Strategic Plan

PRIORITY ONE: Deliver a Distinctive Early Childhood through Grade 12 Laurel Education

List of 5 items.

Create a student experience that is exceptional in every setting, ensuring each Laurel student benefits from outstanding academics, meaningful relationships, inspiring environments, and opportunities to grow with confidence and purpose.

Objectives: Future-Ready Foundations • Athletics • Lyman Campus Facilities • Butler Campus
Future-Ready Foundations

Elevate Laurel programming at every developmental stage so that students encounter a purposeful progression of academic challenge, agency, leadership, and preparation for what comes next, culminating in graduates prepared to thrive in college and life.
Athletics

Strengthen Laurel's athletics program to provide every student an opportunity to compete at high levels, build leadership skills, and foster teamwork that yields excellent results.
Lyman Campus Facilities

Create learning environments across the Lyman Campus that support innovative teaching, student wellbeing, and a strong sense of pride in Laurel's physical spaces.
Butler Campus

Anchor Butler Campus learning across every division, creating an exemplary model of experiential, interdisciplinary, and place-based pedagogy that positions Laurel as a destination for educators and school leaders seeking to transform their own practice.

PRIORITY TWO: Invest in Our People & Our Culture

List of 4 items.

Cultivate a workplace and community where exceptional educators thrive, every individual feels valued and respected, and adults are equipped to create a mission-aligned experience for every Laurel student.

Objectives: Recruitment & Retention • Professional Learning • Mission & Mindset
Recruitment & Retention

Recruit and retain outstanding faculty and staff through competitive compensation and a culture where employees thrive, ensuring students benefit from talented, committed adults throughout their Laurel journey.
Professional Learning

Support the growth and development of Laurel’s faculty and staff through advanced study, targeted professional learning, and leadership development, empowering them as professionals to inspire and support students, strengthen their practice, and foster innovation.
Mission & Mindset

Ensure all adults, including coaches, after-school, and part-time staff, understand and embody Laurel’s mission, values, and community expectations so students experience a consistent culture of belonging, excellence, and care across every setting.

PRIORITY THREE: Lead the Future of Girls' Education

List of 4 items.

Position Laurel as the leading voice and premier regional destination for research-informed girls' education by generating, applying, and sharing knowledge through innovative partnerships, experiential learning, and transformative student experiences.

Objectives: Laurel's Center for Research for Girls • Student-Driven Research • Civic Fluency & Global Education
Laurel’s Center for Research for Girls

Advance LCRG as a hub for scholarship and innovation in girls’ education and leadership development, generating new knowledge and translating research into practice to strengthen engagement and development of girls at Laurel and beyond.
Student-Driven Research

Develop research skills, scientific inquiry, and future-ready competencies by engaging students in authentic, student-driven learning opportunities.
Civic Fluency & Global Education

Strengthen global education by expanding international travel, cross-cultural partnerships, and curricula that build civic fluency and global perspectives.

PRIORITY FOUR: Expand Laurel's Reach

List of 4 items.

Strengthen Laurel's influence and reputation through strategic partnerships, compelling storytelling, and meaningful engagement with the broader community.

Objectives: External Partnerships • Alumnae Impact & Engagement • Strategic Communications
External Partnerships

Cultivate partnerships with organizations such as corporations, higher education, and research institutions to expand opportunities for students and faculty, and enhance experiential learning, mentorship, internships, and innovation.
Alumnae Impact & Engagement

Celebrate and amplify the accomplishments of Laurel alumnae to demonstrate the lifelong impact of a Laurel education and strengthen community connections.
Strategic Communications

Tell Laurel's story in compelling and cohesive ways that elevate student accomplishments, faculty expertise, research, and institutional strengths.

PRIORITY FIVE: Ensure Long-Term Financial Strength & Sustainability

List of 4 items.

Strengthen Laurel’s long-term financial sustainability through disciplined fiscal management, strategic fundraising, and transparent accountability to align resources with institutional priorities and ensure lasting impact.

