Maumee Valley Country Day Search 1 | Page 10

OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES While Maumee Valley is in excellent shape with record enrollment, there are a number of ways in which the school hopes to improve and develop over the next five to ten years. Finances Balanced operating budgets are the norm, but these have been achieved with some very careful attention to a “net tuition” philosophy that involves a large amount of financial aid (50% of the students receive some form of tuition reduction) and relatively low non-tuition revenue. The school is also working on increasing its annual giving and endowment income. Maumee Valley has recently restructured its debt and expects to pay down some of its debt over the next 24 months. The overall financial picture has a positive trend, but the margins are thin and the next head will need to be attentive to and skilled in financial management. Diversity The school has excellent diversity in the student body and on the board, but needs to add diversity to the faculty and administration. This should be a high priority for the next Head of School, who will need to devote considerable attention to attracting teachers and administrators with ethnic diversity and male teachers in the Early Learning Center and Lower School. Size of School and Facilities The school’s financial picture has been supported by record enrollment – there are 547 students this year, the largest in school history, with 566 projected for next year. The current enrollment trend seems sustainable, and Maumee Valley continues to experience a 7-10% increase in total enrollment each year while competitive schools are experiencing significant declines. With year- over-year increases in enrollment come challenges. Maumee Valley has several divisions that are strained by the increased number of students and the next head will have to work on finding the sweet spot for total enrollment, and also make decisions about renovations and/or additions to allow for an increased number of students coming to the school. Support Services for Students With a larger population it is inevitable that the demand for services has increased. These include support for learning differences, counseling and guida