The Harding Fine Arts Academy (HFAA) School Board and Foundation Board are laying the groundwork for transformation, both inside and outside our building. In December 2021, they approved a new five-year strategic plan.
“This plan provides an exciting opportunity for us to create a shared vision for what we want Harding Fine Arts Academy to be for the long term,” said Jean Hendrickson, President of HFAA School Board. “Especially when so much thinking right now is being driven by pandemic mentality, it’s important that we not dwell in the present. It couldn’t be a better time to think, plan, and behave creatively.” Hendrickson continued.
Representatives from different constituencies met over a span of 10 months in planning sessions. These sessions were designed to help us realign our vision for the future, set new and ambitious goals, and determine new uses for the historic Harding School Building. With the building purchase from the previous year, Harding is more poised than ever for a meteoric rise!
The strategic plan has five major focus areas:
- enhance teaching, learning, and curriculum to establish current and future improvements to our educational process;
- revisit and improve governance practices, policies and procedures;
- craft a marketing and public relations plan to increase enrollment and community awareness;
- develop a long-term facilities improvement plan to handle current and future needs; and
- establish collaborative leadership practices among both governing boards.
In addition, the Academy is dedicated to increasing enrollment by 50-70 students each year and will also increase the quantity and quality of our educational and artistic offerings thus attracting more students over the next three to five years.
There is an indication of pent-up demand for an arts-rich education, as evidenced by the fact Harding Fine Arts Academy experienced 12% growth in the current school year alone (despite challenges from COVID- 19) when other charters’ enrollment declined or had modest 1-4% growth.
We aim to go into the future with the resources, facilities, and vision needed to establish HFAA as the flagship school in which to receive an uncompromised education!
