The success of any head of school depends on the strength of the leadership team and the engagement of the Board of Trustees. I feel incredibly lucky to work alongside such a talented, thoughtful, and dedicated group of colleagues who challenge and inspire me every day. I am also profoundly grateful for the unwavering support of our Trustees whose partnership and trust have meant so much to me. 

New Leaders this Year

I would like to extend my gratitude and congratulations to our senior leaders who joined us new this year: Director of Athletics Nick Williams, Director of Performing Arts and Theatre Director Dakota Elder-Thorn, and Director of Community Engagement and Belonging Latisha Humphries. Each has hit the ground running this year, helping to advance our school in their respective areas of leadership.  

New Leaders Next Year

Marty Frazier will join Wellington as our next Head of Upper School. Marty joins us from Hathaway Brown School in Cleveland where he is currently the Dean of Faculty. He brings deep experience, a student-centered leadership style, and a strong commitment to supporting teachers and elevating academic and community excellence. Marty receives the baton of Upper School leadership from Rishi Raghunathan who has guided the Upper School beautifully over these last six years.  

Shelley Brown will step fully into the Assistant Head of School for Academics role. She has already made a tremendous impact in this all-school academic work. Joining Shelley next year at the Assistant Head of School level is Lindsey Smith, whose title will shift from Chief Operating Officer to Assistant Head of School for Operations to more accurately reflect the scope of her role and responsibilities. 

Nicole Franks joined Wellington as Assistant Head of Early Childhood and Lower School this year, bringing a wealth of experience and outstanding leadership. Beginning next school year, Nicole will serve as our Head of Early Childhood and Lower School. Ellen Rhomberg will partner with her as Assistant Head of Early Childhood and Lower School.

Throughout this year, we’ve seen meaningful progress—from parent programming to Sunday Suppers to clearer communication rhythms to deeper partnership around student growth to improvements in how and when we communicate.   

We continue to identify communication as an area of ongoing needed progress. Through parent surveys, we hear that we get both too many emails and at times not enough communication or inconsistent communication from year-to-year about their individual child’s academic progress. I want you to know this is something we are actively working on, and I hope the progress you have seen this year will continue in the future.   

We put renewed focus on technology usage – for example, going completely cellphone free throughout the entire school.  

We have also renewed our commitment to following dress code and attendance policies, and I thank parents for their partnership on that.  

One thing I have been particularly proud of is the student-led setting of community expectations. In my view, student culture is best when all members of the community – students especially – hold each other accountable to our values. The Wellington middle school community expectations committee posted throughout the school: “We commit to building an inclusive, safe, engaging, and joyful community that embraces our Wellington values and holds each other accountable. As members of this community, we can be ourselves while striving to be responsible, curious, ambitious, and empathetic.”

This year, we overhauled the upper school schedule to increase instructional time while preserving signature programs, independent work time, and student-teacher consultation time—affectionately known as TASK time.  

We've also made major progress toward comprehensive curricular documentation and greater consistency in academic policies. Our curricular leads have worked to ensure a consistent and focused scope and sequence, access to resources, collaboration, and clear program articulation. Adjustments in the pathways available to our students ensure all have access to the level of support and challenge we want for them. And, we have done this while preserving Wellington's signature teacher autonomy and creativity. Link to program book. 

To better prepare students for the future, we dedicated a portion of our professional development efforts for the year to enhancing our approach to project-based learning. I'd like to show you a brief video that captures this work in action and why we feel it’s so fundamental to the Wellington approach to future-focused education. 

When we think about future-focused learning, we're also being thoughtful about how we approach AI in the curriculum. At Wellington, we view Artificial Intelligence as a thoughtful partner—used to enhance learning, foster creativity, and support individualized instruction—while always centering human relationships, cognitive development, ethical use, and academic integrity.  

We embrace AI as a tool to help students and educators grow as responsible, curious, and capable learners, ensuring its use aligns with our mission and educational approach. Shelley Brown and Director of Technology John Kruzan have been spearheading efforts to ensure we are using AI effectively and appropriately in every corner of the school. 

Each year, we review our upper school course offerings to ensure they match the skills our students are building, the content they need for what comes next, and the level of challenge they're ready to take on. This review also helps students create strong, authentic transcripts that reflect both rigor and personal growth.  

Upper school courses are designed to build independence, strengthen critical thinking, and develop students' confidence in tackling complex work. I'm particularly proud of the expanded course offerings in Upper School for next year. We have added additional levels for courses in 9^th and 10^th grade, so for example, there are now on grade-level 9^th and 10^th grade English courses as well as honors level 9^th and 10^th grade English courses. In 11^th and 12^th grades, we are providing the opportunity for students to select from a host of college-style seminar electives for English, or they may choose to take an advanced literature or advanced composition course that leads to the advanced placement exam. These changes will be shared in full at upcoming curriculum nights.  

