A Vision for Our Future: Christian Brothers Unveils Five-Year

Strategic Plan

After an 18-month educational visioning process that included key community stakeholders, Christian Brothers High School unveils its five-yearstrategic plan, A Vision for Our Future.

Christian Brothers High School is the place to be. As the longestthriving high school in Sacramento, the largest Catholic high school in the region, and one of the most diverse private schools in the nation, CB provides excellent academics and co-curriculars in a nurturing, faith-filled envionment. Holding true to its Lasallian Catholic mission, 46 percent of the student body receives need-based tuition assistance. In the 2022-23 school year, CB is providing $3.4 million to 532 students.

Over the past few years, CB and the rest of the world have been put to the test. COVID-19 changed life as we knew it. 2020 will be remembered by many as a time of uncertainty, illness, loss, isolation, and civil unrest. It was an immensely trying time. Thanks to the school’s incredible faculty and staff, remarkable students, supportive families, alumni, loyal friends, and dedicated Board of Trustees, Christian Brothers persevered. In the true spirit of collaboration, school leaders and teachers quickly forged a new educational plan. CB only missed one day of instruction when transitioning to virtual learning. That fall, CB was among the first schools to welcome students back on campus with a hybrid learning plan. But as students returned to in-person instruction, it was apparent that their needs had changed. It was time to adapt once more, and CB was ready to rise to the challenge.

Educational Visioning: An Ambitious Project

In the fall of 2021, just one year into her tenure at Christian Brothers, President Crystal LeRoy, Ed.D., embarked on an ambitious but critical endeavor to create a five-year strategic plan. The goal was not to change Christian Brothers High School but to build on the tradition of excellence that started in Sacramento back in 1876.

A fundamental component of Lasallian education is innovation: to continually ask, What do our students need? Guided by the Lasallian Catholic charism and wisdom of the Founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle, Dr. LeRoy worked to bring together community members and stakeholders to answer this essential Lasallian question.

“It was important to us that we hear from students, families, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends in this educational visioning process,” says Dr. LeRoy. “We got people involved through surveys, stakeholder groups, and opportunities to participate in listening sessions. The opportunity for feedback and dialogue extended throughout our larger community.”

“Dr. LeRoy was brave and courageous. I think those are the best ways to describe embarking on this process,” says Board of Trustees Chair Don Fitzgerald. “She was committed when she started at the school to create and implement a long-range plan. It was a difficult time to start something like this because of the limitations surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, but she persevered, and the results show that courage and dedication.”

A Community Effort

In collaboration with Partners in Mission and key community stakeholders, Dr. LeRoy launched the intensive educational visioning process. They formed an Educational Visioning Steering

Committee, chaired by longtime educators Susan Larson, Board of Trustees Vice Chair, and Renee Malaki ’76, to focus on eight key areas or domains:

Academics/Technology: Dr. Heather Alumbaugh and Dr. Heidi Harrison

Philanthropy: Mrs. Mary Ann Burford, Mrs. Kamal Khaira, and Ms. Laine Himmelmann ‘06

Enrollment: Mr. John Fondale ’83, Mr. Aldo Soriano ’99, and Mrs. Gina Vanacore ’84

Facilities/Tech: Mr. Ron Metzger and Mr. John Nunan

Finances: Ms. Marianne Evashenk and Ms. Margarita Fernandez

Governance: Mrs. Janet Ruggiero and Mr. Donald Fitzgerald

Lasallian Charism and Catholic Identity: Br. Dan Morgan, FSC, and Rev. Guillermo Hernandez

Student Life: Mrs. Stephanie Cooper-Noe and Mrs. Lisa Levasseur ‘95

“The dedication, time commitment, and expertise that Sue Larson and Rene Malaki brought to this project were truly remarkable,” says Fitzgerald. “They were called on as volunteers, they rose to the occasion, they helped interface between the consultants, Dr. Le Roy, and the domain chairs. And they just did a terrific job.

“Kudos to Dr. LeRoy and to her team who organized all of the people in the process,” says Brother Nick Gonzales, FSC, Visitor, District of San Francisco New Orleans. “It is very tempting to get a lot of people who agree with you to show up and to pat you on the back and tell you great job, keep going, and do not change a thing. But I think it is very courageous and very honest to do the opposite.”

Along with data from the school, the committee also gathered feedback from the larger CB community through surveys, roundtable discussions, and meetings in person and online. A need to enhance inclusion and belonging on campus, address mental health, and instill practical life skills were among the biggest takeaways.

“It was crucial that we have a robust and really in-depth conversation with all of our stakeholders, including students, parents, faculty, and staff, the Sacramento Diocese, the Christian Brothers, our Lasallian education partners, and parents, to get that accurate picture of where we are and where we need to go,” says Educational Visioning Steering Committee Co-Chair and Board of Trustees Vice Chair Sue Larson.

Visioning Through a Lasallian Lens

Through that process, CB identified eight key aeas of operations: academics, Lasallian Catholic identity, enrollment, philanthropy, student life, facilities, finance, and governance. Focusing on those domains, the committee hosted a two-day retreat to draft strategic goals and objectives. Throughout the collaborative process, Dr. LeRoy made sure the school’s Lasallian charism and virtues guided and influenced every level and outcome

“Our Lasallian Core Principles are the foundation of our educational vision. It is what gives us purpose,” says Dr. LeRoy. “It has been an amazing experience working in community to help shape and evolve education to meet the needs of our current students today, for the world tomorrow, and for a future we have yet to even imagine.”

“I think at the heart of this is this idea of an inclusive community,” says Brother Nick. “Because it is about meeting students where they are at — whether they learn differently, whether they are male or female, how they self-identify, whether they are persons of color or not — and giving them a quality education and taking them from A to Z. That is very hard to do, and that is what this plan is all about.”

Crafting Nine Strategic Goals

After an 18-month long process, A Vision for Our Future was born. The five-year strategic plan outlines nine goals, with detailed objectives and action items.

Here is what CB is considering its priorities:

• Health and wellness for our students, faculty, and staff;

• Curriculum enhancements to include practical life skills, and more experiential learning;

• More visibility of our Lasallian and Catholic identity throughout our campus;

• More opportunities for service learning;

• Campus facility enhancements to address our aging buildings, shortage of classrooms and office space, and an updated cafeteria;

• And creating more spaces to live and be in community.

“Through this work and this five-year plan, we have developed a roadmap that will help us sustain our commitment to our Lasallian mission for another 150 years,” says Dr. Crystal LeRoy. “We are so grateful to everyone who helped create this plan and to those who will continue working with us to see it become a reality.”

“This five-year plan is our North Sta,” says Interim Principal Julian Elorduy ’03. “It informs the work of our teachers, it affirms the critical importance of our Lasallian Catholic charism, and it stands as a sign of faith to all as we continue the important work of inclusivity, belonging, and truly preparing our young people to leave to serve.”

From Vision to Reality

Work is already underway to ensure Christian Brothers realizes this vision. Dr. LeRoy is currently creating committees to help achieve the nine strategic goals. Each year, CB will assess its progress, take in feedback, and work in collaboration with the community to provide the best Lasallian educational experience for its students.

“If you loved Christian Brothers, then you’re going to love this plan. Because the idea is to take Christian Brothers to the next level. At the center of CB is our care for our students. We want every student, and by extension every family, to have a positive experience of being seen, heard, and loved every day,” says Brother Nick.

“What I want people to know about A Vision for Our Future is that today CB is the place to be. Tomorrow, it will be even better,” says Dr. LeRoy.

Learn more about Christian Brothers High School’s A Vision for Our Future at www.cbhs-sacramento.org or scan the QR code.