- Retention begins with admissions. Admissions may be the lifeblood of our schools, but it's equally critical that we deliver the value we promised. Every school must pay close attention to minimizing attrition as competition grows and tuition keeps many families from even considering independent schools. For more information on the state of independent school admissions, check out this resource from the Enrollment Management Association.
- Millennial parents: friends or foes? The next generation of parents promises to be very different from our traditional school parents. It's a little early to predict the choices they will make for their children's educations, but early indicators are that they consider parenting an extremely important job, they value creativity and they have a high need to monitor their children rather than "helicopter" over them. What may prove to be most telling is the impact of the economic downturn and how they look at financial investments as a result. For more information on millennial parents, check out this article by Orem.
- Roles are evolving for admissions and enrollment management professionals. In short, they're more focused than ever on data. And while admissions should be everyone's job at independent schools, these professionals must take the lead in decision-making and trustee engagement. The more engagement they have as part of the school's leadership team, the more successful the school will be in achieving its admission and enrollment goals.
- We must embrace emerging paradigms. Some independent schools are staking their futures on bold new operational models. We have heard of one successful school extending its brand by acquiring an underperforming school in a different market; of another offering a "microschool" with tuition at half its cost; of another — in a high-density urban market — offering a low-priced alternative by leasing commercial space, hiring majority temporary staff to staff up or down based on enrollment and program needs, and using the city as its "learning lab."
Much of the data that NBOA collects through its Financial Position Surveys correlates with these rules governing access and affordability. The truth is, national enrollment has been static, tuition increases continue to outpace household incomes, and financial aid resources are no longer as much tools to attract families as to keep our schools affordable for the families we already have. More than ever, I strongly believe that independent school business and operational leaders face a stark choice: Either we are architects of change that supports a thriving national independent school community, or we accept that we offer an expensive alternative for very few students and families.
I know my choice! What's yours?
