Greenhill School SP 2010

8/6/2019 Greenhill School SP 2010

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Greenhill School | 60 Years of Excellence 1

Greenhill School60 Years of Excellence | Strategic Plan


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2 Greenhill School | 60 Years of Excellence


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Today, Greenhill School is a strong and vibrant institution that excels in its mission and is justly

recognized as a leader among independent schools, in Dallas and beyond.

As we continue to strive for excellence, the Board of Trustees, administration and faculty have

worked together to identify specic courses of action and prior itize needs for Greenhill School

over the next few years.

Three areas of concentration were identied for the Strategic Plan:

Dedication to Excellence in Program and People

Focus on Financial Sustainability

Stewardship of the Campus Master Plan

We invite all members of the Greenhill community to review the work of the Strategic

Planning Committee in hopes that we will all work together to implement these important

next steps for Greenhill School.

Greenhill School

Mission Statement|

Greenhill School is a diverse

community of learners that strives

for excellence; values individuality;

fosters a passion for learning;

promotes the balanced developmentof mind, body and character;

encourages service; and instills a

respect for others.

Greenhill School60 Years of Excellence | Strategic Plan



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Dear Greenhill Community,

It is with great pride that we share with you the culmination of two years of work done by the

Board of Trustees, faculty and administration in this new Strategic Plan. The comprehensive

process, led by dedicated Board member Larry Lebowitz, produced the nal plan which was

approved in November 2009 and focuses on four specic areas:Academic Program, Faculty,

Financial Sustainability and the Campus Master Plan.

As with any successful planning process, we began with a review and reafrmation of our

Mission. In this school year, which saw the passing of our Founder, Bernard Fulton, the School

remains committed to his vision of an outstanding co-educational, non-denominational school.

Providing appropriate rigor and challenge in all disciplines while instilling a passion for life-

long learning to maximize each individuals potential is essential to delivering a high-quality

education and, as a result, is the driving force behind this plan.

While reafrming Greenhills tradition of educational excellence, we must also continuously

look forward to enhance and develop programs to best prepare our students for college and

beyond. By all measures, our students will be competing and living in an increasingly diverse,

global community. Preparing students to appreciate, respect and understand such a community

is essential if we are to develop future citizens and leaders of the world.

In order to meet these educational challenges, we must maintain an exceptional faculty that

is highly qualied, constantly growing and willing to engage in the full life of the School.

Supporting such a faculty is cr itical if we are going to attract and retain the very best. As we

desire to provide the best educational experience possible for our students, a review and update

of the Campus Master Plan has identied specic facility priorities and other possibilities.

Finally, with the recent economic downturn fresh in our minds, Greenhill must seek to reachthe goals of the accompanying plan in a scally responsible manner as we ensure the nancial

sustainability of our future.

As we prepare to implement this ambitious plan, we know that the key to Greenhills success has

always been its people faculty, students, alumni, parents, grandparents and friends working

together as one community. We are excited about the outcome of the strategic planning process

and are delighted to share the results with you. With continued persistence and optimism,

together we will continue to make great strides toward achieving Greenhills goals for the future.

Sincerely,

Scott A. Griggs Michael J. Halloran

Head of School Chair, Board of Trustees

Scott A. Griggs

Head of School |

Michael J. Halloran

Chair, Board of Trustees |


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Introduction |As Greenhill School celebrates the 60th anniversary of its founding in 1950, we are reminded

of how far we have come. Today, Greenhill School is a strong and vibrant institution that

excels at its mission and is justly recognized as a leader among independent schools, in Dallas

and beyond. Over the years, Trustees, administration, faculty, parents and alumni have all

contributed their stewardship, which has been and remains an important component of the

Schools success.

At the same time, we know that we cannot be content with our accomplishments and that

we must continue to grow and evolve to meet the dynamic needs of our students and the

greater community. We aspire to provide the best experience possible for current and futurestudents so they are prepared for success in college and beyond. As we continue to strive for

excellence, the Board of Trustees, administration and faculty have worked together to identify

specic courses of action and prioritize needs for the School over the next few years.

