Say Hello to the Elephant

The Cost of Ensuring Opportunity

I have a couple pieces of student artwork in my office that really “make the space”. One is a student self portrait (the touching backstory of which we don’t have time to share here), and the other is a creative original piece of an elephant, that showcases the artist's skillfull use of colour, texture and composition. Not that I have some special affinity for the creatures, but this big guy just spoke to me. From the moment I saw this amazing 4’ x 2’ multi-colored beast in the student artwork display at our Celebration of Learning last year, I wanted to find a place to showcase it more permanently. I asked the artist (who has yet to sign it) and she said I could place it in my office. And I’m glad I did. I also asked if the painting had a title or name. Hearing none, I hung it in my office and called it “the elephant in the room.”

Staff who were with us in late 2019 were reintroduced to the phrase “elephant in the room” during an all -CCS PD session. It was a moment when leaders were saying we wanted staff to be brave and genuine and not avoid the elephant in the room - that is, the big and lingering unspoken concerns no one really wants to speak of. The concerns that need to be addressed - openly, humble, honestly. 

So, here it is:  the BIG one. The real challenge at the heart of the new building project that elicits the most difficult questions and some of the most complex answers.

There is so much to cover here, but first, let’s ensure we are all familiar with the basic details of the project:  the budgeted cost, the money the CSCE already has, the loan being provided by the Christian Credit Union, and the capital campaign goals we’ve set to help balance out the equation of affordability. 

Instead of reiterating all of that here, I’d like to redirect you to the Frequently Asked Questions document we had started several weeks ago. It has been expanded and updated to include some of your additional questions about the project financing, goal setting, and timeline. It also introduces some of the rationale and projections used by leadership in determining the greenlight on this project and its related financing. 

If after reading our FAQ you have other questions, I invite you to write to me for clarifications, and I will be happy to do a deep dive either in my next blog article, or as an additional Q&A item on the list.   Click HERE to read the FAQs

I’d also like to take the opportunity to Thank You, the readers, for taking this process to heart; for actually taking time to read, reflect, and respond to what we’ve provided to you this week. In the end, we really want ALL CCS families to be well informed so that we can have a productive and successful meeting on January 30.