Strategic Plan

List of 5 items.

• Academics & Innovation

  A focus on program development, technology and innovation is central to the future of HDS. Our students and families seek curricular and extracurricular opportunities, as well as pedagogical approaches, that challenge students and distinguish us from other schools. Moreover, the continuous exploration of how technology and innovation can facilitate an outstanding learning experience is requisite in today’s environment and necessary to the preparation of our graduates for high school. 

  
  Objectives:
  

  • Prepare students to thrive in high school and beyond through curricula designed to provide subject-specific skills, intellectual challenge, and meaningful connections to the real world, as well as facility with analysis, communication, exploration, and synthesis.
  • Develop confident, resilient children and young adults through programs designed to support physical, mental, and social-emotional well-being.
  • Identify and implement additional technology to support and enhance the curricular, co-curricular, and operational functions of the school.
  • Develop avenues for communicating to the parent body the goals and philosophy underlying programmatic decisions.  

• Equity & Inclusion

  A school community is strongest when it is reflective of individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and points of view, and when programs, policies, and practices ensure that the needs of all in our community are met. We strive to consciously create an environment of respect and inclusion and to support ethnic, racial, religious, and socio-economic diversity among all the constituencies of the school. Further, Equity and Inclusion (EI) work is an essential component of managing the long term viability of HDS as an educational institution. Increasingly, students must be able to learn and work with people whose backgrounds are different from their own; their ability to contribute to and thrive in global, diverse environments relies in part upon the preparation they receive at Harford Day School.    

  
  Objectives:

  • Demonstrate consistent respect for human diversity, and for diversity of ideas, thoughts, and perspectives.
  • Ensure a culturally responsive curriculum that understands, accepts, and celebrates cultural diversity, and promotes respectful discourse.
  • Engage in ongoing review of our decision-making, policies, and practices to ensure they are inclusive.
  • Develop a plan for engaging all HDS constituents in EI education.
  • Further diversify our student body, faculty, administration, and board to reflect that of our school community and the changing demographics of our country.

• Facilities & Grounds

  The facilities and grounds of a school infrastructure must be well-maintained for purposes of safety, longevity, and appeal to both current and prospective families. State of the art facilities designed in support of a school’s programming create a form-follows-function, seamless experience for all. To meet both short term and future needs, and to continue their ability to attract, enroll, and retain families, schools rely upon fully developed and suitably funded facilities and maintenance plans.   

  
  Objectives:

  • Create an aesthetically appealing campus to attract, enroll, and retain mission-appropriate students, thus ensuring continuity and financial sustainability for the school.
  • Establish a multi-year, fully funded campus master plan to update and replace aging infrastructure and anticipate future needs.
  • Develop and implement a sustainable green initiative to contribute to the health of our students, employees, and the environment.
  • Implement risk mitigation strategies by identifying, assessing, and monitoring current security trends and threats.

• Faculty Excellence

  Faculty are the foundation of stellar independent schools. As our parent community will attest, HDS is enormously fortunate to have dedicated faculty members who give their hearts, their talents, and their time in service to the growth and well-being of all our students. Thus, it is essential that we provide teachers with what they need to meet with success at all stages of their careers: support through coaching and mentoring; opportunities for professional development and growth; recognition for excellent work; incentives to remain at HDS. Further, as integral members of the school community and role models for our students, it is incumbent upon us to create a faculty body more deeply representative of diverse races, religions, ethnicities, experiences, and perspectives. Crucial to our continuing success is prioritizing our teachers and ensuring that they perceive themselves as valued, appreciated, and elemental to our future.

  
  Objectives:
  

  • Recruit, hire, and retain dedicated, diverse, and motivated educators committed to continuous learning and improvement.
  • Recognize, reward, and compensate professional educators accordingly and competitively.
  • Provide differentiated support for faculty throughout all career stages.
  • Invest substantially in professional growth and development.

• Financial Health & Sustainability

  Attending to its financial framework and sustainability will allow HDS to achieve its educational goals and strategic priorities. The school’s financial viability and enrollment stability are dependent on many factors, including the volatility of the economy and more recently, the pandemic. As an antidote to factors beyond its control, addressing matters ranging from revenue sources, endowment, and debt financing to affordability and school size will allow HDS to thrive. 

  
  Objectives:

  • Support and fund strategic plan initiatives contained herein.
  • Develop the means to fund and implement a campus master plan.
  • Diversify revenue sources beyond tuition.
  • Develop a robust risk management plan.
  • Grow the school’s endowment to ensure long-term sustainability.
  • Manage debt.
  • Develop a robust risk management plan.
  • Determine the right size of the school and develop a long-term enrollment strategy informed by market realities and value-added initiatives.