Goals for St. Mark's IV
"The strength of community that we enjoy today did not happen by accident. It happened because people who cared deeply about your experiences devoted themselves to cultivating an environment where boys could develop into good men."
–David W. Dini
Eugene McDermott Headmaster
Eugene McDermott Headmaster
Goals for St. Mark’s IV is the fourth statement of strategic goals for St. Mark’s School of Texas. Goals IV was adopted by the School’s Board of Trustees on January 10, 2017, and it replaces Goals for St. Mark’s III, which guided the School for more than a decade.
This document is the result of a broadly inclusive process involving the School’s Board of Trustees, administration and faculty, parents, alumni, and students. Ideas were gathered and discussed and then organized and refined through dozens of meetings and working sessions over more than 18 months. The process revealed general themes, and these themes are reflected in six major strategic goals, each accompanied by more specific subgoals and implementation steps.
Goals for St. Mark’s IV addresses every aspect of the School and will serve as the guidepost against which we measure our growth and monitor our progress. It will be vital for the entire St. Mark’s community to join together to advance the School’s mission of helping boys develop into men who are prepared for lives of leadership and service.
This document is the result of a broadly inclusive process involving the School’s Board of Trustees, administration and faculty, parents, alumni, and students. Ideas were gathered and discussed and then organized and refined through dozens of meetings and working sessions over more than 18 months. The process revealed general themes, and these themes are reflected in six major strategic goals, each accompanied by more specific subgoals and implementation steps.
Goals for St. Mark’s IV addresses every aspect of the School and will serve as the guidepost against which we measure our growth and monitor our progress. It will be vital for the entire St. Mark’s community to join together to advance the School’s mission of helping boys develop into men who are prepared for lives of leadership and service.
Strategic Goals
List of 6 items.
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I. Students & Learning
Provide an excellent academic program that includes comprehensive character and leadership education, and foster an environment that promotes the healthy development of boys. -
II. Faculty & Teaching
Recruit, retain, and support the most qualified, talented, and effective faculty and professional staff. -
III. Enrollment, Access, & Affordability
Assemble the most qualified student body from a broadly diverse pool of applicants who exhibit intellectual curiosity, strong character, and a desire to contribute to St. Mark’s in meaningful ways. -
IV. Campus Resources
Design, sustain, and provide state-of-the-art facilities and grounds that support a variety of teaching methods and incorporate new technologies to enhance learning opportunities. -
V. Institutional Stewardship
Strengthen the financial foundation and governance of the School. -
VI. Civic Responsibility
Strengthen St. Mark’s commitment to making a positive impact in the greater Dallas community.
Goals for St. Mark's IV Booklet (2017)
The School produced the following publication in 2017 to coincide with the launch of Goals for St. Mark's IV. In it, you will find more information about the specific goals and recommendations resulting from the exhaustive community-wide effort.
Download the booklet.
Download the booklet.
Progress Report (2022)
The following update was published in the spring 2022 issue of The Pride alumni magazine.
Goals for the Future: A History
For more than 30 years, the Goals for St. Mark's strategic planning process has served as a road map for the School, guiding its focus and ensuring excellence is never taken for granted.
In the early 1980s, under the leadership of Trustees such as Robert Decherd ’69 and Robert Hoffman ’65, St. Mark’s set out to create its first strategic plan, modeled after the successful Goals for Dallas of the 1960s. The result was Goals for St. Mark’s, a document that combined the priorities of the entire community and set forth a road map for the future.
In the decades since Goals I first launched, much has changed. The physical campus has been, and will continue to be, transformed with new facilities. Classroom curriculum and campus programs have adapted to prepare boys for the modern world. And the student composition has become a diverse community of the best and brightest learners and leaders. Goals II and Goals III, launched in 1990 and 2002, respectively, laid out steps for the School’s growth into the new millenium.
In 2017, after a full year of reflections and recommendations and more than 50 working drafts, St. Mark's unveiled the fourth iteration of this guiding document. But even as Goals for St. MArk's IV was being unveiled, work was well underway to address many of its recommendations, from the Science Center Project to a reimagined daily schedule.
As the School looks ahead, the legacy of Goals for St. Mark's will continue to ensure a strong future of for the next generations of Marksmen.
As the School looks ahead, the legacy of Goals for St. Mark's will continue to ensure a strong future of for the next generations of Marksmen.
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Robert Decherd ’69 and Robert Hoffman ’65
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St. Mark’s School of Texas
10600 Preston Road
Dallas, Texas 75230
214-346-8000
Dallas, Texas 75230
214-346-8000
About Us
St. Mark’s School of Texas is a private, nonsectarian college-preparatory boys’ day school for students in grades 1 through 12, located in Dallas, Texas. St. Mark’s aims to prepare young men to assume leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world.
St. Mark’s does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.
St. Mark’s does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.
