The future depends on us...

The future depends

on what you do today.

-Mahatma Gandhi

                After ten long years, the City of Pasadena has finally scheduled the first of three public hearings regarding our proposed Master Plan. It is hard to believe that it has taken this long. As I have explained in this space and elsewhere, the City is extremely sensitive to neighborhood concerns when it comes to school construction projects. So, for the better part of ten years, we have been challenged to justify the substantive need for the projects identified in the proposed Master Plan and to conduct a variety of studies (traffic, noise, pedestrian movement, etc.) in order to determine the relative impact our plans will have on the surrounding residential streets.

                For those who are new to the La Salle community; our Master Plan proposes three phases of projects:

o   Phase I: construction of a practice gym, fitness and aquatics centers

o   Phase II: construction of a visual and performing arts center

o   Phase III: construction of a field house on Kohorst Field

There are some smaller projects associated with each phase, but – for the most part – these three elements form the focus of neighborhood concerns.

                Ironically, the timing of the first Hearing (Design Review Commission) couldn’t be better. The main question which must be addressed at each Hearing (Design Review, Planning Commission and City Council) is this: How will La Salle justify the necessity of each phase of the Master Plan? For those of you who have been following my comments in this space will remember that, at the same time we have been pursuing the Master Plan, we have also been working on the development of a new Strategic Plan. I am pleased to report that the draft goals which emerged from the Strategic Planning Retreat held last February provide substantive evidence in support of each phase of our Master Plan. There are six goals:

1.                   EXPAND AND DEEPEN LASALLIAN FORMATION PROGRAMS TO BETTER ARTICULATE THE SCHOOL’S CATHOLIC AND LASALLIAN IDENTITY.

2.                   ENSURE THE DELIVERY OF A RELEVANT AND CHALLENGING COLLEGE PREPARATORY CURRICULUM TO ADDRESS THE DIVERSE LEARNING NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS.

3.                   STRENGTHEN THE RECRUITMENT OF A DIVERSE FACULTY AND STAFF TO BETTER ALIGN WITH A DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATION.

4.                   STRENGTHEN THE QUALITY OF THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM IN:

·         Athletics

·         Guidance & Counseling

·         Student Life

5.                   ENSURE CAMPUS FACILITIES EFFECTIVELY SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MISSION

6.                   ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE MISSION THROUGH EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE LEVERAGING OF FINANCE, DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING FUNCTIONS

The casual observer will note that these six goals make sense for any educational institution. What makes them compelling for the future of La Salle is the underlying expectation that the School must deliver excellence in every aspect of the programs it offers to the students entrusted to our care. Why? One of the facts of life we discovered through the strategic planning process is the undeniable reality of a shrinking population of school-age children available to afford the tuition of the ten private high schools in and around Pasadena with which La Salle competes. From a strategic perspective, La Salle must capture its fair share of Mission-appropriate students; to do that requires that we offer the same level of service being provided at schools who charge more – often twice the price – of what we ask families to pay.  Quite simply – and understandably - families who are able to pay most - or all of our tuition - expect La Salle to deliver the same quality of education as schools charging up to twice our price.

                This is the link between our strategic and master plans. La Salle cannot succeed as an independent school in Pasadena without the ability to provide the facilities necessary to attract families who have excellent – and more expensive - options for their children.  I would be remiss, however, if I didn’t also note that there is an absolute link between our strategic/master plans and our commitment to serve families on the margin. We wouldn’t be the school we are without the inclusion of children from all walks of life. I am fond of noting that our full tuition families regularly inform me that they appreciate the kinds of children who hang out in their family room.

                So, in the end, the substantive justification for the projects we want to pursue in our Master Plan is simply this: the students entrusted to our care deserve the absolute best facilities and programs to ensure that their lives will be full and productive – an outcome any parent can support.