EduCational INstitution
Orange County Classical Academy
Guiding a K-12 school into a focused and measurable strategic plan.
PROJECT DETAILS
Orange County Classical Academy (OCCA), a K-12 classical charter school, that exists to develop students in mind and character, turned to The Formation Agency to create a relevant and adaptive rhythm of strategic planning that empowers them to push through an early growth plateau and lay the groundwork for a future capital campaign.
The Challenge
As a classical school, OCCA believes that it can best contribute to its vision of a society that looks to its schools as the bedrock of civic virtue if it has longevity with its students, carrying them from the beginnings of primary school through graduation in upper school. But like many other classical schools, it experienced too much attrition in upper grades.
In addition, juggling the unpredictable variables of education policy and a search for a permanent campus site made it difficult to cast a vision that showcased the stability and program growth that would increase student retention.
And, like many other schools, a strategic approach to development and growth was taking a backseat to the tyranny of the moment. They found themselves reacting year-to-year to budget and staffing needs.
The Solution
In fall 2024, Formation Agency consultant, Dr. Matthew Smith, introduced the Board and administrative team to a new approach to strategic planning. He helped the Board make sense of their challenge in light of OCCA's mission and unique strengths as an organization.
At the same time, Dr. Smith worked with Headmaster Park to identify the key opportunity that would take them past their growth plateau. They created an adaptive strategic plan that articulated specific goals in the short and long terms, and together they identified 6 strategic priorities.
Through an ongoing rhythm of strategic thinking, the Formation Agency is helping OCCA find clarity in an environment of unpredictability and new energy in a field characterized by stagnancy.
The Results
OCCA has succeeded in creating a compelling pathway from the 8th to 9th grades. Where they previously fought against attrition, they now have a new challenge to face: too much demand in the upper school, moving from a deficit to a growing waitlist.
At Board retreats and fundraising meetings, they now turn to their 5-year adaptive strategic plan. It has helped them implement more purposeful reorganization and leadership development, identify relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and break the cycle of reacting to budget constraints.
As of Summer 2025, OCCA serves over 750 students and has a waitlist of more than 1,000. With record retention rates of students and faculty alike, it has expanded to a second upper school campus. Looking to the future, OCCA has built critical capacity to launch its forthcoming capital campaign.
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“With Matt’s help, we’ve gained confidence in how to take our school into the future. We now have a stronger framework from which to approach staff development, KPIs, expansion, fundraising, and a capital campaign.”
Semi Park
Headmaster, Orange County Classical Academy
LET’S GET STARTED
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