Strategic Plan

LCDS Strategic Plan 2003-2008 Introduction

The Strategic Planning Committee of Lancaster Country Day School is pleased to report that for the past decade, the LCDS statement of Philosophy, the Mission statement, and the past Long Range Plans have continued to provide sustained guidance for initiatives both large and small, and at this time simply require our enthusiastic re-affirmation. This Strategic Plan, therefore, addresses only those issues and initiatives that have materialized since the implementation of the previous plans, or that require further growth from the previous plans. For matters not directly addressed in the following pages, one may assume that the goals and actions in those documents remain in effect.

Mission

The mission of Lancaster Country Day School is to encourage each student's growth within a challenging and supportive academic environment that inspires enthusiasm for learning, the joy of accomplishment, and commitment to community. We foster the individual's skills and creative expression with an emphasis on personal integrity, mutual respect, and social responsibility.

Philosophy

Deeply committed to the intellectual, creative, and emotional growth of its students, Lancaster Country Day School seeks to provide a rigorous, college preparatory academic program within a supportive environment, creating a community of outward-looking, lifelong learners. Challenging students to look at the world in new ways, LCDS has high academic and behavioral expectations of its students while providing extensive support to achieve those standards. Through especially close relationships between students and adults, the School encourages personal growth and trust, fostering confident, articulate, and thoughtful individuals who can deal with the complexities of the world and the rapid rate of technological and societal change.

Head of School Statement

The mission and philosophy of Lancaster Country Day School clearly represents all that is good and right about an independent, college preparatory day school in this country. What we as a School represent in terms of fostering creative expression, personal integrity, mutual respect, and indeed social responsibility within our students is exemplary among any school, public or independent. Further, we strive for our students to become lifelong learners, and we are certainly without peers in terms of developing close relationships between students and adults.

However, if we are going to take our place in this community and beyond as one of the outstanding independent schools in Pennsylvania, and recognized as one of the significant institutions among NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) schools, we must think, plan, and execute with vision for the future, and with a deep sense of commitment to our role as a learning institution. Lancaster Country Day School is beginning to be recognized by the external community, and even throughout the Mid-Atlantic area, for its commitment to professional growth, and for its commitment to its students. As a School, we are in the early stages of receiving this kind of support from our own constituents, and we must take full advantage of that support to move forward aggressively in the decades to come. In so doing, we must be introspective in our constant examination of our right-sizing model for enrollment so as not to miss an opportunity to grow in appropriate ways. The status of some area schools, both independent and public, may present opportunities to LCDS, which could have us re-think the size of our enrollment. That kind of growth must be well planned, but we must be cognizant of those possibilities, and the implications they present to our School.

Yet, it is now our opportunity to be stewards of the School in striving to meet the goals set forth in this Strategic Plan. Our vision and execution of this Plan will be integral to our future in terms of growth for LCDS. The degree of success of our Marketing Plan, of the completion of several phases of the Campus Master Plan, with the attending development support needed, and, indeed, of the creative and stable approach to our fiscal health, will have much to do with our continued support of our students and of our professional community in decades to come.

The outlying concerns and questions continue to revolve around the priority of education in this community, for an independent school charging far more tuition than any other school in the area, and around the demographics of this larger community. Lancaster Country Day School should feel assured of its positive future. I am more confident than ever, that in executing this Plan, LCDS will take its place in this community and beyond, as the real educational gem of the area, and, as the school of choice in Central Pennsylvania. It is our mission to develop our potential as a school by striving for excellence in all that we do. In that way, we will certainly leave this School considerably better than we found it for future generations.

Academic Program

Goal # 1
Further develop our curriculum as a cohesive, Preschool-12 program distinctive, integrated, college preparatory Preschool-12 program

Rationale - Curricula is never static, it is ever-changing in terms of growth and development. The healthiest programs evolve.

Goal #2
To adapt the academic program to meet the changing needs of society, thereby enhancing the a solidly traditional liberal arts curriculum and program to meet emerging needs

Rationale - Schools that are introspective and examine their programs, allow for growth in the future to meet the emerging needs of its students.

Co-Curricular Program

Goal
Enhance the opportunities offered to our students throughout the School, which will give them a broader view of the world beyond LCDS

Rationale - It is part of our mission and philosophy, in providing a liberal arts curriculum in our college preparatory setting, to have our students experience and stretch in ways that will give them a broader perspective for their future and prepare them to become contributing members in varied community settings.

Professional Staff

Goal #1
Enhance the professional life of faculty, staff, and administrators so that we are able to recruit locally and nationally to keep the very best adults as leaders for our children

Rationale - With the advent of the national teachers shortage in our country, and with the Schools desire to attract and maintain the highest quality faculty possible, we must be sure that, as a School, we are not just competitive, but that we are striving to be ahead of the curve in terms of recruitment and support of our professional community.

Goal #2
Uphold the current standards and expectations for professionals in the School community

Rationale - In order to reach our goals for quality of professional staff, we must not only support, but we must also expect a great deal from our faculty and administration. With increase support comes increased expectations.

Governance

Goal #1
Improve the functioning, stewardship, and leadership of the Board in providing effective guidance to the Head and to the administration of the School

Rationale - In any independent school the functioning of the Board as mentors and guides for the head, and where appropriate the senior administrators, has taken its place as one of the primary roles of Board. The degree to which this mentorship takes place has much to do with the future success of the School.

Goal #2
Encourage introspection at the Board level through regular assessment, evaluation, and self-evaluation.

Rationale - In order to perform the task as stewards of the School, it is now standard practice throughout NAIS schools to perform consistent assessments of the Board's functions and its performance.

Marketing and Outreach

Goal #1
Achieve and maintain the desired enrollment for the School, from a group of qualified applicants.

Rationale - Adopting a marketing plan for the School has been long overdue. It is time for the School to clearly know its target market in the six-county community, and then to execute a plan, which will outline and map our future in terms of connecting with that target market.

Goal #2
Enhance the role and position of the School in the region, in the state, and in the national independent school network

Rationale - Our School has clearly taken significant steps in the past four years in terms of quality of professional staff, program and curriculum, and fiscal health. It is now time for our position in this larger community to match the actual quality of our School.

Property

Goal #1
Improve all facets of our physical plant

Rationale - LCDS has grown and improved significantly in terms of the size and quality of the School during the past decade. It is now time for the facilities to match the program, which serves over 500 students and more than 100 professional adults each day.

Finance

Goal
maintain and Substantially increase the financial resources of the School to support our expanded facilities, our faculty and student goals, and our curriculum initiatives

Rationale - Our School must plan creative ways to increase revenue at the School beyond the tuition-based approach in order to meet the expanded financial needs in the future.

Development

Goal #1
Build a structure of financial support for the newly adopted Campus Master Plan

Rationale - The Campus Master Plan will be supported by major gifts to the School through an on-going campaign.

Goal #2
Increase the already existing revenue structures to support the growing needs for resources at the School

Rationale - Each revenue source at the School must increase to meet the growing needs of LCDS in the future. Our development efforts in areas such as the annual fund, planned giving, endowment, and others yet to be created, must all support the School with a critical eye to the future.