Process |The process began with a retreat of the Board of Trustees and Administrative Team in

February 2008. Shortly thereafter, we asked for the completion of a survey by students,

faculty, alumni and parents. The survey was the same one completed in the 20012002

strategic planning process, which enabled a multi-year comparison of results. While the resultsin 20012002 were commendable, we were pleased to nd that the most recent survey results

indicated an even higher level of satisfaction and degree of excellence in virtually every

category. A summary of these results appears on the Schools web site at www.greenhill.org.

Building on the work done in our comprehensive Strategic Plan of 2002, issues were identied

that resulted in working groups of Board, administration and faculty focusing on three major

areas of concentration:

DedicationtoExcellenceinProgramandPeople

FocusonFinancialSustainability

StewardshipoftheCampusMasterPlan

We know that we

cannot be content

with our past

accomplishments and

that we must continue

to grow and evolve

to meet the dynamic

needs of our students

and the greater

community.


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Current Environment |As demographics change in the Dallas metropolitan area, Greenhill must continue to attract

an applicant pool that will excel in academics, arts and athletics while furthering the mission

of the School. It is essential that we maintain our tradition of educational excellence as wecontinually strengthen our program, which both educates the whole child and maximizes the

potential of each individual. This approach is increasingly important as our students face a

hyper-selective college admissions landscape. While college admission is a goal, success at

both college and beyond is the ultimate measure of the quality of the Greenhill experience.

Helping students nd their place and purpose in a globally connected world as positive,

productive citizens will be essential for long-term success and happiness.

For students to realize these goals they must be taught and nurtured by the highest quality

faculty. Continuing to attract, reward and retain a talented and diverse faculty is an essential

priority for the School. Similarly, teachers and students require the best possible facilities for

teaching and learning. Building on the success of the last Strategic Plan, we must continue toprovide and care for our facilities to ensure that we have the spaces needed not only for today,

but for the future as well.

Finally, we must continue to be scally responsible in realizing all of our stated goals. We

have made great progress in recent years, but nancial pressures will increase in the years

ahead. Growth of our endowment will help to ensure a stable, secure future for generations of

students to come.


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Goals and Objectives |

I. Dedication to Excellence in Program and People

Program

The overarching goal of the Strategic Plan as it applies to Program is to nd ways to better

prepare our students to thrive in a rapidly changing world. As we work to enhance our

program, the focus will be on three major areas: maximizing the potential of our students in

looking to their future; fostering the growth of a more sophisticated global understanding; and

developing more engaged and responsible citizens.

Inmaximizingthepotentialofourstudents,Greenhillwill:

Strengthen our academic program through the implementation of current research in

cognition and learning theory.

Re-examine our assessment practices to gain greater insight into students progress.

Foster more passionate interest in science and provide opportunities to pursue higher-level

scientic study.

Provide ample opportunities for students to pursue individual excellence within the

context of a balanced program.

Delineate essential skills and attitudes regarding technology, media and information

uency and integrate them through the program.

Infosteringthegrowthofamoresophisticatedglobalunderstanding,Greenhillwill:

Re-examine our foreign language program, including: goals for the program;

which languages are offered; and when they are introduced.

Establish our own working denitions and objectives for Multicultural Education

and Global Education.

Develop meaningful relationships with appropriate institutions (educational and otherwise)

to allow opportunities for increased global travel and student exchanges.

Indevelopingmoreengagedandresponsiblecitizens,Greenhillwill:

Establish both curricular and operational standards we will follow as a Green community.

Re-emphasize our commitment to character education and personal responsibility.

Re-emphasize our commitment to service.

Foster in students a stronger sense of ethics.

It is essential

that we maintain

our tradition of

educational excellence

as we continually

strengthen our

program, which both

educates the whole

child and maximizes

the potential of each

individual.


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Faculty

Recruiting, retaining, rewarding and supporting a faculty that is of the highest quality and

committed to living the Schools mission is essential to enhancing the quality of the Greenhill

experience. Similarly, a faculty that is representative of Greenhills diverse community is a

critical component of a broad and rich educational experience. In order to provide the best

faculty for our students, the School will prioritize excellence and diversity (in all of their

breadth) in all hiring decisions.

