After listening, rebuilding culture, strengthening the family experience, and focusing on operational clarity, a fair question remains: what actually changed over the last two and a half years?
The honest answer is that nothing changed all at once. Change happened gradually, through many small decisions made consistently over time.
As clarity replaced confusion and trust began to grow, the school moved forward with greater confidence. Enrollment has increased by more than twenty percent, driven, in large part, by families sharing their experiences and the shift they were feeling. Families now speak openly about how much smoother the school now runs and the level of professionalism they see across daily operations. New families are drawn to a school that feels calmer, more intentional, and easier to trust.
Fundraising followed a similar path. During this time, the school has experienced record levels of giving through annual funds and auctions. This growth did not come from a single campaign or a new way of asking. It emerged from stronger relationships, clearer communication, and a shared confidence that the school is moving in a thoughtful and sustainable direction.
Some of the most meaningful changes are less visible but equally important. Student retention has improved, and employee retention has strengthened as people gained greater clarity about where the school is headed and how their work fits into a larger whole. We revisited and rewrote the school’s mission to better reflect who we are becoming as a community. We also approach the campus, including our 40 acres of woods, with greater intentionality and care.
Perhaps the most noticeable shift has been cultural. Morale has improved, conversations are more open, and the school feels lighter and more grounded in its day-to-day work. Challenges have not disappeared, but they are met with greater trust, shared responsibility, and a sense that people are moving forward together.
What this work continues to reinforce for me is something I return to often in leadership. Flourishing schools are rarely built through dramatic moves or sweeping gestures. They are built through small, thoughtful decisions made consistently over time. When leaders listen carefully, act with intention, and follow through with care, what once feels overwhelming becomes manageable, and over time opens the door to a bold and exciting future that, only a few years earlier, would have felt impossible to imagine.