Building a Culture
Worth Belonging To

A School Culture Transformation Proposal for Saratoga Independent School

Prepared for Saratoga Independent School · Prepared by Altagracia Montilla · In partnership with Trustee Samantha Kercull and the SIS leadership team

3 Phases

Assess · Align · Build

8–12 Wks

Core engagement timeline

$35K Core

Phases 1 & 2 foundation

The Opportunity

Since 1991, Saratoga Independent School has built a reputation as a nurturing, academically rigorous community on its 60-acre Adirondack-style campus in Saratoga Springs. With a 4:1 student-teacher ratio and NYSAIS accreditation, the foundation is strong.

With 11% students of color compared to a 40% state average for private schools, and an active DEI parent-faculty group already in place, Saratoga Independent School has both the readiness and the opportunity to deepen this work with intention.

This engagement moves from aspiration to action.
Not a one-time workshop — a co-created, school-specific transformation grounded in listening first.

What This Engagement Addresses

Culture gap between aspiration and reality — understanding the lived experience behind the numbers

Leadership alignment — helping leadership decide what culture they actually want to build

Institutional capacity — equipping faculty, staff, and board to live the culture they say they want

Structural transformation — not performative change, but policy and practice alignment

Trust & belonging — for every student, family, and educator in your community

A Three-Phase Engagement

Assess · Align · Build

1

4–6 Weeks

Culture & Climate Assessment

Understand the current reality. Listen before prescribing.

Leadership & stakeholder interviews

Climate survey & document review

Culture & Equity Landscape Report

2

4–6 Weeks

Strategic Alignment

Help leadership decide what kind of culture they actually want to build.

Leadership retreat & board alignment

Values clarification & strategic priorities

Culture Transformation Roadmap

3

Ongoing

Capacity Building

Help the community actually live the culture they say they want.

Faculty workshops & leadership coaching

Community dialogues & DEI team development

Sustained Culture Capacity

Our Philosophy

Center Joy & Wellness

We employ a human-centered approach. We believe in centering the experiences, knowledge, skills, and mindsets of the communities we serve.

Create a Culture of Learning

We make space for learning through a culture that fosters psychological safety.

Beyond Awareness

We go beyond awareness to shift mindsets and how people work.

Build a Strong Sense of Community

We create opportunities for long-lasting, meaningful relationships to thrive.

Provide Experiential Learning Tools

We design interdisciplinary, experiential learning processes.

Cultivate & Sustain Change Over Time

We recognize that in order to create positive change, we must change the experience of individuals and design systems to sustain change.

Transformation & Continuous Improvement

Two lenses: how deep change works — and how the cycle sustains it

Depth of Change

Lasting transformation requires reaching below surface practices to shift the values and mindsets at the root.

The Improvement Cycle

Each phase moves through this iterative cycle — learning, unpacking assumptions, dreaming possibilities, building solutions, and acting with intention.

Choose Your Investment Level

Two clear starting points. Customize with Phase 3 add-ons from there.

Core Engagement — Phases 1 & 2

Foundation

$35,000

Phases 1 + 2 · 8–10 weeks

✓DEI Policies & Practices Assessment

✓Strategic Alignment

✓Culture & Equity Landscape Report

✓Leadership retreat/strategy session

Comprehensive

Recommended

$62,000

Phases 1 + 2 · Includes Culture & Climate Assessment · 10–12 weeks

✓Everything in Foundation, plus:

✓Culture & Climate Assessment

✓Culture Transformation Roadmap

✓Board governance support

All figures are estimates. Final investment determined through a discovery call.

Phase 3 Add-Ons — Build Lasting Capacity

Select what fits your school's needs and timeline. Each component is available individually or as part of a bundled partnership.

Faculty & Staff Workshops$13,800

Leadership Coaching (6 mo.)$11,500

Curriculum Equity Review$9,800

Annual Culture Re-Assessment$8,600

Community Dialogue Facilitation$7,500

DEI Team Development$6,300

Board Governance Support$5,750

Ready to Build Something Together?

Three steps to begin — we handle the rest.

1

Introductory Call

Align on goals, scope, and timeline. Proposed dates: March 10 or March 12, 12:30–1 PM. Altagracia will confirm directly.

2

Choose Your Engagement Level

Tap ♥ in the DEI Engagement Portal to choose your level. Add Phase 3 components as needed — the investment total is transparent.

3

Engagement Begins

Phase 1 launches within two weeks of agreement — with a full project plan and stakeholder scheduling support provided.

What You’ll Receive

Ph 1 Culture & Equity Landscape Report

Ph 2 Culture Transformation Roadmap

Ph 3 Sustained Capacity Building Plan

Portal live now · Choose a tier → Get a custom engagement agreement

Building a CultureWorth Belonging To