Progress Report

Launch an office of spiritual formation to care for our students and minister to families and staff.

May 2024 | Completed with the hiring of Jake Ferrier as the Director of Spiritual Formation.

Assess student spiritual formation to ensure it is consistent with WC’s mission and improve the school experience to enhance spiritual formation.

Fall 2024 | The Flourishing Faith Survey was administered to students in grades 8-12 and other stakeholders such as parents, employees, and alumni. The results, including national comparisons, will provide the necessary insights to build the roadmap for enhanced spiritual formation.

Develop a student-centered discipleship program to allow mentorship and support to extend beyond the classroom and chapel.

Fall 2024 | 16 Warrior Groups launched at the Upper School. Warrior Groups were created to bring together students who wish to have another opportunity to learn about God’s Word and form relationships within a smaller setting. They meet weekly at various times and locations.

Incorporate service learning into the academic experience as an ethical expression of living a Christ-centered life.

Service learning helps connect academic knowledge with missional opportunities. This Fall, the Lower School will hear more about Lifeline Ministries and apply what they learned as they help package food to be sent all over the world. They will also take part in Operation Christmas Child, once again this year.

Create and implement a wellness-based program for students to encompass mental and physical health.

Expand leadership development curricular offerings and co-curricular experiences.

Fall 2024 | A Servant Leadership class for students in grades 9-10 was created to bridge the gap between the house leadership classes and enhance the foundation of biblical leadership at the Upper School.  The class partners with the Chic-fil-A Leadership Academy to engage with the local community and participate in quarterly service projects. 

Strengthen partnerships with area churches and key parachurch partners to underscore the imperative for school families to be involved in their churches for a WC education to be most effective in achieving its missions.

Create processes to facilitate the acclimation of new students and their families into the school and enhance students’ ongoing success by promoting a sense of belonging and community.

Fall 2024 | The Parent-Teacher Fellowship established a New Family Welcome Committee to facilitate intentional connections through events, mentorship, and more. A New Parent Dinner was hosted in August to allow dads and moms to engage with other parents. Each new family received a Welcome Box of WC-branded items. We also are gathering small groups of new students (per grade level) to meet throughout the year and foster relationships.

Achieve compensation benchmarks competitive with comparator schools.

Winter 2023 and Spring 2024 | Employees received a 5.5% pay increase compared to the 2.6% yearly increase in the previous eight years. Additionally, $600,000 was distributed in bonuses, taking the average salary increase with bonuses to 19%.

In May 2024, the school provided each staff member with a bonus, granting a total of $300,000 in bonuses.

As a result of the restructuring that went into effect on May 28, 2024, the school increased wages by $122,000 for the addition of the Director of Spiritual Formation, for administrators assuming more responsibilities and oversight of additional areas, and for moving the Administrative Assistant to the Head of School role to full-time status.

For the 2024-25 school year, all employees received a 5% salary increase. In addition, the school granted targeted increases for the following groups with corresponding amounts beyond the 5% increase:

• Mid- to late-career teachers – $206,000
• Select administrators and salaried support staff – $29,943
• Support staff – $39,881

Offer a benefits package comparable to comparator schools to all employees.

Implement a program to recognize exemplary performance.

Develop employee wellness initiatives to improve spiritual, physical, social, and emotional well-being.

Recruit and select highly qualified employees for all roles, particularly faculty, to reflect the demographic composition of the student body.

Articulate and implement a biblical approach to racial and ethnic diversity in recruiting, hiring, and promoting employees.

For the 2024-25 school year, we hired three employees who come from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Establish an aspiring leaders program for faculty and staff to develop leadership at all school levels and prepare them for possible promotion.

September 2024 | The Leadership Academy was launched with a cohort of 15 faculty and staff. They meet monthly and discuss a variety of topics.

Develop a differentiated professional development program based on the Five Attributes of Excellence in Teaching and Learning that fosters collaboration among faculty and progressives for self-directed educational growth to accommodate individual learning styles and needs and addresses priority needs for the faculty and the school.

September 2024 | A cohort of 43 teachers was selected to gather data and establish goals for their compliance, with excellence as their focus.

Articulate and implement an enhanced approach to school safety.

Spring 2024 | Head of School Dr. Mike Hayes appointed two task forces to address school safety and hiring practices. Comprised of parents, staff, and field experts, both task forces are expected to report their findings and recommendations in the fall of 2024.

Fall 2024 | Raptor, an integrated school safety software, launched at all campus buildings.

Invest in the technology infrastructure and support services to enhance the teaching and learning experience and promote learning.

Create a comprehensive facilities master plan to prepare for optimal enrollment size, enhance the academic experience, serve the community, and generate non-tuition-based revenue.

Grow the Worthington Christian School Foundation endowment fund to provide a stable, long-term revenue source and invest it with a partner aligned with the school’s mission and identity.

Reduce the school’s debt aggressively to promote sustainability and prepare for expansion opportunities.

September 2024 | The school debt is currently at $7,859,991. This reflects $275,000 of payments on principal in addition to the normal monthly payments since September 2023.

Restructure the development approach to enhance donor relations, increase the number of donors, and cultivate foundation giving.

Fall 2024 | We are reviewing our process for enhancing donor relations and recognition. We’re also researching ways to articulate our giving philosophy and enhance development practices. We continue to foster relationships by meeting with current and potential donors on a regular basis.

Launch a capital campaign to achieve the school’s strategic plan.

Fall 2024 | An outside firm, Mission Advancement, was hired to conduct a planning study. The study will:

• Test the image and reputation of the school and leadership​;
• Test the strength of the case for support​;
• Identify any challenges and/or opportunities that will impact the success of a campaign​;
• Timing for a campaign​;
• Determine the attainability of financial goals and Top 10 gifts on the financial model​;
• Assess stakeholder willingness to give and lead​; and
• Develop a specific campaign plan.