The Board of Trustees is responsible for setting broad school policy,
maintaining Stuart’s long term financial stability and for hiring and
evaluating the Head of School. The Board is also entrusted with ensuring that
Stuart remains faithful to the Goals and Criteria and to its mission as a
Sacred Heart School.
Trustees, as a Board and individually, have fiduciary obligations to the
school. While carrying out their responsibilities, Trustees must exercise the
duties of care, loyalty and obedience. Confidentiality, disclosure of
conflicts and support for board decisions are also required.
Trustees are required to think strategically about the future of the School.
They do not become involved in administrative, personnel, or curricular issues.
Each trustee serves on one or more committees based on expertise and board
needs. The Board may also use ad hoc task forces to consider particular issues.
Certain committees and task forces can include administrators and other
non-trustees. The seven standing committees of the Board are as follows:
- Audit
- Buildings and Grounds
- Development
- Enrollment and Marketing
- Finance
- Formation to Mission
- Trustees
By laws require the Board to have no less than 18 and no more than thirty
members, three of whom are members of the Society of the Sacred Heart.
The president of the Stuart Parents Association and the Alumnae Association
President also serve as trustees. Trustees can serve two, three year
terms.
As is customary with Independent Schools, the Board elects its future
members. The Committee on Trustees works hard to insure
that the composition of the Board fits with Stuart’s long-term institutional
mission and objectives. Trustees are asked to identify, evaluate, and
recruit members.
Important criteria for consideration are a commitment to, and understanding of,
Sacred Heart education, diversity of talent and background, and a willingness
to serve manifest in involvement, generosity and hard work. The Board also
respects the tenets of good independent school governance and seeks an
appropriate mix of current and past parents, alumnae and community and civic
leaders.