{"id":27631,"date":"2025-01-23T17:06:59","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T23:06:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/?p=27631"},"modified":"2025-01-27T13:29:20","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T19:29:20","slug":"state-of-the-school-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/2025\/01\/23\/state-of-the-school-part-one\/","title":{"rendered":"State Of The School Part One"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Middlefrom Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is my custom to provide a yearly \u201cstate of the school\u201d report in January, and I will use my Panther Post messages today and next week to highlight key updates and insights into our progress and future direction. Let me say upfront that MPA is in excellent shape and in a strong position locally, regionally, and nationally. Your partnership, support, and trust make it possible for MPA to continue thriving as a school community dedicated to cultivating a love of learning and fostering excellence in our students.<\/p>\n

Enrollment Growth and Community Strength<\/strong>
\nI am thrilled to share that our enrollment for this year stands at 571 students, exceeding our forecast and marking continued growth. This is a testament to the exceptional reputation of MPA within the broader community. Once again, the demand for Lower School is a primary driver of this growth, with as many new students joining Lower School as the Middle and Upper Schools combined. We are proud to report that several grades, including kindergarten, first grade, third grade, sixth grade, and seventh grade, are fully enrolled with most other grades having just a few spots open.<\/p>\n

Community member recommendations have emerged as the most common way that new families discover MPA, reflecting the power of word-of-mouth and the strength of our community\u2019s commitment to our school\u2019s mission. Additionally, attrition rates are at their lowest in several years, particularly during key transition years such as PreK to kindergarten, fourth to fifth grade, and eighth to ninth grade. This retention demonstrates the confidence families have in the continuity and quality of an MPA education. Looking ahead to the 2025-26 school year, we anticipate maintaining or slightly increasing enrollment. This steady, incremental growth aligns with demographic trends in the east metro area of the Twin Cities.<\/p>\n

Financial Stability Amid Global Economic Challenges<\/strong>
\nInflation continues to present challenges, particularly in areas like compensation, fundraising, food, and supplies. However, MPA remains on a solid fiscal foundation. Our lean budget requires careful stewardship to balance resources while maintaining our commitment to excellence.<\/p>\n

A critical factor in understanding the financial dynamics of independent schools like ours is the economic theory of Baumol\u2019s Cost Disease. This concept explains why costs in labor-intensive industries, such as education, arts, and health care, rise over time. Unlike industries where technology increases productivity, the personalized attention and small class sizes that define MPA cannot be automated. Compensation accounts for 80% of our expenses, while tuition makes up 80% of our revenue. Auxiliary programs, endowment earnings, and fundraising provide the remaining revenue, but the balance remains delicate.<\/p>\n

Affordability<\/strong>
\nAffordability remains a top priority for the Board of Trustees and me. The cost of tuition is at the forefront of our short-term and long-term fiscal planning, and we are committed to managing tuition increases as we also prioritize compensation for our faculty and staff. For instance, tuition increases have slowed since the 2023-24 school year and the rolling 5-year average increase has declined since the 2019-20 school year.<\/p>\n

Advancing Our Strategic Vision: 2024ward<\/em><\/strong>
\nOur strategic plan, 2024ward<\/em>, is a guiding framework that propels us toward achieving our mission. Below are some highlights of our progress on the first priority, \u201cempowering students to live, learn, and thrive in today\u2019s increasingly complex globalized society.\u201d<\/p>\n