The School will enhance our performance assessment and management system for all

employees, while reconrming the importance of preserving the current atmosphere of

collegiality, teamwork and collaboration. An effective system will increase the communication

concerning the philosophy behind the evaluation process and the details of its execution in

an effort to clarify the process. Acknowledging positive work performance and addressing

underperformance is critical to maintaining a high quality faculty. Therefore, an effective

evaluation process will both aid in professional development and provide accountability,

while maintaining the spirit of constructive criticism, positive feedback and acknowledgement

of achievement.



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Initsrecruitmentoffaculty,Greenhillwill:

Continue to commit appropriate resources, time, creativity and personnel to the process of

proactively dening ourselves in the local, national and international communities.

Maintain the pursuit of excellent faculty who represent both local and global communities

as well as our varied constituencies.

Strive to create and/or maintain faculty diversity within all of our sub-communities

(teams/divisions/departments/administration).

Continue to highlight and promote our unique, comfortable, collegial, communal and

personal environment and make it a centerpiece of our recruiting practices.

Initsattentiontoretentionoffaculty,Greenhillwill:

Regularly survey faculty and staff to determine preferences for our benets package.

Maintain faculty salaries in an appropriate competitive relationship with peer schools.

Continue our strong commitment to professional development through the allotment of

time and support.

Ensure that our working environment is one that is welcoming, respectful and professional

and one in which every member of the community is committed to excellence.

Initsattemptstorewardexcellenceinitsfaculty,Greenhillwill:

Explore ways to further acknowledge and reward outstanding teachers.

Explore avenues for public recognition (both internal and external) of faculty

achievements, including recognition in publications such as TheEvergreenor TheHill.

Celebrate the individual expertise of faculty by providing more professional development

opportunities on campus (such as workshops, presentations, etc.) for faculty to share their

interests and passions within departments and/or divisions.

Throughareviewofourcurrentevaluationandassessmentsystem,Greenhillwill:

Enhance our evaluation program for better effectiveness and efciency.

Communicate expectations of growth and improvement and proactively address those whodo not consistently meet performance objectives.

Consider issues of quantitative vs. qualitative measures in the evaluation process.

Recruiting, retaining,

rewarding and

supporting a faculty

that is of the highest

quality and committed

to living the Schools

mission is essential to

enhancing the quality

of the Greenhill

experience.


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We must continue to

be scally responsible

in realizing all of our

stated goals. Increased

contributions to

endowments will

help to realize the

goals relating to

need-blind admissions,

competitive faculty

salaries, affordable

tuition levels and

campus sustainability.

II. Focus on Financial Stability

The Focus on Financial Sustainability section of the Strategic Plan considers how best to

provide resources to support the overall goals of the Plan. While looking forward, this Plan

also reafrms priorities from the 2002 Strategic Plan including balanced annual and multi-year

budgets and adherence to prudent nancial policies in the areas of faculty salaries, nancial

aid, annual endowment draw and maintenance and operational reserves.

Critical to maintaining sustainability and thriving in the 21st century, the School will actively

recruit, retain and graduate talented and motivated students who will pursue and celebrate

academic excellence while contributing to the Schools unique culture and mission. Access

and affordability are a primary concern as we seek to enroll a socio-economically diversestudent body. The current economic and demographic climate at the time of this report

makes it especially challenging to maintain the culture and mission of Greenhill School,

since the growing challenge of affordability (particularly for Middle Class and Upper Middle

Class families) has been identied as a threat to the long-term sustainability of the School.

Notwithstanding this challenge, the School reafrms its commitment to meet 100% of

demonstrated need so as to remain fully need-blind in admission, thereby ensuring our ability

to attract the highest quality students.

In establishing the annual operating budget and multi-year forecast, we strive to keep tuition

levels as low as possible while meeting key objectives for faculty compensation and benets,

nancial aid, and operational and capital needs. Currently, tuition and fees account forapproximately 89% of total revenue, and faculty salaries and benets represent 68% of total

expenses. Additionally, over the past ten years the School has reduced its annual endowment

draw from 5.5% to our current level of 4.3%, with plans to reach 4.0% in the next few years.

