The Path Forward: Strategic Plan ‘21-’26

Paving the way for continued excellence in programming, admissions and fundraising at PBDA.

On behalf of the faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees, we are excited to share with you our most recent Strategic Plan for 2021-2026. Two years in the making and delayed by the pandemic, the plan includes our institutional goals for the next five years. Despite the difficulties of the past year, PBDA has already achieved success in several critical areas of strategic engagement: admissions, fundraising, and programming. Without a doubt, it is an exciting time to be a part of our academic community and, most importantly, to be a student at our special school.

Strategic Imperatives

Program

Palm Beach Day Academy will be nationally recognized as an independent school leader that develops knowledgeable and confident critical thinkers who are prepared to succeed in secondary school, college, and the complex, ever-changing world that they will inherit. To achieve this goal, PBDA intends to:

Promote a collaborative learning and teaching environment that supports and encourages excellence, the use of innovative pedagogies, interdisciplinary learning, and the effective use of technology.
Meet the needs of each PBDA student by implementing methods of differentiated instruction that support student growth.
Explore ways to create a stronger sense of community at all grade levels, one that fosters a school culture in which students not only grow academically, but also develop the essential traits of character and integrity.
Remain committed to strengthening the collaborative relationship between the Lower and Upper School campus faculties and students.
Maintain our commitment to external engagement with our town, county, state, national and global communities.
Promote greater inclusivity and diversity amongst our student and faculty populations.

Faculty and Staff

Palm Beach Day Academy will become a professional destination of the highest academic level that attracts, retains, and develops the most talented faculty and staff. To achieve this goal, PBDA intends to:

Offer a salary and a compensation package that is responsive to faculty and staff needs and is highly competitive among our peer institutions.
Strengthen cross-campus communication and collaboration in order to both enhance curricular cohesion as well as collegiality between the two campuses.
Promote the importance of professional growth – including professional development, evaluation and self-assessment – as an essential element of faculty and staff culture.
Provide training and encourage faculty to be exemplary role models of respect and inclusivity for our student body.

Enrollment Management

Palm Beach Day Academy will attract and retain the strongest mission-appropriate students and families from across Palm Beach County and beyond. To achieve this goal, PBDA intends to:

Strengthen the admissions and retention process to maximize student enrollment and help PBDA achieve and maintain optimal school size.
Enhance the relationship between the Admission Office and the Student Success Team (SST) when making recommendations regarding the continued enrollment of individual students based on the school’s mission and best educational practices.
Examine our approach to the Financial Assistance program with the intent to increase access to PBDA for diverse and underrepresented communities in Palm Beach County.
Strengthen our marketing efforts to communicate PBDA’s value proposition and encourage more prospective families of different socio-economic backgrounds to apply.

Campus and Facility

Palm Beach Day Academy will establish plans for immediate and long-term improvements to the Lower and Upper School facilities. To achieve this goal, PBDA intends to:

Address the alignment between current facilities and recent enrollment growth in deciding which campus projects will be completed in a realistic timeline.
Create a Master Plan for both the Lower and Upper School campuses which focuses on the best long-term use of our existing facilities.
Plan for the financing of campus renovations including new and renovated classroom spaces, kitchen and cafeteria improvements, and upgrades in technology on both campuses.
Identify and propose sustainability opportunities that support our current status as a Green School of Excellence while also focusing on enhancing the beauty of our two campuses.

Philanthropy

Palm Beach Day Academy will build and strengthen a culture of philanthropy through a strategic development operation that results in increased, consistent philanthropic contributions that support a sound financial plan for the school’s second century. To achieve this goal, PBDA intends to

Build a comprehensive development operation that is systematic and sustained through the implementation of annual, major, and planned-gift development strategies.
Grow an Annual Fund that helps to raise PBDA’s visibility; cultivates and secures annual, unrestricted support; and promotes a strong culture of philanthropy among parents, grandparents and alumni.
Initiate a “Campaign for the Second Century” that celebrates PBDA’s Centennial through major gift fundraising, fuels the top strategic priorities of the school, increases unrestricted annual support, and builds an endowment for the long-term sustainability of the institution.
Establish appropriate metrics for the school’s philanthropic goals in order to track progress and compare PBDA with peer institutions.

Financial Sustainability

Palm Beach Day Academy will ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the institution so that the administration can continue to adapt to changing circumstances while supporting the mission of the school. To achieve this goal, PBDA intends to:

Create a sustainable financial model that allows for fluctuations in enrollment.
Achieve a long-term debt solution by refinancing the school’s current debt obligations.
Plan for the future financing of campus renovations by establishing an account which will provide for the annual replacement of aging facilities and special maintenance needs.

In This Section