The Process
Our strategic planning process began in the fall of 2013 with an in-depth assessment of the School’s strengths and challenges, and it continued through the winter and spring of 2014. Led by a Steering Committee, the views of the broader community were solicited through surveys, focus groups and interviews. Six task forces – made up of 80 board members, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni – assumed the responsibility of distilling the information brought forward and supplemented their findings with research, comparative studies of other independent schools, and further discussion with various stakeholders. Areas of inquiry included academic programming and student life, faculty, finance and development, physical plant, values, global perspective, and our flagship programs.
The outcome of the study revealed that the School, by every indicator, is healthy and robust. With a clear vision and strategic financial plan, Palmer Trinity can strengthen itself further, seeking new opportunities and exploring innovative practices that will better enable it to meet its mission In April 2014, approximately 75 members of the PTS community representing faculty, staff, trustees, current parents, alumni, and parents of alumni came together to review the findings of the task forces and cast a vision for the future of Palmer Trinity. In addition to the focus areas of the task forces, through the process of the retreat two additional priority areas for review were identified – student body composition and school structure. Embedded in each of these areas are Palmer Trinity’s commitment to a mission that fosters academic excellence, values pluralism, and promotes global citizenship and sustainability. These recommendations, after being reviewed and prioritized by the Board and administration, form the core of this Strategic Plan.