Objectives: Financial Modeling, Enrollment Strategy, & Prudent Fiscal Management • Comprehensive Campaign • Dashboard & Tracking System
Financial Modeling, Enrollment Strategy, & Prudent Fiscal Management

Practice prudent fiscal management, boost enrollment and auxiliary revenue streams, and implement sustainable budget controls to advance institutional priorities.
Comprehensive Campaign

Plan, launch, and execute a comprehensive campaign to support campus master plan improvements, endowment growth, and long-term financial security.
Dashboard & Tracking System

Monitor strategic plan progress, measure impact, inform ongoing decision-making, and provide meaningful updates to school leadership and the Board of Trustees.

Open the Strategic Plan Brochure

Strategic Plan Contributors

Strategic Planning Process Co-Chairs
Rachel Herlein, Associate Head of School, P’28
Daniel McGee, Chief Technology Officer & Director of Libraries

Steering Team
Carey Jaros ’96, Board Chair, P’28, P’30, P’33
Christina Breen, Head of School
Lynnette Jackson Crenshaw ’93, Past Board Chair, Trustee Emerita
Vince Coley, Trustee, P’30

Committee Members and Contributors
Jessica Allen, Campaign Director, P’28, P’28
Andrea Ausperk, Chief Financial Officer, P’27, P’32
Keoni Castellano, Mathematics Teacher, Grades 11 & 12 Dean
Vince Coley, Trustee, P’30
Lynnette Jackson Crenshaw ’93, Past Board Chair, Trustee Emerita
Maegan Ruhlman Cross ’03, Director of Development, P’41
Karen McCartan DeSantis ’79, Trustee
Andrea DiSalvo*, Director of Auxiliary Services, P’26
Kate Bondi Floyd ’96, Director of Marketing & Communications, P’28, P’30, P’34
Katie Fox, Past LSPA President, P’26, P’27
Trish Harpring, K-Grade 2 Learning Strategist, P’31, P’34
Jennifer Harrison, Associate Director of the Early Childhood School
Shannon Lukz*, Associate Director of Primary School, Grades 3-5 and Outdoor PreK
Caitlin Moury, History Chair, Humanities Teacher, P’40
Rosemary Mudry ’02, P’36
Maia Hunt-Ledford Rucker ’97, Past LSPA President, Trustee, P’22, P’26
Leslie K Segal ’95*, Director of Community & Global Leadership, P’27, P’29, P’31, P’34
Abbey Jones Steinberg ’06*, Director of Enrollment Management, P’38, P’40
Anne Wilkinson, Chemistry Teacher
Holly Woods, Director of Human Resources
Karen Yusko, Learning Strategist
*Committee Lead

Board of Trustees
Carey Jaros ’96, Board Chair, P’28, P’30, P’33
Neeti Sundaresh ’95, Vice Chair, P’31, P’33
Susan Opatrny Althans ’80, Secretary
Bethany Bryant, Treasurer, P’19

Zara Azhar, P’19, P’27
Alexa Blackann, P’29, P’32
Vince Coley, P’30
Alisa Taylor Cowen ’72
Mara Cushwa, P’27, GP’38
Anne Dalton ’63
Erica Markum Dennings ’81
Karen McCartan DeSantis ’79
Leslie McCormack Gathy ’84
Taylor Goodman ’05
Kathy Jeavons ’81
Aaron Kamat, P’31, P’33
Matthew Krug, P’28, P’31
Anita Lee ’88
Susan Shons Luria ’85, P’20, P’21
Megan Lum Mehalko ’83, P’17
Chaundra King Monday ’95
Maia Hunt-Ledford Rucker ’97, P’22, P’26
Kim Simpson ’90, P’19
Todd Stein, GP’33
Maria Dikshteyn Strom ’99, P’30
Suzy Schulze Taylor ’81, P’10
Tracy Vigh, P’28
Pamela Smith Viscione ’79