Board of Trustees
The Gardner School of Arts & Sciences is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Trustees whose role includes strategic planning, financial oversight, and setting broad school policy. The Gardner Board also hires the Head of School to serve as the chief executive officer. Composed of unpaid volunteers, the Gardner Board includes current parents, alumni parents, community members, and friends of the school. The Board meets once a month, and unless otherwise noted on the schedule, meetings are open to members of the school community.
Our Board of Trustees is actively recruiting for its committees for the 2023-24 school year and trustees for the 2024-25 school year. If you would like to contribute to this community in ways that are inspiring and fulfilling, and if you like to work alongside dedicated and generous people who love the Gardner School, consider joining us. You’ll have an opportunity to:
support this incredible school
gain a deep understanding about how nonprofit organizations and independent school boards work
receive skills and organizational tools for effective agenda design and meeting facilitation
develop leadership skills and habits that are transferable to your jobs
work with people from a range of professions and backgrounds, people you may not get to meet in your current roles
Guidelines for Board Meetings
To allow these meetings to run smoothly, we request that guests respect the following guidelines.
During Board Meetings:
Trustees have a business agenda to discuss, such that they are not able to engage in unscheduled discussions or topics.
If you have an issue that you would like to discuss with the Board, please contact the Chair by noon on the Friday prior to the scheduled Board meeting. At that time, the Chair can determine whether sufficient time exists on the agenda for the issue to be brought before the Board. Please see below for a follow-up opportunity each month (after each meeting) to discuss agenda topics directly with Board members.
At times, the Board may go into closed Executive Session and excuse all guests from the meeting. Executive Sessions are usually short, and as soon as these sessions are finished, guests will be invited back into the room if the meeting continues.
Additionally, some Board meetings may have agenda items that, due to their confidential nature, will be reserved for discussion in a closed Executive Session after the public portion of the Board meeting. This standard board procedure takes place monthly. So the Board can start Executive Session quickly, we ask guests to leave the Farmhouse (or the Zoom room for virtual meetings) as soon as the open meeting is over.
All discussions and documents shared at the meeting are to be treated with confidentiality.