The following few paragraphs are excerpts from my April report to the Board.  I send special thanks to our current parents for the outstanding figure presented in the first section.  By achieving this level of re-enrollment in the late winter, we were able to send a letter of agreement to every current employee and to begin plans for staffing in a timely manner.  As of today, we have 184 students enrolled for the 2010-2011 school year (compared to 146 in mid-May last year).  29 new students have enrolled (compared to 9 in mid-May last year), and several more have been accepted or have applied.  Amy Broberg and I greatly appreciate your assistance and look forward to your partnership during the coming the months as we work to continue boosting enrollment at BCD!

Admissions: 150 re-enrollment contracts came in due to our two-tiered tuition structure for next year tied to the re-enrollment deadline.  In addition, we made efforts to explain to current parents the importance of the deadline to BCD’s finances and planning prior to the deadline.  This is a great return rate compared to last year’s total of 52.

With the demographic resources of NAIS coupled with a purchased database (which includes zip+4 address and phone information), we are proceeding with focused mailings to families with children within defined income ranges in Columbia County, Pittsfield, and Great Barrington.  In addition, we are creating lists of potential prospective families who live within a defined radius around current BCD families with children in our most under-enrolled classes.  In the spirit of development screening meetings, we will be meeting with these BCD parents to enlist their support in gathering more information and/or reaching out to these potential prospects.

Co-Curricular Programs: Ten faculty members met before the break to continue discussions to improve our co-curricular programs (athletics and theater) at BCD.  Specific topics discussed included strategies to improve our athletic programs, designing plans for student sign-ups to ensure balance in program offerings and sign-ups, building a strong faculty/student/parent culture, leadership, and addressing ways to increase student participation.

Communications/Marketing: Our admission DVD was released during the past few weeks.  The creative vision and production work of Jesse Howard, Jenny Wright, and Amy Broberg is impressive.   It was a very special moment when we shared the dvd with students and faculty last week.  The students expressed warm responses, happiness in seeing one another, plenty of applause, and a feeling of pride in our school was palpable. The dvd has been mailed to current parents and is being sent as part of some of the aforementioned admissions campaigns.

Facilities:  It has been wonderful to welcome back and work with past parent Mark Smith. As a former chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Mark has rejoined the committee and has been a leading force during our process to review proposals from and interview the architectural firms that responded to our RFP for a comprehensive existing site conditions study and plans for a master facilities planning process.

            Last week, we interviewed the four firms whose proposals interested the committee most.  We are fortunate to have four excellent options to consider as we prepare to embark on these important stewardship and planning initiatives in support of our long range strategic plan.  The outcomes from these projects will provide the Board, especially the Buildings and Grounds, Finance, and Development committees, and the administration essential plans for our future budgeting, financial, facilities, and fundraising planning and activities as we attend to the costs related to a significant amount of deferred maintenance issues and future renovation and campus enhancements.  I have a sense of great optimism and hope at this point in the process.