Standards and Benchmarks

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Standard 10 - An excellent Catholic school provides a feasible three to five-year financial plan that includes both current and projected budgets and is the result of a collaborative process emphasizing faithful stewardship.

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Domain 4 - Standard 10 
 

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Summary:

Rosary Academy meets the benchmarks of Standard 10. In 2018, school leadership established a consultative school board and finance committee to review the school's financial landscape and start planning for long-term success. With feedback from the members of the board and finance committee, school leadership evaluated tuition and fee structures to ensure operational costs were covered and to support new programming. In 2021, an investment committee was launched and the members were able to work with diocesan leadership to increase the percentage of our investments.

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The school has been operating on a tuition gap while at the same time implementing new revenue streams, building rental and class level fees, and increasing fundraising efforts. Over the last three years, the advancement office has secured new grants and has improved overall fundraising efforts.

Rosary's finance and admissions offices have a tuition assistance application timeline. The admissions office regularly communicates the steps to apply for tuition assistance as well as deadlines.

​Rosary continues to evaluate and update the budget to implement best financial practices as well as be good stewards of resources.  Our annual report includes the financial landscape to the community and we work closely with the consultative school board and a variety of committees (finance, advancement, parent, facilities) to offer transparency and engage in long-term planning.

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Key Strengths for Standard 10  (1-2 in the bulleted list)

• Rosary has a well established consultative school board and finance committee.

• The leadership team has become more involved in budgeting and moderating the school finances.

 

Key Growth Areas for Standard 10 

• Explore additional financial avenues within the community to enhance sustainability.

• Increase distributions of financial plans to departments, coaches, staff, and all those in charge of a budget.

 

Rationale:

10.1: 3 – Consultative school board, finance committee, and investment committee include experts in the field to offer advice and plan school budget

10.2: 3 – Diocese is involved with finance and investment committees to collaborate on Rosary’s financial plans

10.3: 2 – need to increase the revenue sources, including new foundations

10.4: 3 – Over the last 6 years, Rosary’s budget includes the key factors and the leadership team, in conjunction with the Diocese of Orange, consultative school board, and committees discuss a long-term financial plan.

10.5: 2 – Finance office can provide a gap for tuition, but it does not include all factors listed. Give more tuition assistance than budgeted

10.6: 2 – Rosary provides an annual report to donors and the community at large, which is also available on our website, but detailed financial plan for all stakeholders has not been shared

10.7: 3 – All new families receive communication on the process to apply for financial aid, but we do not offer long-term planning details

10.8: 2 – School leadership is improving created financial plans to stay within budget and has improved communication with donors on use of funds

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Evidence (Links)

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10.1 – Finance Committee meeting minutes and Consultative School Board
10.2-10.4 – Budget  and Surveys where Agree or Strongly agree: Parent and School Community Survey Q39(57.25%), and Parent and School Community Survey Q40(59.26%)

Faculty, Staff, Admin Survey Q39(42.43%), and Faculty, Staff, Admin  Survey Q40(62.12%)
10.6 - Annual Report and Strategic Plan
10.7 - Tuition Assistant, Scholarship, and Loan Options

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Standard 11 - An excellent Catholic school operates in accord with published human resource/personnel policies, developed in compliance with arch/diocesan policies and/or religious congregation sponsorship policies, which affect all staff (clergy, religious women and men, laity, and volunteers) and provide clarity for responsibilities, expectations, and accountability. ​

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Domain 4 - Standard 11

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Summary:

 

Rosary Academy meets the benchmarks of Standard 11. As a diocesan school, Rosary leadership works closely with human resources personnel to communicate and implement policies. Currently, the school does not have a full-time staff member to manage human resources, so the responsibility falls on an administrative assistant and head of school.

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Key Strengths for Standard 11  (1-2 in bulleted list)

• The diocese is involved and is accessible with human resources policies.

• There are well-documented human resources policies from the diocese and Rosary.

 

Key Growth Areas for Standard 11 (1-2 in bulleted list)

• Investigate the hiring of a full-time HR staff member on campus.

• Provide more funding for professional development.

 

Rationale:

11.1: 2 – Rosary does not have one dedicated HR staff member

11.2: 3 – Rosary implements and adheres to the HR policies created by the Diocese of Orange as well as Rosary Academy’s faculty/staff handbook

11.3: 3 – Rosary uses the Diocese of Orange salary scale

11.4: 3 – Teachers and staff have opportunities to attend professional development, which include Title I funding

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Evidence (Links)

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11.2 – Diocesan Handbook, Rosary faculty/staff handbook

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Standard 12 - An excellent Catholic school develops and maintains a facilities, equipment, and technology management plan designed to continuously support the implementation of the educational mission of the school.