To date, the School has been successful in meeting all stated goals and benchmarks consistent

with our mission while balancing these priorities. A major effort must be made to ensure we

continue to meet these goals while relieving pressure on our operating budget and providing

for long-term nancial security. Increased contributions to endowments will help to realize the

goals relating to need-blind admissions, competitive faculty salaries, affordable tuition levels

and campus sustainability.


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Growth of our

endowment will help

to ensure a stable,

secure future for

generations of

students to come.

Inanefforttomaintainnancialsustainability,Greenhillwill:

Continue to evaluate appropriate stafng and enrollment levels across all divisions

and departments.

Assess and evaluate outreach and marketing efforts to further develop a highly qualied

applicant pool across all grade levels.

Continue to evaluate all nancial aspects of the School to identify ways to further ensure

nancial sustainability, including evaluating current nancial policies, operating practices

and organizational capacity.

Grow our endowment by raising new endowment contributions and/or further reducing

the annual endowment draw.

Regularly evaluate the appropriate timing, size and composition of a capital campaign

to meet facilities needs identied in the Campus Master Plan Update, and endowment

needs identied in this Strategic Plan.

Continue to develop the alumni body as a critical constituency to enhance the nancial

sustainability of the School.

Greenhill 2010 2011 Budget | $29.5 million

Revenues |

nnn 89% $26.4million Tuition&Fees

nnn 6% $1.6million AnnualGiving

nnn 3% $.9million Endowment

nnn 2% $.6million Other

Expenses |

nnn 68% $19.9million Salaries&Benets

nnn 13% $3.9million Plant

nnn 10% $3.0million FinancialAid

nnn 5% $1.4million Academic

nnn 4% $1.3million Administrative


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We must continue to

provide and care for

our campus to ensure

that we have the

facilities needed not

only for today, but for

the future as well.

III. Stewardship of the Campus Master Plan

Facilities

The goal of the stewardship of the Campus Master Plan is to provide facilities that meet the

quality, expectations and needs of our Program. In 2002, Greenhill completed a Campus

Master Plan to guide future development. Since then, the School has successfully developed

several educational facilities: a new Lower School to support Pre-Kindergarten through

Fourth Grade, an addition to the Upper School, a new Campus Store, and improvements

to the Cafeteria.

A Campus Master Plan Update was completed in 2009 to consider future facilities

improvements for our campus. The results of this update remain largely consistent with facilitygoals established in 2002 and have been modied to reect current and anticipated future

needs of the School.

While the Campus Master Plan Update provides an overall direction for future development,

it cannot anticipate all future needs in detail. The Campus Master Plan Update is a working

document that guides campus development and decision-making. Active stewardship of

the Plan by administering, monitoring and interpreting it frequently over time to meet our

changing needs will be essential.


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Priorities and Other Possibilities identied during the Campus Master Plan Update

are listed below. While these proposed new or improved spaces have been identied and

detailed according to current and/or anticipated programmatic needs, the ultimate

prioritization of facilities projects and the resulting capital campaign initiatives will rest

with the Board of Trustees.

Priorities

While no time frames have been established for construction, the following Priorities have been

identied in the 2009 Campus Master Plan Update and are noted below in alphabetical order:

Athletic Fields and Facilities

Create Athletic Fields and Facilities on the Southeast Corner of the CampusThe undeveloped land on the southeast corner of the campus has long been viewed as an

opportunity for the school. In addition to providing two soccer size replacement elds, the

proposed development on the southeast corner also includes additional parking and an

events pavilion for concessions, storage and restrooms. These proposed facilities will allow

this area of the campus to operate independently.

Establish a New Athletic/Physical Education Practice Field

Additional space is needed for athletic practices and physical education on the west side

of campus. The creation of a proposed new eld on the open area just west of the tennis

courts will meet both objectives and relieve some pressure on existing athletic elds.

