Strategic Plan

In January 2023, Buckley retained the consulting services of Independent School Management (ISM) to facilitate a Board of Trustees and Leadership Team retreat designed to determine the road map for the school over the next five years. The timing was ideal: Buckley was celebrating its first centennial, the previous Strategic Plan (2018–2023) had just concluded, and the challenges of the pandemic appeared to be behind us.

It is often said that an effective Board of Trustees focuses its attention on the school they are holding in trust for the next generation of students. That responsibility requires a steady compass on the school’s mission and strategic discipline. It also demands agility, as new challenges and opportunities arise. Such has been the case over the past several years with the pandemic, delays in obtaining construction permits, the availability of land adjacent to our campus, and the increased impact of artificial intelligence in our lives and education. It is this combination of strategic focus and agility that has enabled Buckley to continue to thrive.

To prepare for the retreat and include the voices of faculty, staff, parents, and students, our ISM consultant was given access to all of our financial documents, enrollment data, fundraising information, and by-laws, along with anonymous comprehensive constituent surveys. We were fortunate to have robust participation from each constituent group, allowing our consultant to draw from rich data to facilitate the retreat.

After a weekend spent analyzing the survey results, reviewing Buckley’s overall financial position, and exchanging ideas on the strategic directions the school should establish, the Board of Trustees approved five overarching areas of focus, along with a series of correlated objectives for each:

#1 – GOVERNANCE

To maintain its effectiveness, the Board of Trustees will:

Ensure that its composition reflects the diversity of the student body and is representative of the many communities that Buckley families come from.
Adhere to best governance practices.
Build a pipeline of Board candidates with the necessary skills to support the implementation of the school’s strategic objectives.
Educate the community at large about the function of the Board of Trustees.
Remain focused on the school’s strategic objectives.

#2 – FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

To ensure the financial sustainability of the school, the Board of Trustees will:

Assist the school in maintaining healthy enrollment numbers.
Support its advancement efforts.
Maintain the summer program as a source of auxiliary revenue for the school.
Grow the endowment through investment and alumni contributions.
Task the administration with developing a multi-year capital expenditure plan.
Keep the hard-income coverage ratio at 95% while preserving sufficient cash reserves.

#3 – FACULTY AND STAFF

To attract, support, and retain the best faculty and staff, the Board of Trustees will:

Ensure the competitiveness of their compensation and benefits.
Fund their professional development generously.
Support policies that consider their quality of life.

#4 – PROGRAMS

To ensure the quality of the school’s programs, the Board of Trustees will:

Ensure that they remain mission-appropriate.
Continue to examine the school’s primary purpose as a “process school” or a “product school.”
Task the administration with determining “what is worth learning” and assessing the relevance of current programs within the finite amount of time available.
Examine steps to ensure that Buckley is well-positioned to address the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of education.

#5 – OPPORTUNITIES

To continually explore new opportunities for Buckley, the Board of Trustees will:

Hire an architectural firm to develop a Campus Master Plan utilizing all 28 acres currently owned by the school.

The steady leadership of the Board of Trustees and its support are indispensable to the fulfillment of the school’s strategic objectives. Buckley is undoubtedly blessed with both. I am fortunate to lead a school that approaches the future with an open mind, excitement, confidence, and a clear sense of purpose.In January 2023, the Board of Trustees voted on a multiyear strategic plan. One of the goals agreed upon was the completion of a master plan meant to optimize our existing facilities to support our current programs and explore possibilities on the entire campus to meet potential future needs.

In January 2023, the Board of Trustees voted on a multiyear strategic plan. One of the goals agreed upon was the completion of a master plan meant to optimize our existing facilities to support our current programs and explore possibilities on the entire campus to meet potential future needs.

After vetting several architectural firms, the Board has decided to retain SLAM. In addition to their familiarity with independent schools and local challenges and opportunities, the team we met offered a thorough and inclusive process and included a programming expert.

The SLAM team has completed the “discovery phase” and has now started to gather input from various stakeholders: faculty and administrators, trustees, parents, and students.

Their focus group framing questions are:

• What do you think Buckley is doing well, and where?

• What programs do you think could be improved, and where?

• What new programs or facilities will continue to make Buckley an unequivocally preeminent institution?

SLAM will continue with the process and report back to the Master Plan Committee along the way. In the spring, they will present their findings and proposal to the full board.

Imagining Buckley’s future while staying true to our mission of opening the eyes and awakening the mind of our students is one or our most critical responsibilities, and I am grateful for the time and resources invested in this thrilling process. Stay tuned!

Strategic Plan

Campus Master Planning