HistoryBrooklyn Friends School was established by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1867. Currently BFS' Board of Trustees, formerly known as the School Committee, operates on behalf of the New York Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends to provide stewardship of the school and to further the school's mission. The Board of Trustees is composed of 18 members, all of whom serve as volunteers. Half of the Board are Quakers, seven are non-employee members of the BFS community, and two are BFS faculty or staff.
Previously, the New York Quarterly Meeting owned the school building, assumed responsibility for the school's obligations and employed the faculty and staff. That relationship changed in 2009, when BFS became separately incorporated from the New York Quarterly Meeting while still maintaining close spiritual ties to the Quaker community. This change opened an exciting new chapter in BFS' history.
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Purposes
One of the BFS Board of Trustees' most important functions is maintaining the vision of the school and ensuring its continuance into the future.
Board members are passionate, enthusiastic and deeply devoted to the school's Quaker mission, and adhere to Friends Council on Education and NAIS guidelines in their
Best Practices. Board members are knowledgeable about the school's mission and goals, including its commitment to equity and justice, and strive to see that these goals are appropriately and accurately enacted within the community.
The Board also hires the Head of School and determines the annual budget. BFS' fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30. Every January the Board approves a preliminary budget and sets tuition for the coming year. The final budget is approved in September after enrollment is final.
Procedures
The Board meets on the third Wednesday of every month except during July and August. In addition to its monthly meetings the Board annually holds a day-long retreat for self-evaluation, review of its bylaws, policies and procedures, planning for the next year, and to measure progress toward the goals of the
Strategic Plan of 2008 which sets the ambitious and important milestones for the next 3 to 5 years.