STRATEGIC PLAN
VISION 2030
Where Goals Lead
The strategic plan presented here is the culmination of an extensive process to understand the next steps Shattuck St. Mary’s needs to take to fulfill its mission. This work began with our students and alumni as our management team set out to identify our Portrait of a Graduate, the qualities in a student that a Shattuck St. Mary’s education will promote and support. Those interviews and group conversations provided a clear “Why?” as to our work as an institution. From there, we engaged with more alums, the Board of Trustees, employees, parents, and friends of the school to rewrite our Mission statement and, ultimately, produce this plan.
Over the last twenty years, the School has defined its commitment to excellence in program, finance, brand and marketing, facilities, and governance with an understanding that excellence in these areas ensures a robust future. Understanding our commitment to excellence in those five areas, and to our updated Mission statement and core values, we have determined six areas of focus for our work through 2030.
Outlined in this document are those six focus areas and commitment; for each, we have identified a goal, a strategy, and a series of measurable tactics we plan on implementing to achieve each goal. Progress towards each tactic will be tracked by Board and School Leadership to ensure successful implementation of the tactics and the plan.
In partnership,
Matt Cavellier Shattuck St. Mary’s Head of School
We are guided by our
mission values
&
Our Mission
We are a global community defined by engagement, openness, and persistence. Through immersive learning and our signature programs, we empower students to shape and accelerate their goals, grow as individuals, and lead with integrity.
Our Core Values
Openness
Engagement
Integrity
Persistence
Shattuck St. Mary’s
Portrait Graduate
of a
SSM graduates know learning is vital to their growth and development.
SSM students understand learning occurs in a variety of ways and continues throughout life. They are prepared to communicate purposefully, examine carefully and critically, and innovate thoughtfully and bravely. They are open to new ideas, perspectives, and opportunities. They strive to be solution-oriented and creative.
SSM graduates understand what it means to have integrity.
SSM students learn the value of responsibility and the importance of caring about other people. They are prepared to do what is right even when doing so might be difficult. They strive for integrity in their personal and professional lives.
ENGAGEMENT OPENNESS PERSISTENCE INTEGRITY
SSM graduates engage with their communities.
SSM students help make communities around them better. They listen to and value the perspectives of others, and they seek to contribute to a positive school climate. They lend a helping hand when one is needed. They collaborate with others, contribute as team members, and connect with people who are different from them. They strive to be welcoming, respectful, and open-minded.
SSM graduates persist in meeting the challenges and opportunities of life.
SSM students understand growth and success require commitment, self-advocacy, and personal responsibility. They know life is complex and opportunity comes with challenges. They are prepared to show initiative, make decisions, and adapt to change.
Building a Strong PROGRAMMATIC EXCELLENCE
Foundation
GOAL #1:
Deliver an elite, mission-aligned, future-ready educational and athletic experience to differentiate SSM in the marketplace.
GOAL #2:
Attract, support, and retain top-tier educators and staff who embody SSM’s mission and model excellence in innovation, mentorship, service, and lifelong learning.
CONSIDERATIONS:
Signature Programs, Core Academics, Electives, Research Partnerships, Residencies, Conferences, Professional Development, Student Leadership Roles, Exchanges, First-Choice College Admissions, Summer Academics, Athletic Camps, Retention, Competitive Compensation, Recognition, Retention, Satisfaction Index, Onboarding, Growth Pathways
GOAL #1:
Increase net revenue while diversifying and stabilizing income streams.
GOAL #2:
Maintain educational quality while lowering unnecessary operational expenses and maximizing efficiency.
CONSIDERATIONS:
Enrollment, Philanthropy, Sponsorships, Subsidiaries, Investment, Risk, Auxiliary Programs, Physical Assets, Financial Aid
GOAL #1:
Elevate SSM’s visibility and reputation domestically and globally.
GOAL #2:
Ensure every student, employee, and stakeholder consistently delivers and reinforces the SSM brand promise.
GOAL #1:
Modernize, sustain, and optimize SSM’s physical plant to support safety, educational quality, and long-term institutional agility.
GOAL #2:
Ensure SSM’s facilities amplify both the student experience and institutional reputation, domestically and globally.
GOAL #1:
Build a disciplined, forwardthinking governance structure that drives institutional stability, accountability, and long-term vision execution.
GOAL #2:
Strengthen Board partnership with school leadership to ensure transparent decision-making, risk management, and strategic continuity.
CONSIDERATIONS:
Unified Messaging, Alumni Showcasing, Expanding Reach, Digital Engagement, Media Leverage, International Market, Domestic Market, International Partnerships, Customer Experience
CONSIDERATIONS:
Capital Investments, Lifecycle Planning, Deferred Maintenance, User Experience, Programmatic Needs, Campus Master Plan, High-Visibility Enhancements, DonorReady Projects, Debt-Reducing Projects, Financing
CONSIDERATIONS:
Board Composition, Committee Structure, Bylaws, Evaluations, Pipeline, Working Groups, Orientation, Succession, Communication
where lead Vision 2030: goals
FOCUS 1
Distinctive, Highly Successful Programs
FOCUS 2
Exceptional Teachers, Coaches, and Staff
FOCUS 3
Sustainable and Diversified Financial Strength
FOCUS 4
Elevated Global Brand and Visibility
FOCUS 5
Strategic Stewardship of Campus Assets
FOCUS 6
High-Performing Strategic Governance
FOCUS 1
Distinctive, Highly Successful Programs
OUR COMMITMENT
Shattuck St. Mary’s provides many successful programs and experiences and is committed to demonstrating that all school programs are measurably excellent and distinctive.
