NBOA President and CEO
Last week in Raleigh, North Carolina, I presented at Dude University, a four-day conference for operations professionals organized by the software company Dude Solutions (which includes SchoolDude). The discussion covered many issues involving independent school facilities and the evolution of the facilities director, but one question has stuck in my mind: How do we maintain our distinctive, state-of-the-art facilities as a key aspect of our value proposition — and avoid having them become a costly albatross that prevents us from being competitive in the new world order of preK-12 education?
By and large, independent school facilities outperform those of our public-school counterparts in quality, aesthetics, maintenance and safety. Recent headlines, like “America’s school facilities get a near-failing grade,” make this crystal clear. Because we’re competing with “free,” we must lead the way in facilities management to support the tuition and fundraising obligations we ask of families.
But the reality is that public schools aren’t the only competition. It is daunting to see new independent school models, including those featured in the most recent Net Assets, that in many cases forego investments in facilities and nonacademic activities as key strategies for keeping tuition low — sometimes half the price or less of traditional independent schools within their markets. Some new models lease storefronts that are available for a song, or they are completely virtual.
For me, the choice is clear. Our campuses must be maintained and invested in to be part of our value proposition. The quality and care we put into facilities management often serve as a proxy for the quality and care we put into the world-class educations we provide to students. Above and beyond that, our schools’ physical plants must support our value propositions in demonstrable ways that align with the investments we ask families to make.
How do your school’s facilities support your value proposition? I invite your thoughts in the comments box below, or via email or Twitter.
Follow NBOA President and CEO Jeff Shields @shieldsNBOA.
