St. Gabriel's Catholic School

A: The role of the Board is to establish strategic policies, principles, and practices to accomplish the mission and educational philosophy of the School. The Board has the duty to manage the affairs of the school. The Board appoints and employs the Head of School to conduct the daily administration of the School.

A: The Head of School is the general manager and fiscal agent responsible for the daily administration of the School’s programs, finances, and personnel within the framework of the policies, principles, and practices established by the Board to accomplish the mission and educational philosophy of the school. All faculty and staff report directly or indirectly  to the Head of School. The Head of School reports directly to the Board of Trustees.

A: The Board per the bylaws must maintain no fewer than 9 and no more than 17 members. Currently, there are 17 members. There are five officers of the corporation which include the Chairperson, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Facilities Chair who serve as the “Executive Committee." There are four standing committees of the Board. They are:  Finance, Advancement, Committee on Trustees, and Head Support and Evaluation.

A: The Committee on Trustees is a standing committee of the Board. This committee evaluates the composition of the existing Board, determines Board needs, identifies potential new Board members, and recommends candidates for approval by the Board.  The Committee appreciates and welcomes recommendations of potential candidates from any individual in the community.

A: The Committee on Trustees looks for specific skills or experience in areas that include the following: leadership, academics, development, clergy, legal, athletics, facilities, finance, public relations & marketing, and technology.  Typically a candidate will have expertise in at least one of these areas. Secondary attributes are also considered and include: racial diversity, non-parent, parent, lower school parent, middle school parent, religious diversity, and gender diversity. The Committee on Trustees is always looking ahead to the future requirements of the four standing committees as well as to upcoming programs, construction projects, etc.  Potential Board members must also be able to commit a significant amount of time to Board activities that include preparing for and attending regularly scheduled Board meetings, special meetings, and committee meetings as well as helping out periodically with fundraising and special projects.

A: St. Gabriel’s Catholic School has been accredited by The Texas Catholic Conference (TCCED) as well as the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest. Both of these organizations serve as great resources for the Board. ISAS as well as NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools), publications, conferences, and website provide the Board with best practices used by independent schools. The Diocese additionally hosts an annual conference for the members of the school boards affiliated with the Diocese.

A: Selecting members to the Board of Trustees who are not parents is a well accepted practice of school boards. Though all Board members are expected to make decisions and vote in the best interests of the entire student population, non-parents balance the Board and help foster unbiased decision making that assures independent and clear direction.

A: Board members are not paid or compensated in any manner. No special favoritism, class placement, or consideration is given to Board members or their children. Board members abide by the same policies and procedures as any parents of the school or community.

A:  In order for issues to be handled properly, there is a chain of command that should be respectfully honored. The particular Faculty or Staff member involved in the issue should be contacted first to discuss the matter. If the matter is not resolved with this meeting, then the Division Head should be contacted. Any unresolved issues should then be directed to the Head of School. Of course, if ever a matter is felt to be of a serious nature, the Head of School can be contacted immediately. Only in matters that have been presented to the Head and not resolved will the Board Chair get involved.

A: A budget plan is voted upon annually by the Board of Trustees. Prior to this resolution, the Head of School derives the anticipated budgetary needs of the school through prior year data, input from Faculty/Staff and review of cost increases/decreases. The Finance Committee along with the School’s Controller and Head of School meet multiple times to  construct the best possible budget that weighs the financial needs of the school against the resulting increase in tuition. The most important factor of course is ensuring a balanced budget while offering the best possible education for the student of SGCS.