OUR GOAL
SSM’s academic and co-curricular programs are recognized as exceptional and distinctive both within and outside the school community.
OUR STRATEGY
Define, measure, and improve SSM’s programs to ensure they are distinctive when measured against peer benchmarks and student outcomes.
“On registration day, I was astounded by the variety of people and programs present. When I stepped through the Arch, I became eager to access the opportunities that SSM could provide me.”
— Tiffany Ogunsemi ’23
FOCUS 2
Exceptional Teachers, Coaches and Staff
OUR COMMITMENT
Shattuck St. Mary’s has been recognized for its outstanding faculty and staff, and is committed to attracting, developing, supporting and retaining top quality people.
OUR GOAL
SSM has the reputation for a highly successful faculty and a rewarding faculty and staff culture.
OUR STRATEGY
Design an integrated program that combines market-leading compensation, clear career opportunities, and meaningful professional growth to attract, retain, and advance exceptional employees.
“The teachers, coaches, and staff here didn’t just teach— they invested. They challenged me to speak up, show up, and stay consistent even when it was hard.”
—
Lloyd Robinson ’25
SUSTAINABLE & DIVERSIFIED
FOCUS 3
Sustainable and Diversified Financial Strength
OUR COMMITMENT
Shattuck St. Mary’s has a range of valuable assets in its programs, its people and its facilities, and is committed to maximizing those assets through careful stewardship and innovative programming and planning.
OUR GOAL
Strengthen the School’s financial sustainability by growing and diversifying revenue, exercising disciplined stewardship of resources, and ensuring long-term educational excellence.
OUR STRATEGY
Expand and diversify revenue while maintaining disciplined financial planning and cost control to ensure resilient, highquality programs and operating models.
“SSM needs the security of consistent giving from a cadre of dedicated alums and supporters. We had our opportunity to experience the benefits of a strong college preparatory experience— it’s important that we provide this same experience to generations of young people in the future.”
—
Phil Trout ’73
ELEVATED GLOBAL
FOCUS 4
Elevated
Global Brand and Visibility
OUR COMMITMENT
Shattuck St. Mary’s enjoys a remarkable history as a successful and evolving institution, and is committed to carrying forward the name and reputation of the school in clear, targeted programs and messages.
OUR GOAL
Elevate SSM’s visibility and Brand awareness internally, domestically, and globally.
OUR STRATEGY
Deploy a clear, consistent brand message that is anchored in SSM’s distinctive programs and outcomes, and targets domestic and international channels to drive awareness, engagement, and demand.
“There’s a shared understanding, a spark of recognition that transcends generations. We may have walked your halls and tunnels at different times, but we are all shaped by the same spirit and belief in possibility, in community, in purpose.”
—
Nora Brown ’96
STRATEGIC STEWARDSHIP OF
FOCUS 5
Strategic Stewardship of Campus Assets
OUR COMMITMENT
The Shattuck St. Mary’s experience is captured nowhere more dramatically than in its unique and compelling campus and facilities, and the school is committed to ensuring that the campus is preserved and enhanced to support the Mission of the school, the success of its programs, and the experiences of its students.
OUR GOAL
Strategically steward and optimize SSM’s physical assets to support safety and educational excellence while leveraging campus resources to enhance the student experience, institutional reputation, and long-term financial strength.
OUR STRATEGY
Align facilities planning, investment, and utilization to institutional priorities—ensuring every asset supports program excellence and long-term financial sustainability.
“The
resources and passion for updating the
campus
and building new buildings while repairing the old leaves us with a beautiful and functional campus.”
— Abby Carlstrom Humphrey ’62
FOCUS 6
High-Performing Strategic Governance
OUR COMMITMENT
Shattuck St. Mary’s has adopted a Governance structure that supports the critical needs of the school in oversight of its programs, financial operations, development, physical plant and strategic planning, and is committed to providing through the Board and its committees the necessary guidance and support to enable the school to fulfill its Mission.
OUR GOAL
Sustain a high-performing Governance model that will provide disciplined oversight of all school operations and will ensure successful execution of the strategic plan.
OUR STRATEGY
Design and operate governance structures and systems that align board size and composition, decision-making processes, and partnerships with school leaders so that effective oversight, strategic clarity, and consistent execution are achieved.
“I received the gift of great
teachers,
great friends,
and
great
mentors. Returning interest on those gifts through my own financial donations and now through my work on the Board of Trustees is fulfilling and I hope returns some of the favor I received.”
— Fred W. Krahmer ’88