to convene department meetings that include faculty from pre-K through 12th grade. These subject area leaders comprise an Academic Leadership Team whose task is to oversee curriculum development, change and continuity. We continue to examine the balance and allocation of time between and among program components including academics, the arts, physical education, advising, activities and (in grades 7 through 12) central study electives. Academic schedule development begins early in the year; we are looking at the best ways to meet the needs of our students and offer them the program and quality of life they need to thrive.
• This fall we have convened an athletics task force to develop a master plan for wellness, athletics and physical education. We know that as we expand the high school we need to pay careful attention to athletics and athletic facilities. They play an important role in attracting high school students and meeting their need for team membership and athletic involvement. This task force will report its recommendations before June 2008.
• Shortly we will establish an arts task force to look at the role of music, performing arts and visual arts, which have always played a key role in a PDS education. We want to ensure that they continue to do so and that all students have the opportunity to experience a rich, diverse and vibrant arts curriculum. This task force will report its recommendations before June 2008.
• Over time, we intend to analyze and evaluate all academic areas: English, foreign language, history, mathematics and science. We recognize that the world is changing fast and that to meet the needs of our children we must stay at the cutting edge of thinking and practice. We will initiate this process with a science task force that will begin its work early in the new year. This task force will report its recommendations by June 2008.

Enrollment and Marketing

• School size was the first area of the plan to receive sustained focus, because so much of our planning depends on thinking through the issues of enrollment management and growth. We opened school this year with the highest enrollment in the school's history; some grades are at capacity, which places considerable strain on the facility and personnel in some areas.
• We know we need to continue to grow if we are to meet the expectations of our current families and attract additional students. The key to any plan for growth will be our ongoing commitment to core community values and a school where children are known and valued as individuals. These principles will guide us as we begin the incremental process of planned growth.
• An expanded upper school means a bigger social group for students, a wider range of academic electives and activity options. It also means expanded opportunity for athletics: a deeper bench and more teams. We are proud that PDS athletes are also artists and scholars and social leaders who serve their community. Boundaries are fluid, so students have the opportunity to develop their passions and explore new areas of strength and interest. With a somewhat bigger student body, we can develop and expand existing opportunities.
• One outcome of our planning process was to identify the need for help in key areas of marketing and design. Following a thorough search, we have hired Free Range Studios, an outstanding design and communications company. You can read our press release on Free Range Studios or go to its Web site to see the company's work for yourself. And another good thing: the company was founded and is still run by PDS alumni Jonah Sachs and Louis Fox.
  

Faculty, Staff and Administration

• PDS is fortunate in having dedicated and talented employees. It is essential that we maintain a high level of professionalism as we expand and positions become available. To this end, we are reviewing our hiring process to ensure that we reach out locally, regionally and nationally to identify and hire the best qualified candidates to join our team.
• We have established a faculty salary and benefits group to work with the administration to develop a compensation philosophy, consider benefits options, make recommendations and help shape professional development. We are committed to professional development and encourage our teachers to share their expertise with colleagues across the state and at the national level.

Finance

• We have begun a review of all components of financial sustainability, with a prudent approach to expenditure and cautious estimates of anticipated revenue. Through the Finance Committee of the board we have begun a systematic process of budget building and modeling.
• As a community, we need to invest in our future, just as we have benefitted from the investment of time and resources by the generations of families who preceded us. Our development program is an expression of this conviction.
  
  The financial mainstay of our development program is the Annual Fund. As a tuition-driven school whose primary source of income is tuition, we share a reality confronted by almost every independent school: Tuition dollars do not cover the actual cost of our educational program. Year after year, we look to the Annual Fund to close the gap between actual costs and tuition revenue. That is why we come to you every year with our Annual Fund appeal. And that is why we ask you to be as generous as you can and to make PDS one of your top philanthropic choices.

• In order to grow and to meet short- and long-term needs, we must expand our facility. Last year we engaged a development consultant who will continue to assist us as we begin the early "quiet" stages of a capital and endowment campaign.
• To enhance non-tuition revenue we have established a number of partnerships with local organizations: Half Moon Theatre Company and the Mill Street Loft, for example, who serve us well as friends and partners in the community.
• Transportation remains a challenge. We are actively seeking ways to make it possible for families from our outermost communities to send their children to PDS. We welcome your support in finding solutions to this knotty issue. New ideas and fresh approaches are always welcome.

Governance

• Several standing committees of the board are working as task forces this year. These include the Committee on Trustees (which oversees the nominating process for potential trustees who have time, energy and expertise to bring to the board), Buildings and Grounds, Finance, Development, Marketing and Communication, Diversity and Education.

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Posted: November 9, 2007

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