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Domain 4 - Standard 12

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Summary:

Rosary Academy meets the benchmarks in Standard 12. In 2021, Rosary leadership launched a facilities committee and began working on a long-term facilities plan. Over the last 3 years, the school has invested $2.1 million in infrastructure enhancements that align with the mission and vision of the school. Updates include: video board, Anatomage table, renovating 23 classrooms, new chapel doors and window covering, updated kitchen appliances, new benches and chairs on campus, solar panels and hardware, new roofing.  Rosary has added a new golf facility on campus.  In order to keep our campus, secure we have added security cameras, a new motorized security gate, and a guard shack.

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​School leadership will continue to evaluate the facilities and technology plan to ensure improvements are consistently planned and budgeted to advance Rosary's mission.

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Key Strengths for Standard 12  (1-2 in bulleted list)

• Our 1 to 1 device program.

• TV's and sound bars are available for the wireless display of tablets accessible for each teacher in the classrooms.

• Purchase of the Anatomage table.

• Installment of solar panels.

 

Key Growth Areas for Standard 12 (1-2 in bulleted list)

• Develop a robust technology plan.

• Create consultative school board sub-groups to enhance various aspects of campus.

 

Rationale:

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12.1: 2 – Rosary has launched a facilities committee and is in the process of creating a long-term facilities plan.

12.2: 2 – Rosary’s finance/business office along with the head of school and finance committee review the facilities, equipment and technology, but there is a need to create a technology improvement plan as well as a budgeted capital improvement plan.

12.3 – Rosary does make decisions aligned with the mission, vision and philosophy, such as purchasing an anatomage table for the science department and STEM related Pathways programs 

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Evidence (Links)

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Surveys where Agree or Strongly agree: Parent and School Community Survey Q42(60%), and Parent and School Community Survey Q44(80.59%)

Faculty, Staff, Admin Survey Q42(51.52%),  and Faculty, Staff, Admin  Survey Q44(60.61%)
 

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Standard 13 - An excellent Catholic school enacts a comprehensive plan for institutional advancement based on a compelling mission through communications, marketing, enrollment management, and development. 

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Domain 4 - Standard 13

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Summary:

Rosary Academy meets the benchmarks in Standard 13. In 2019, school leadership and the consultative school board engaged in the first-ever strategic plan to start re-engaging stakeholders and create transparency on the direction of the school. Over 70 community members came together for a weekend-long retreat to discuss, evaluate, and plan for the future. Following this process, the plan was communicated to the entire community in January 2020. Shortly after, COVID hit and priorities were adjusted; however, fundraising and enrollment initiatives continued to be top priorities. With the support from the school's consultative school board, parent board, and various committees, the advancement and admissions teams continue to enhance efforts and achieve success.

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​In 2018, Rosary outsourced social media efforts to improve branding and outreach. Since then, we have seen higher engagement with more consistent branding. In 2022, the school hired an alumnae manager to support both fundraising and enrollment efforts.

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Key Strengths for Standard 13  (1-2 in bulleted list)

• Databases and communications systems to use and analyze our engagement between our alumnae, current families, and prospective families.

• The advancement committee was developed and enhanced to communicate a more formalized development plan.

• All incoming and/or prospective families are in multiple communication databases to ensure all information is communicated to them.

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Key Growth Areas for Standard 13 (1-2 in bulleted list)

• Analyze student retention/loss, and share the report with the consultative school board and the leadership team.

• Work with the advancement committee to share information with our faculty and staff.

• Engage the alumnae community and convert them to donors.

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Rationale:

13.1: 3 – Rosary uses multiple modes to communicate with all stakeholders and manages secure databases for enrollment, fundraising, and student records
13.2: 2 – Rosary is in the process of establishing a formal enrollment management plan to create goals for recruiting and retention
13.3: 3 – Rosary’s advancement/development plan has been created with input from school leadership, consultative school board, and finance and advancement committees which has led to increased fundraising, donors, and alumnae engagement

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Evidence (Links)

13.1 – Communications Plan and Parent and School Community Survey Q45
13.2 – Enrollment Management Plan
13.3 – Advancement Plan

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Summary of Domain 4:  

As the landscape for Catholic education continues to change, efforts have been made to ensure Rosary is financially stable.  The head of school brought back the consultative school board and finance committee.  With the support from the Diocese of Orange, board, and committee, Rosary launched the first-ever strategic plan in 2020.

 

During the last three years, Rosary has worked diligently to improve the budget, recruit more students, increase fundraising dollars, enhance communication with all stakeholders, and work with the diocese for human resources needs.  As a school, we continue to discuss how to incorporate innovative revenue streams while engaging new donors and retaining current donors. We continue to work on developing formal communication plans to support the mission of the school.  

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