Running a Private School

Get help and guidance on running a private school. Find guidance and resources related to administration, fundraising and marketing. Explore strategic plan development, creative fundraising ideas and the latest technology uses in marketing.

View the most popular articles in Running a Private School:

School Security: It Could Never Happen Here Or Could It?

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School Security: It Could Never Happen Here Or Could It?
School shootings and other emergency situations won't happen in your school, right? Who knows! Better to put in place the steps necessary to protect the school community than to be caught unprepared.

We see the never-ending reporting about school shootings. They occur in places we may have visited. We may even have friends and relatives whose lives have been impacted by this violence that seems endemic in our society. But that could never happen in our children's school, or could it?

Safety is at the top of the list of concerns for parents and students. Harassment, bullying, and COVID are all still concerns, but shootings have unnerved people in every age group and walk of life. It seems as though no public place is safe anymore.

Preparing for emergencies is an ongoing process—even if a school (public or nonpublic) is at a high state of readiness for an emergency, there will still be a need for continued security, safety, and emergency management. Source: REMSTA (Readiness & Emergency Management for Schools)

Prevention

Preventing incidents from happening requires action from you and your children's school. You are partners in keeping young people safe.

The Parent's Obligation

  • Understand the measures your school has put in place to prevent incidents from occurring.
  • Discuss these measures regularly with your children.
  • Teach your children to be situationally aware.
  • Keep your lines of communication open and relaxed, so your children will tell you about anything and everything.
  • Keep your phone charged with the school's emergency alert application configured to notify you anytime.
  • Monitor your local weather conditions as emergencies can include severe storms, tornadoes, and flash floods.
  • Teach your children how to call 911 for help.
  • Teach your children how
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Marketing Your School: Welcoming New Students

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Marketing Your School: Welcoming New Students
Why is welcoming students so important? Because it makes new students and their families feel that they are part of the school community from Day 1. More about this valuable marketing tool here.

Spring is an exciting time both for private schools and for their new incoming students. Now, I know you're thinking, "Why spring? I thought schools opened in the fall? In September." Well, of course, you're right. Schools do welcome their new students at the beginning of the fall semester. But they also make a big fuss about their new students in the spring. After all, why talk about success once when you can talk about it all year long. It's just good marketing. Private schools are constantly looking to fill their empty seats. While certain times of the year are busier than others in the admissions department, the director of admissions has to focus on her school's finding new students throughout the year. Welcoming new students is an essential part of her job.

This video shares some tips on creating social media content.

Why is welcoming students so important?

Welcoming new students is important because it makes new students and their families feel that they are part of the school community from Day 1. Most new students will be concerned about basics like making friends and fitting in. Most parents want assurance that their children have everything they need to be happy and successful in their new school. The welcoming process sets the tone. It states unequivocally that "We are so happy you are here. We are so happy that you are part of our

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Planning For Future Growth

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Planning For Future Growth
This article will help small schools understand the process that large schools with ample resources to hire consultants and strategic planners use to plan their future growth.

Planning for the future growth of your school in these uncertain times is a challenging exercise. The object of this essay is to give you some guidelines to help you and your trusted advisors plan for the next five years. I am writing this for small schools to help you understand the process that large schools with ample resources to hire consultants and strategic planners use to plan their future growth.

Include the following components in your Plan For Future Growth should have

  1. Develop an overview of what you want to achieve.
  2. Investigate the competition.
  3. Examine your organization.
  4. Develop an implementation plan.
  5. Develop a marketing strategy.
  6. Outline the risks your school faces.
  7. Hold information sessions with members of your school community.
  8. Track your progress towards your objectives.

Overview

Keep your overview brief yet comprehensive. It should explain the goals of your Plan for Future Growth. For example, if your area is experiencing rapid growth, refer to that as the underlying reason for building your Plan for Future Growth. Then write something like, "Anytown has had an influx of new families at a rate exceeding national averages. As a result, we aim to prepare for the demand for private school seats by adding one class to each grade over the next five years."

Include the important points of your Plan. The overview is a summary, not a detailed list of the things you wish to accomplish.

Investigate your competition.

First of all, know who your competition is. Use Private School Review to search for

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Keep Ransomware Out of Your School

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Keep Ransomware Out of Your School
Small organizations like private schools are just as vulnerable to ransomware attacks as large organizations are. Here's how to deal with ransomware in your school.

IT Director answering her phone: "Hello, Yvonne here. How can I help you?"

Finance Assistant: "Yvonne! My computer's got something wrong with it. Everything's frozen and I can't access QuickBooks. And there's a message on my screen saying it's been hacked. What do I do?"

This scenario is a lot more common than you think. Ransomware attacks strike large organizations and small ones. While you wouldn't think private schools would be vulnerable to such attacks, they are just as exposed as a Fortune 500 company. Although I have earned IT certifications over the years, you and I are going to listen to what the experts in the IT security field have to say about ransomware, and, most importantly, how to protect your school from these unwelcome attacks.

What is ransomware?

The United States Government's Stop Ransomware website defines ransomware as follows: "Ransomware is a form of malware designed to encrypt files on a device, rendering any files and the systems that rely on them unusable. Malicious actors then demand ransom in exchange for decryption."

This video explains ransomware.

"It couldn't happen in my school."

Why should your private school be concerned about ransomware? After all, your school is such a small organization. Why would anybody attack our school? Another security expert tells you why.

cWatch explains why hackers do what they do: "Some common reasons for hacking include basic

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Endow A Teaching Position

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Endow A Teaching Position
Endowing a teaching position accomplishes many things for the private school that gave you the foundation for your adult life.

Private schools finance their operating expenses with tuition and fees. In other words, a school's income from tuition and fees offsets salaries, utilities, and all the other line items in a school's operating budget. Assuming that the admissions staff fill all the places and that the finance people have calculated projected income and expenses correctly, the school hopefully will break even at the end of the fiscal year. But remember that running any enterprise like a school also includes anticipating unexpected expenses. It's much the same situation that you and I find ourselves in when we suddenly have to pay for an unbudgeted expense. When that happens, you and I dip into our savings or charge the expense to our credit cards. That's fine for you and me; however, a private school doesn't operate that way. Instead, the treasurer maintains a rainy day fund or funds held in reserve. That's where endowing a teaching position comes in.

When you endow a teaching position at the private school that gave you such a great start, you express your confidence in the school and its mission. Your gift becomes an integral part of the school's branding. It helps to market the school and makes the school's balance sheet more stable. So let's explore how you can make this happen.

Giving during your lifetime

Discuss your idea with the school. Begin by speaking with the head of school, even if he or she is someone you do not know very well.

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Running a Private School

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Private schools often need to be creative when it comes to funding. This section provides tools, tips and resources on fundraising. Learn more about supporting your school, how to handle major gifts, and why keeping in touch with graduates can benefit your budget.
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