A Plan for the Future
Results from our strategic planning meeting
We were pleased with the input that was shared from not only the people present at the meeting, but also through the survey sent out prior to the meeting. Below is a summary of what was gathered as our strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threat.
Strengths
· Christ-Centered This is first and foremost our mission as a Lutheran School. It is our privilege and joy to have Christ as our focus.
· Classical education We received overwhelming appreciation for the new model of classical education.
Other areas of strength that were noted
o Staff trained, like minded, teaching staff community
o Lutheran Ed/ practice/ religion woven throughout
o Preschool options
Weaknesses
· Enrollment,
o Targeting our LCMS families. We realized that increasing enrollment was the key to helping us meet many of the other goals or strengthen some of our weaknesses.
· Marketing
o We have a great product, but we need to find a way to let others know about it
· Facility
o We are somewhat land-locked at this time, but before we can move forward to add to or change our facility, the enrollment needs to increase.
· Middle school
o Suspending the middle school grades did not help with our enrollment. We know that many parents want to have their children continue on through the middle, if not even through high school. Bring back the middle school is crucial to our growth, as well as continuing the classical model.
Opportunities
· Marketing –
o While labeled as a weakness, it also is a great opportunity as we haven’t truly developed an intentional marketing plan. Think of what could happen if we did!
· Tuition assistance-
o Developing a tuition assistance scholarship model based on models that have been successful at other schools.
· Facility needs,
o Again, a weakness, but if we consider what could happen if our numbers increase, additional space could become a real and feasible possibility.
· Current direction of education
o Many parents are looking for an alternative to public education due to our current culture, as well as what is being taught and how.
Threats:
· Funding/tuition
o Tuition will always be an issue and we need look at different ways to supplement it
· Our current post-Christian culture
o Christianity is not always well received in society
· Prioritization of Christian education
o Parents often don’t understand the blessing of Classical Lutheran education, and that it is worth investing in for their children
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Main areas of focus determined
After much discussion evaluate what goals we would like to achieve and how we would reach them, we came up with the following key result areas of focus for the next 1-3 years.
I cannot emphasize in importance of parental involvement in helping MLS reach these important goals. Just as we came together to look for solutions, we will need to come together and share the gifts and talents that God has given us to in order to make these dreams become reality.
Increase Enrollment
We realize that reaching any other the other goals mentioned hinged on increasing enrollment, so that was one of our first steps.
Sharing the blessing and opportunities of MLS with
· our own LCMS families
· other churches in our Bismarck/Mandan communities
· the community at large
Marketing:
One of the biggest missed opportunities we realize is that we need to let people know we are here and who we are!
· Invest in and develop an intentional marketing plan
· Rebranding to fit the new identity as we delve into classical Lutheran education and to assist with name recognition
Tuition assistance
The added cost of tuition for many families is truly a burden. We will plan a more secure and efficient tuition assistance model which will explore an endowment or foundation that will help establish a more secure form of` tuition assistance
· Grants
· Online giving
· Having our congregations be more involved
· Private businesses be sponsors
· Multi-child discounts
Opportunities will be made available in the coming weeks for volunteers to come forward and take on some of the tasks needed for these key areas. If there is an area that you have a particular interest in addressing, please contact Mrs. Wolfgram at wolfgram@lutherschools.org or talk with Julie at the school office 224-9070, and we will include you in the action that will be taking place.
What a joy to know we have a plan to help us all move forward in the same direction! I believe that the Lord has great things in store for Martin Luther School, and I KNOW that the desire to help us take action has been fanned into flame.
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