Dear Purcell Marian Community,

Thank you to all who took the time to respond to our strategic planning survey. Your thoughtful feedback has been both affirming and insightful, providing valuable data to guide our next steps. Your voices are helping shape the future of Purcell Marian High School.

Following the survey, we convened a series of focus groups to deepen our understanding of key themes and to extend the conversation. We are especially grateful to the many students, parents, alumni, faculty, and community members who participated in these rich discussions.

On Monday, July 7th, our Strategic Planning Committee gathered off-site for a full-day session alongside members of the school’s leadership team and our Board Chair. Together, we reflected on what we had heard from our community and explored the vision and challenges that will define the next era for the Castle.

This session marked an important milestone. From it, we are now developing the first draft of the 2025–2028 Strategic Plan.  Some early themes have emerged while creating this draft:

• Expanding our “IB for All” initiative to ensure that critical thinking, global awareness, and multi-modal learning are embedded across all academic experiences.

• Enhancing our College & Career Counseling program to support students and families as they discern post-secondary pathways—including college, the workforce, and the trades through our Career Initiatives Program.

• Prioritizing long-term sustainability through increased enrollment, thoughtful fundraising, and responsible stewardship of our historic campus.

While this draft will not be shared publicly at this stage, we do plan to invite a cross-section of our community to review and provide feedback. If you are interested in participating in the next phase of our strategic planning process, we invite you to let us know. Please express your interest by contacting us at strategicplanning@purcellmarian.org.

As we continue forward, we do so with gratitude—for your engagement, for your faith in our mission, and for your belief in what Purcell Marian can become.

Theodore James Whapham, PhD

President, Purcell Marian High School