New Courses for 2026-27 School Year

English

• Honors English 9 ​​

• Honors English 10 ​​

• Advanced Literature and Composition ​​

• Advanced Language and Composition ​​

History

• Honors Humanities 9

• Advanced United States History 10 

• Advanced Government 

Mathematics

• Honors Geometry​​

• Honors Algebra 2 ​​

• Advanced Precalculus ​​

• Advanced Calculus AB ​​

• Advanced Calculus BC ​​

Science

• Honors Integrated Science 10​​

And these changes matter because they reflect our ongoing commitment to a challenging and supportive academic program in which students have agency and opportunity to pursue their interests.  

Our course nomenclature also now more clearly reflects what colleges look for in transcript strength. It's our responsibility to keep pace with changes in college admissions to position our students as well as possible for the colleges and universities of their choosing. 

When we talk about elevating excellence across the curriculum, we have to talk about SUPPORTING our outstanding teachers. I am very proud that this year we tripled the professional development budget, and teachers are taking advantage of more opportunities.  

Additionally, we made strategic hires to support teachers in a significant way. Many of you may not realize that our Upper school teachers currently teach five courses as part of their full-time load.  

One of my main goals for this year was to reduce this to four courses to give our teachers more time for collaboration, planning, and meeting with students. I'm thrilled to share that the standard teaching load next year for both upper school and middle school teachers will be four courses instead of five.  

And when aiming for excellence in our curriculum, we need to be able to measure our efforts. When visitors ask how schools measure success, many point to college lists or standardized test scores. We have those—our students perform, on average, a full quartile above on standardized assessments from 1st grade through 12th, and we prepare students to get into and do very well in college. But we believe that how students experience learning matters just as much as outcomes. 

This is where we have developed an innovative software to help us. The Wellington Initiative is a research-based platform that helps schools measure student engagement.  

Engagement, as we define it, occurs when students are both challenged and enjoying their learning. Students report on this six times a year, providing us with actionable data about their classroom experience.  

On this slide, each dot represents a middle or upper school student this year. You’ll see that the vast majority fall in the upper-right quadrant—students reporting that they are both challenged and loving their courses. That is exactly where we want them.  

We use this data, alongside course surveys, not as an evaluative tool but as a listening tool—one that helps us refine practice and continuously improve. Today, more than 200 schools nationwide use the Wellington Initiative, extending Wellington’s impact beyond our campus while also creating a meaningful alternative revenue stream for the school.  

This year, we added a new tool: the Mattering Index. Based on Jennifer Wallace’s work, the mattering index measures students’ sense of connectedness and sense of contribution.  

The data makes me very proud: the overwhelming majority of Wellington students report a high sense of connectedness and a high sense of contribution, meaning we’re not just saying they feel like they belong and they matter, we’re hearing it from them. And of course the handful of students who report low levels of mattering are ones we identify and support, as Wellington is a place where no students slip through the cracks.

In Fiscal Year 2026, 91% of Wellington's revenue comes from net tuition after tuition assistance and remission. Tuition remains our primary income source and allows us to deliver the full Wellington experience. The Board is committed to supporting socio-economic diversity. Our tuition assistance program supports 33% of students, including 8% who are children of faculty and staff receiving 50% tuition remission. 

Additional revenue comes from auxiliary programs at 2%—summer programming, aftercare, enrichment, the Wellington Initiative, and rentals. Congratulations to Gina Spicer on the highest grossing summer program in Wellington's history last year! We also receive modest state revenue to cover compliance requirements. 

The school anticipated approximately $835,000 in restricted and unrestricted giving this year. However, the finance committee balances the budget before annual giving—meaning essential operating expenses are covered before relying on philanthropy. This allows philanthropic dollars to fund additional investments in people, projects, and tuition assistance. This practice of establishing a pre-philanthropic surplus is rare and a clear indicator of strong financial health and thoughtful stewardship. 

The school draws 3% annually from its endowment, providing $75,000 this year. This is an area poised for growth—our endowment has increased from roughly $3 million to $8 million thanks to the Scantland family gift earlier this year, which will allow us to take a greater draw in years to come.  
 
Additionally, we applied $345,000 from last year's Wellington Fund to this year's budget. 

[revenue chart]

Wellington's largest investment is in our people. Salaries and benefits account for 71% of expenditures, reflecting our commitment to attracting and retaining outstanding educators and staff. 

Program and instructional resources represent 16% of our operating budget, including curriculum, learning supplies, and international travel. Campus operations account for 7%, covering safety, facilities, and utilities. In many independent schools, these figures are reversed, with a larger share devoted to facilities. At Wellington, our budget reflects our values. By not over-investing in buildings, we are able to prioritize investments in great teaching, meaningful programs, and the daily experiences that matter most for students. This is one of the ways we steward tuition dollars thoughtfully—focusing our resources where they have the greatest impact on student learning and growth. 

And administrative expenses account for 6%—these include professional development, technology, legal, and compliance. 

The budget process begins each fall as leadership and trustees project enrollment and discuss tuition and salary increases, approved in December.  

[expenses chart]

Independent schools traditionally manage three budget levers: tuition, faculty-to-student ratio, and compensation. At Wellington, we're firmly committed to maintaining small class sizes and low faculty-student ratios, so that lever is not one we're willing to pull. That leaves tuition and compensation, which exist in constant tension. The Board is deeply mindful of affordability while holding a clear north star: attracting and retaining the best educators possible.  

