Len Miller, Head of School, Saint Mary’s Hall

Len Miller, head of school of Saint Mary’s Hall, sat down with Invest: to discuss how the school is continuing to enhance its programs and offerings, attract new students, and retain talent in a competitive landscape. “Despite a challenging talent market, the school continues to attract and retain top educators by emphasizing its identity as an independent school, giving teachers creativity and autonomy in delivering curriculum,” Miller said.

Reflecting on the past year, what are some of the most important program enhancements the school has implemented? 

We have made quite a few program enhancements and continue to build out a robust college counseling program. Our students benefit from a dedicated junior-year class that prepares them for college. We keep our college counselor ratio small, with a ratio of 20:1. This allows for personalized attention. Our counselors travel worldwide to stay updated on the changing college landscape and maintain strong relationships with colleges. Our counselors have specialized roles, including support for recruited student-athletes. Another program we host is the Reverse Advisory Board, which brings 10–12 admissions deans to campus for two to three days to learn about the school, students, and curriculum. We continue to develop these programs, and they have been important to our school and the students and families within it. 

We are now in the second year of our strategic plan, which is focused on campus facilities, infrastructure upgrades, and a master planning process to guide future growth. We are excited to continue to find new ways to augment our campus. 

How is the school expanding its fine arts and athletics programs?

We have focused on expanding our offerings within our fine arts program, which now entails ballet, jazz, modern, folklorico, and flamenco. We made a few changes to our visual arts curriculum. All ninth graders take an introductory course across disciplines, then choose a focus. We are going to implement that same model at our middle school. 

In athletics, we launched an Academy Program with in-season and off-season training options for sports such as soccer, basketball, tennis, and volleyball, providing year-round development on campus versus external clubs. This has helped parents because they no longer have to go elsewhere to keep their children involved in their sports year-round. We have expert coaches involved in these academies and plan on continuing to expand. We do not have a Little League option yet for baseball; however, it is in the works. 

What is drawing so many families, especially those moving in from out of state, to your school?

Families relocating to San Antonio often find Saint Mary’s Hall quickly. Many families come from independent school backgrounds, recognizing the familiar combination of academics, arts, athletics, and strong community. The school community becomes a new network for families, especially those from out of state. 

How do you continue to attract and retain the right talent in such a competitive landscape?

Despite a challenging talent market, the school continues to attract and retain top educators by emphasizing its identity as an independent school, giving teachers creativity and autonomy in delivering curriculum. Students are highly motivated, which makes teaching rewarding.

We offer competitive salaries, benefits, and small class sizes. These factors continue to be a priority for us. These classes are typically 14–15 students, which is a load of about 60 students per teacher. This enables personalized teaching. We have a strong culture of student appreciation for faculty. I often see our students thanking their teachers on their way out of classes for the work that they do for them. 

What skills and qualities are most in demand from employers?

We have to prepare students for the skills industry leaders want. These include resilience, problem-solving, collaboration, communication, and comfort in diverse environments. We continue to prioritize being a diverse community so that students can learn these skills before entering the workforce. We have 58 zip codes represented, with a broad range of backgrounds, and we are increasingly attracting a more diverse student body. 

Technical skills are also highly important. Our students use AI with clear guidelines to ensure that they know how to use it as a tool, while also producing their original work. We have robust robotics and coding programs that start in middle school. When it comes to research science scholars, we have 10–12 students participating in summer lab research. They partner with mentors and industry professionals, often UT Health researchers, throughout the year.

What impact do you expect from the school voucher changes?

We are monitoring how school voucher legislation evolves. Our participation depends on what the final details look like. I believe that it will potentially have a significant impact on the city’s education landscape.

What are your top priorities or goals for the next two to three years? 

We continue to have a strong demand for our school. Student safety remains paramount for us on our 66-acre campus. We have taken many steps to ensure their safety, and I anticipate that to continue to be a big priority for us. Our curriculum will always need to evolve, even more so with AI literacy becoming a major focus. This will help to give our students a competitive edge.

Another priority for us is a continued emphasis on building community across political and cultural differences. We are also aiming to partner with the city on broader community initiatives. For example, a student-led arts foundation recently raised funds for a food bank, engaging over 50 schools at the Pearl. We see our school playing a role in continuing to grow the community through partnerships. 

How is your global program helping students build a wider perspective?

We recently developed a global program that allows students to take immersive trips to Spain, Morocco, Greece, Italy, Hawaii, Japan, and previously South Africa. The content focuses on cross-cultural understanding and global citizenship. Generous endowment ensures tuition assistance so students can participate. Ten out of the 22 students who went to South Africa were on aid. We have a dedicated director of global programming and robust safety protocols for overseas travel.