Dining Expand and Improve Food Service and Dining Space

Proposed improvements to the dining area include adding a serving line and expanding

the seating area. The additional serving line will improve trafc ow and decrease wait

times. Expanding the seating area will allow more students to be served per lunch period,

increasing exibility in scheduling class and other activities and allow for varied seating

arrangements.

Parking

Address Campus Parking and Trafc Issues

The Campus Master Plan Update provides many additional parking spaces north of the

proposed performing arts center. In addition, parking is expected to be provided close to

the proposed new playing elds on the southeast corner.

A proposed new road connecting the north and south sides of the campus is envisioned

as part of the proposed performing arts center. This new road could allow trafc to

navigate through the campus without having to exit onto public streets.

The 2009 Campus

Master Plan Update

provides us with

facilities that meet the

quality, expectations

and needs of our

Program.


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Performing Arts and Assembly Space Create a Performing Arts and Assembly Space

on the Northeast Corner of the Campus Phase 1

Providing excellent performance venues for the arts was a goal of the 2002 Campus

Master Plan and remains a high priority in the 2009 Campus Master Plan Update.

Performance space is inadequate in all divisions and does not reect the care and attention

devoted to the productions themselves. In addition, there is no current space on campus,

outside of the gymnasium, where an entire division can meet as a community to listen

to speakers or attend performances. The rst phase of a proposed performing arts center

includes a 600-seat Music Hall, a 200-seat Black Box Theater, a Dance Hall that could also

be used for band and choir rehearsal, an expanded back of house and associated support

spaces. In some cases, these proposed spaces replace inadequate spaces currently housedin the Fine Arts Building and, in the case of the Black Box, the Zale-Fields Theater. Space

made available in existing facilities by this new construction will be repurposed to

satisfy other needs.

Science

Explore the possibility for New Science Spaces

Research Labs and a Lab/Lecture Space

A proposed new science space, possibly in the form of two small research labs and a

lab/lecture hall, could be located as part of an addition to the current Black Box Theater,

or the existing science building. The small labs could be used to support research and

independent study, while the multi-disciplinary lab/lecture hall could be used for large

group instruction, science demonstrations, and visiting lecturers.

Other Possibilities

To ensure that future campus development has been thoughtfully considered, the planning

process mandated a comprehensive review of the improvements the School can currently

envision and made provisions to accommodate those improvements over time. Beyond these

identied Priorities, the Campus Master Plan Update also contains other possibilities that will

be reviewed in the future.



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Conclusion |

This Strategic Plan seeks to build upon the constructive change accomplished through the

previous comprehensive plan developed in 2002. The goals and objectives outlined seek to

respond to the ever-changing needs of our student body, faculty and community. Evolution

and change have been hallmarks of Greenhills 60-year history as the School has created a

culture of excellence and enhanced its national reputation. This plan seeks to further develop

the academic program and experience for all students, which will further distinguish Greenhill

as the leading co-educational independent school in the Dallas area. The next steps include

the development of a schedule and specic actions that will be measurable and timely, and

we look forward to working with all members of our community to help implement these

important next steps for Greenhill School.

The goals and

objectives outlined

seek to respond to

the ever-changing

needs of our student

body, faculty and

community. We look

forward to working

with all members of

our community to

help implement these

important next steps

for Greenhill School.


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Michael J. HalloranChair,BoardofTrustees

