by Marc de Vries
marc.devries@miiori.com
It has been some time since the last Board Chair letter. While it is my intent to provide an update on Board activities on a monthly basis and I have to apologize for this silence, it can be seen as a good sign that there has been nothing urgent to report. ISB is implementing its Strategic Learning Plan according to schedule and continues to operate business as usual, despite the political tensions manifesting themselves downtown.
A summary of the most important discussion points of the past two months are highlighted below.
Preliminary Budget 2014/15
On February 25th, 2014 the Board approved the Preliminary Budget for 2014/15.
A higher degree of uncertainty about future enrollment figures brought about by the current political situation has resulted in a prudent approach for next year’s budget. Opening enrollment is pegged at 1900 students, which is 88 students less than current enrollment. The expected opening enrollment forms the basis for the rest of the budget, including the number of teachers expected to be hired (almost the same as this school year). Tuition will increase by about 3%, in line with inflation and according to Board guidelines stipulated in the Financial Matrix. Capital Expenditure is budgeted at THB 130 million. Most of these funds will go towards facility (renovation) projects, while THB 30 million will go towards technology investments. Capital expenditure is significantly less than the average of THB 220 million over the past 5 years, yet higher than it has ever been without a large-scale construction project. This underlines the school’s commitment to upgrading and maintaining ISB’s state of the art facilities for the years to come.
Although salary expenses constitute over 80% of expenditures and are committed for the budget year, ISB has a few mechanisms to offset the decreased revenues should enrollment drop below the forecast number. There is a solid financial reserve that includes a relatively healthy cash position. ISB’s net current assets will allow for a drop of more than 300 students. In addition, ISB will also be able to defer some of the capital expenditure expenses should this be necessary. Overall the Board feels confident that the school is well prepared for any contingency planning.
School Trip Destinations
Previously concerns were raised regarding school trips to countries where students are unable to obtain visas because of their nationality. Specifically, there was a concern for Israeli students not being able to attend GCW trips to Indonesia. Although there are procedures for Israeli citizens to apply for an Indonesian visa, one student planning to attend the IASAS Cultural Convention in Jakarta was unable to obtain a visa, despite sponsorship from Jakarta International School and support from ISB. We want all of our students to be able to benefit from the international learning experiences that are on offer and, while we understand the geopolitical complexities between nations, ISB will continue to look for ways to support students of all nationalities to attend IASAS and other international activities.
Head of School Evaluation
The Board formally evaluates the Head of School twice a year. While normally these evaluations aren’t discussed in open session or reported on in the Board Chair letter, I would like to give some recognition to Dr. Davies here. The Board feels strongly that Dr. Davies has done an outstanding job at managing the school and driving the continuous improvement projects according to the Strategic Learning Plan. ISB is really very fortunate to have Dr. Davies as Head of School.
Strategic Improvement and Learning Committee
ISB has been working with a Thai feeder organization to identify potential Thai scholarship students. Three students have been short-listed of which ISB can accommodate two. As with other scholarships, Nichada families are being sought to house the students for next school year.
The Learning Scorecard continues to be improved as the targets need to be more useful and board appropriate. Some historic data and trends will be included to help in the target setting, so that they can be better used in monitoring school performance.
ISB has recently appointed a Director of Support Services, who will, in addition to other duties, oversee and provide support to the Inclusion initiative which would allow students of a wider range of academic backgrounds to attend ISB. Some staff members recently went to a conference on inclusion in The Hague and future trips are planned for Brussels and Hong Kong. ISB continues its slow approach and “comfortable pace” with this initiative, by this year working with students already at ISB and next year possibly admitting siblings of students already at ISB.
There seems to be a resurgence of Character Education and its connection to 21st century skills. The Middle School counselors are currently working with Positive Education and the Theory of Well-Being. With expert input from Jackie Greenwood, MS Counselor, SILC is evaluating if and where “ethics” might fit within ISB’s mission. The question also arose if ISB is seen as doing enough now in teaching important character values. Possible challenges in going forward include establishing priorities, defining and then embedding “shared values”, teacher education and resourcing and, last but not least, leadership and expertise. Next steps include Andy and Graeme discussing Character Education with the Leadership Team.
Business Committee
The Business Committee has been reviewing the Financial Matrix. The targets set for the metrics have all been met with some margin, and it may be useful to tighten some of them in the future. The Committee has also been reviewing the Articles of Association of the various ISB linked companies as part of a periodic due diligence.
Committee on Trustees
The Committee on Trustees has been working on the Head of School evaluations as well as the Board self-evaluation. The main goal before the end of the year will be to try and increase voter turnout for the next Board elections. The COT will be seeking assistance from the PTA and student council to increase voter awareness.
Next Board Meeting
The next Board meeting will be held on Tuesday March 25th, 2013 in MPB3 at 6:00pm – 09:00pm. The meeting is open for all ISA members to attend.
Yours sincerely,
Marc de Vries
BOT Chair