On behalf of the ASH Board of Trustees, I’d like to wish all of you a very Happy New Year and welcome you to the second semester of our school year. After a nice, long holiday with our families, the Board is back to work and held our first Open Board Meeting Tuesday, February 1. For your information and future planning, the next Open Board meeting will be held May 17.

Our Board is currently comprised of thirteen members. The process of selecting new Trustees has begun and I urge you to consider serving ASH in this capacity should you be interested. More details have been sent by email to the community and are available on InsideASH "Request for Board of Trustee Applications".

The ASH Board is the guardian of the school’s mission and closely monitors the school’s success in fulfilling its mission. To that end, we are a strategic board whose task is to set policy, ensure the financial well being of the school, supervise the Director, and plan for ASH’s long term future. The day-to-day operation of the school is in the very capable hands of Dr. Rick Spradling and his Leadership Team.

After extensive internal study and evaluation by the Board’s Finance Committee and the Leadership Team, the Board has approved a 3.3% tuition increase for the 2011/12 school year. In setting next year’s tuition, we have balanced the school’s strategic financial plan against the evolving economic climate.

Progress continues on the Early Childhood Center project. In mid-December the Board unanimously approved the initial investment cost projection on the preliminary design as well as approving several contracts necessary to move ahead on the project (architect, installations advisor, etc). The final design is to be completed at the end of February to be presented to the Board for approval in early March.