Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is responsible for defining goals for the future direction of King School and for developing a strategic plan for achieving these goals. The Board is responsible for hiring and evaluating the Head of School, and also for ensuring the fiscal well-being of the School. The Board governs on a strategic level, while the operational, daily administration of the School is the task of the Head and her/his team. 

Although Trustees might also have other relationships with King – they may be parents, alumni, parents of alumni – their job is to set aside personal interest and to safeguard and protect both the near and long term goals of the School. 

Trustees are identified and vetted through a year long process by the Trusteeship Committee, with input from faculty and staff, other trustees, and parents. If you are interested in Board service or have a recommendation, you may email Jessica Demmo, chair of the Trusteeship committee. Board members are chosen for their commitment to King, for their ability to share in the responsibility of overseeing the welfare of the School, and for their ability to help the School achieve its mission. 

The King Board of Trustees is committed to making sure that we are reflective of our diverse community. We strive for both demographic diversity - dimensions of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disabilities, education, language, socioeconomic status, age and gender - and cognitive diversity - diversity of thought, experiences, and ways of working. 

The National Association of Independent Schools' Principals of Good Practice "define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of school operations to guide schools in becoming the best education communities they can be, to embed the expectation of professionalism,
and to further our sector’s core values of transparency, excellence, and inclusivity." The King School Board of Trustees adheres to NAIS's best practices, including those suggesting that the Board should be philanthropic leaders. To that end, the Trustees strive to represent at least 25% of annual giving and to provide significant leadership on endowment and capital giving.

The President of the Parents’ Association, as a representative of the parent body, is an Ex Officio member of the Board, and, as such, attend Board meetings and serve on Board committees.

The Board meets approximately eight times a year. During these meetings, the Board receives and discusses reports from the Head of School, from members of the leadership team, and from others. Oversight of and planning of strategic goals is ongoing throughout the school year and over the summer.

Additionally, The Board works on achieving the goals of our School and on upholding our mission through committee work. Our current committees and subcommittees include:

• Executive Committee:  Comprised of the Chair, Vice Chairs, Secretary, Treasurer and a maximum of four At-Large members, the ExCo has the power to transact all regular business of King during the interim between the meetings of the Board. 
• Audit Committee:  Aids the Board in fulfilling its fiduciary oversight responsibilities. Reviews and presents King’s annual audited financial statements. 
• Buildings and Grounds:  Assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibility for the acquisition, renovation, and maintenance of King’s buildings and grounds. Responsible for land use planning policy as well as oversight of the care, maintenance, and security of the School’s buildings and grounds. 
• Development Committee:  Supports the Development Office in prospecting, securing, and stewarding gifts to the School. Assists with The Annual Fund and in capital campaigns.  
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee:  Assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibility to oversee King’s policies, initiatives, and strategic goals related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Committee guides the Board’s own work in this space including identifying any organizational gaps in mission fulfillment and strategic vision.
• Enrollment Committee: Assists the Director of Admission and Financial Access with strategic enrollment management. Assists the Board in reviewing King’s enrollment and financial access strategies. 
• Finance Committee:  Supports the Board in fulfilling its responsibility for King’s long-term financial viability. Works with the Head of School and the Associate Head of School, Finance and Operations on the preparation of annual operating and capital budgets; reviews financial statements; and makes recommendations to the full Board on critical financial issues including tuition and salary pool increases, endowment draws, and indebtedness. 
• Investment Committee:  Manages King’s $40mm+ endowment, including determining the endowment’s asset allocation and hiring/supervising third party money managers.  The Investment Committee is a subcommittee of the Finance Committee. 
• Trusteeship Committee:  Assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibility to ensure the effectiveness and quality of King’s governance structure. Identifies, vets, and recommends new Board members. Determines committee assignments and is responsible for Board self assessment. Oversees Board governance and adherence by-laws. 

If you would like more information, please email Board member Jessica Demmo.