Last May we conducted a survey of our parents through the Frost Center at Hope College. We centered our questions on communication and technology, on our ability to achieve the mission of the school and the school’s academic program, in addition to obtaining important demographic information. Remarkably we had a 58% participation rate, which is exceptional – anything close to 40% is considered the expected maximum. The web-based approach seemed to work well. So first a thank you to all who took the time to answer the survey questions – your participation, suggestions and words of encouragement were very much appreciated. I want you to know that we did hear you and the Board and Administration have used this information to help shape our priorities for this year and for the near future. The Board will be providing a summary of the results and recommendations gleaned from the survey to parents in the very near future.

One of the leading issues mentioned in the survey was something that the Board was already in the process of addressing but the survey gave us even more reason to do so – affordability – it was apparent that for some families the cost of Christian Education is moving beyond their reach financially. This is even more magnified in our present situation of uncertain employment and financial instability. Holland Christian has been blessed to have quality programs, a caring staff, exceptional facilities and we want to make sure that every family, both those enrolled presently and those who might consider enrollment, in the Holland community that would want to provide this remarkable experience for their children should not be limited or even hesitate to seriously consider HC as an option for their family because of cost. We have already begun this dialog with a series of focus groups that are wrestling with this very issue and looking for creative and sustainable solutions. The first focus group would be made up of supporters of the school and former members of Board leadership that have expressed both an interest and a concern about this issue and come with significant experience in managing businesses and strategic planning. Secondly we are having focus groups of our present parents asking the questions about what does affordability mean for them today – what are the barriers and the opportunities for enrollment from their perspective. Then a third group will be potential parents that have children in our pre school or even younger and we need to hear from these parents about how they make such decisions about what schools to attend? What are you looking for in a school for your children? and what kind of tuition assistance programs would be of the greatest benefit to them going forward? Each of these groups will bring important information and perspective to the discussion so that the Board will be able to make designs and plans for change in order to address this challenge very soon. If you are asked to be in such a group please do so – we need your help to make this the best plan and have the broadest impact possible.

Closely linked to this discussion on affordability is the discussion about how to best grow the school – to stem the tide of declining enrollment. We have a tremendous educational experience that is unparalleled in any other school in the area and yet we seem to be content to keep that a secret. We need your help to get the word out to your friends and neighbors about your experiences at HC and to invite them to check it out. We need to create materials and better information for you so that you will feel equipped to answer those questions about what are the differences and why you are willing to make sacrifices so that your children are able to attend this school. The easiest way to make the school more affordable is to add more students – we have space and so it would not always mean additional cost to add more students.

We also are committed to look for efficiencies – how can we be better stewards of the resources we have been given to care for – how can we look for creative ways to conduct the business of schooling better and differently in order to be more cost effective. We will be looking to engage more volunteers to help reduce costs and assist with operational expenses. There are opportunities galore in many aspects of school life. Again when the call is made for volunteers – please heed the call – young and old – that is another great way to become more affordable.

We also want to continue to provide increased value for your tuition dollar – we need to make you as parents are more aware and more informed about changes in our programs that advance and enlarge the educational opportunities for your children. We hope to launch a series of seminars for parents in order to better inform you about technology, instructional methods and designs that will impact your children and dialogs about many other areas of the school. Again make every effort to take advantage of these sessions since we know that your knowledge and awareness of these programs will increase your sense of ownership and participation.

This is only one of the areas identified in the survey that requires our attention – others as listed as priorities by the Board were communication between the teachers and parents, more service opportunities and opportunities to express ones faith for our students, increased programming in foreign languages, increased expectations and evidence regarding academic excellence, and more assistance with post graduate experiences relative to both college and vocations.

Holland Christian is an exceptional school that is Christ centered and built upon the principles taught in Scripture. As a school community we strive daily to serve your children’s academic, social and spiritual needs. The culture of this school is steeped in a beautiful and lasting heritage of caring for and developing the entire child – body – mind and soul. This is a tribute the families that have invested in their child’s future and the work of our dedicated staff. Our goal through this dialog about affordability and accessibility is to encourage and welcome more families to experience our vibrant spiritual values and academic offerings. Thank you for your on going support, involvement and prayers as we must now all work together to make Holland Christian an even better school than it already is today.

-Glenn