Over the last two years, the Trustees increased tuition by an average of roughly 5.5%. This increase translates directly into salary and benefit increases for our outstanding teachers. For families, tuition continues to include lunch, textbooks, supplies, athletics, performing and visual arts, growth-mindset experiences like our ski program, most field trips, and overnight experiences starting in fourth grade—including international travel in junior year.  

We also recognize the essential role of tuition assistance. The Board has increased the tuition assistance budget at a higher percentage than the tuition increase, allowing us to support families more meaningfully. Tuition assistance now also applies to aftercare—an important step in ensuring all students can participate fully in school life. We've also expanded aftercare offerings, introduced pre-registration discounts, and added childcare options during school-year and summer holidays.  

I was proud to share with faculty last Friday that for the second consecutive year, we've offered the largest teacher salary pool increase in Wellington's history. This reflects our commitment to lifting salaries toward the top of independent school benchmarks while working toward competitiveness with public schools. 

And, for the first time in Wellington's history, we'll soon have a meaningful fourth lever accessible only to the most well-established independent schools: endowment revenue.  

Major capital expenses aren't included in our annual operating budget—they have separate budgets and revenue sources. Wellington does not use tuition dollars for major construction. The buildings around us have been paid for by the generous philanthropic support of members of the community. 

Examples of what the OPERATING budget does not include (i.e. these come from cash reserves, restricted giving, or capital giving)  ​

• Kinder Wing renovation​
• Upcoming renovations​
• Multi-year investment in LTRS Science of Reading training for Lower School faculty​
• Turf field replacement​

At last year's State of the School, I announced we'd be moving forward with the Croft Family Kindergarten Wing thanks to the generosity of Jim and Michelle Croft. I'm thrilled to share that we completed this project on time and under budget. Fifty-four kindergarten students and six kindergarten teachers are benefiting from this space right now.

Another major investment outside the operating budget that is less visible but similarly transformative is a three-year professional development project where 20 Lower School teachers are becoming certified in LETRS—the preeminent master's degree level program in the science of reading. We are a science of reading school. Our students' reading achievement surpasses national averages by around 30%, and we're grateful for the major philanthropic support that makes this possible.  

This year, we welcomed the largest enrollment in the school's history: 753 students, including 123 new students. We saw particularly strong demand in early childhood and lower school, a trend we expect to continue, especially at kindergarten and first grade. Please help spread the word: Little Jags and PreK are the ideal entry points for Wellington, as waiting until kindergarten means the possibility of limited space.  

Wellington continues to prioritize a diverse student body—consistently cited as one of our most distinguishing characteristics. This year, 49% of new students were students of color, and 43% of our overall student body are students of color. Our enrollment is 54% boys and 46% girls. 

Regarding retention: we saw 7% attrition last year, two points lower than the previous year. Most families who left did so after PreK or kindergarten, citing public school enrollment or relocation. Wellington's attrition rate was four points below the ISACS average of 11%. This is particularly notable given our region's strong public schools, and it reflects well on the experience we're providing families.  

Admissions activity was strong. We received 277 completed applications, accepted 153 students, and enrolled 123—an 80% yield. Compared to ISACS benchmarks, we're slightly more selective than the 70% average acceptance rate and above the 77% average yield rate—performing better than average in both measures.  

Looking ahead, the Board has established a goal for strategic enrollment growth leading to our 50th anniversary in 2032. This growth will be most notable in the upper school, where we're currently slightly smaller than optimal. 

In Little Jags and PreK, we maintain sections of 14 to 16 students. From kindergarten through fourth grade, we keep sections at 18. We staff classrooms with both lead teachers and learning guides, and deploy additional specialists during math and reading to maintain a 7:1 ratio in those core subjects. In middle school, we offer four sections at each grade level, and try to maintain those around 16 students. 

So, our goal is to reach 800 students while preserving our commitment to small class sizes. But I want to be clear in saying this growth will require adding classroom space, so you will hear from me momentarily on that. Next year, we anticipate similar enrollment to this year, and we're nearing capacity through eighth grade, so future growth will occur primarily in the upper school.  

Looking back at the last ten years, our parent participation in the Wellington Fund has hovered around 50%. I see participation in the annual fund as one of the greatest indicators – beyond re-enrollment – of family satisfaction with the school and belief in our mission.  

This year, parent participation is already 55%. That compares with last year at 57% overall which matched Wellington’s prior all-time highest participation. The fiscal year ends on June 30, so we have 4 months to go – I would love to see us set record participation this year.  

Last year, we raised a record-setting $896,211 for The Wellington Fund. Annual giving to The Wellington Fund includes unrestricted gifts, which we call “general mission support” and restricted gifts made to the 2024–25 funding priorities. We also received restricted gifts such as those mentioned earlier for professional development, planned gifts, and gifts to Wellington’s Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO).     
 
Our total dollars raised thus far in 2026 fiscal year annual giving is already greater than the total we raised in the 2025 fiscal year. This does not include capital gifts which I’ll touch on in a moment. I am incredibly pleased to share that we have achieved our goal of $1 million in annual giving.