Larry Lebowitz

Chair,StrategicPlanningCommittee

Rick Andrew

Chair,Finance/Endowment

Karla Barber

Chair,Program

Pam Pluss 81

Chair,Faculty

Zach Luterman 90

Chair,Facilities

Sandy Beckert

AssistantChair/Secretary,BoardofTrustees

Scott A. GriggsHeadofSchool

David Braemer

HeadofUpperSchool

Mark Crotty

DirectorofCurricularPrograms,PK12

Julie Diaz

ChiefAdvancementOfcer

Melissa Orth

ChiefFinancialOfcer

Tom Perryman 81

AssistantHeadofSchool

Strategic Planning Steering Committee |


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Program Working Group |

Karla Barber, Chair

David Braemer

Mark Crotty

Board Members

Baxter Brinkmann

Ron Calhoun

Rusty Jaggers

Courtney Katzenstein

Pierce Marshall 86

Ruthie Shor

Wendy Stanley

Waverly Ware Wilson 86

Faculty/Staff

Lisa Burton

Rachael Brodie

Karen Bradberry

Trey Colvin

Scott Cotton

Corbin Doyle

Karen Dzialowski

Kate Maddy

Susan Palmer

Linda White

Trevor Worcester

Faculty Working Group |

Pam Pluss 81, Chair

Tom Perryman 81

Board Members

Barry Barnett

Curtis Holmes

Ann Frances Jury

Peter Kraus

Brenda Lauderback

Carol Levy

Pat Smith

Arlene Steineld

Moyez Thanawalla

Vicki Truitt

Faculty/Staff

Kevin Foley

Warren Frerichs

Nora Garcia

Pam Giraudon

Dick Hall

Adam Holt

Andy Mercurio

Lesley Rucker

Michael Simpson

Deborah Wineld

Linda Woolley

Facilities Working Group |

Zach Luterman 90, Chair

Melissa Orth

Board Members

Nancy Carlson

Michael Glazer

Don Henley

Veronica Lewis

Sandra Moon

Guillermo Perales

Alan Perkins

Amanda Ryan

Faculty/Staff

Mary Aidala

Roger Charlebois 71

Rodney Dobbs

Laura Flanagan

Claudia Loewenstein

Curt Lowry

Michael Manes

Jack Oros

Michelle Smith

Bruce ThompsonPeggy Turlington 75

Finance/Endowment

Working Group |

Rick Andrew, Chair

Julie Diaz

Melissa Orth

Board Members

Ellenore Baker

Gilian Baron

Sandy Beckert

Peter Brodsky

Michael Davis 84

David HaemiseggerWill Rose 85

Kathleen Wu

Faculty/Staff

Janet Cashen 71

Becky Daniels

Brian Donnell

Barbara Gelsomino

Valerie Gillespie 98

Michael Legacy

Tracey Pugh

Katie Robbins

Beth Wing

This plan seeks to

further develop the

academic program

and experience for all

students, which will

further distinguish

Greenhill as the

leading co-educational

independent school in

the Dallas area.


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Lifetime Trustees

Milton P. Levy, Jr.

Daniel T. Phillips

Ofcers

Michael J. Halloran*

Chair

Sandra J. Beckert*AssistantChair/Secretary

Gilian Lempel Baron*

FinanceChair

Former Board Chairs

Electing To Serve Ex-Ofcio

Sally R. Estes

FormerChair,Trusteesince1976

Irwin Grossman


Rusty Jaggers


David L. Johnson 67


H. Ronald Nash


Trustees

Debbie Andres*

Richard G. Andrew*

Ellenore Baker

Karla R. Barber*

Barry Barnett

John Baxter Brinkmann*

Peter S. Brodsky*

Nancy P. Carlson

Gail Griswold

David J. Haemisegger

Donald H. Henley

Thomas Curtis Holmes, Jr.*

Oscar A. Joyner 93

Ann Frances Jury*

Peter Andrew Kraus*

Laurence H. Lebowitz*

Carol Levy

Veronica Lewis

Zeck Lieberman, M.D.

Zachary B. Luterman 90*

Margot McGuire

Sandra Kim Moon

Milton Packer, M.D.

Guillermo Perales

Alan Jay Perkins

Pam Beck Pluss 81*

William E. Rose 85*

Steven Rudner

Amanda Sutton Ryan

Molly Fulton Seeligson 60

Bruce Sostek

Patricia A. Smith

Wendy H. Stanley

Arlene Switzer Steineld

Moyez S. Thanawalla

Mike Weinberg 82

Waverly Ware Wilson 86*

Kathleen J. Wu*

Scott A. Griggs* HeadofSchool

*DenotesExecutiveCommittee

Greenhill School2009 2010 Board of Trustees |

Helping students

nd their place and

purpose in a globally

connected world as

positive, productive

citizens will be

essential for long-term

success and happiness.


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Greenhill School |

4141 Spring Valley Road

Addison, Texas 75001

www.greenhill.org

Documents

Greenhill School SP 2010