Each school year brings new and varied challenges for independent schools. As stewards of their schools, boards of trustees must be prepared to weather the storm of shifting enrollment trends, transitions of leadership, budget constrictions, the legal landscape, and other developments the school year may bring. Boards can build a strong foundation for the rest of the year by affirming the school's mission and strategic direction, defining the board's role in leading the school, shoring up essential board documents, and planning for their schools' ongoing sustainability.
Know Who You Are: Mission, Identity, and Board Culture
The beginning of the school year is an ideal time for boards to revisit the school's mission, values, and institutional identity. Independent schools distinguish themselves through a particular educational philosophy, faith, tradition, academic model, community culture, student experience, or set of shared values. Boards should ensure that those defining characteristics are not merely aspirational statements, but active guideposts for decision making.
Board members should also understand the board's own identity and culture. Questions worth revisiting:
- What is the school's mission, and how does it inform strategic decision making?
- What does the school do especially well?
- What type of student and family is the school best positioned to serve?
- What are the board's shared expectations for confidentiality, preparation, candor, and collective decision making?
- What are expectations of the board-head relationship, including the level of communication, level of transparency, and setting performance goals for the head of school?
- How does the board define success for the coming year?
These conversations are particularly important for new trustees, who may bring valuable professional experience but may not yet understand the unique independent schools governance model. Board orientation, annual governance training, and a clear board handbook can help establish common expectations early.
The Independent School Board's Role: Governance, Not Management
The board's primary responsibilities include stewarding the school's mission, hiring and supporting the head of school, engaging in strategic planning, exercising fiduciary oversight, ensuring long-term financial sustainability, and monitoring institutional risk. By contrast, the administration is responsible for running the school. Operational decisions involving employees, students, parents, curriculum implementation, discipline, scheduling, programming, communications, and day-to-day management should generally be handled by the head of school and the administrative team.
At times, especially during periods of institutional instability, or other internal or external pressures, boards can tend to blur these lines in an attempt to "right the ship" and regain control. Boards should be careful not to blur governance and management by inserting themselves into individual personnel decisions, student discipline matters, classroom-level concerns, family complaints, or routine administrative decisions. Even well-intentioned involvement can undermine the authority of the head of school, create inconsistent decision making, or expose the school to unnecessary legal and reputational risk.
Financial Sustainability and Enrollment: A Board-Level Priority
Enrollment remains one of the most important strategic issues facing many independent schools. Many schools are beginning to experience softening enrollment numbers as schools are competing for a declining number of students or are turning to the wait list to fill empty seats.
Because enrollment directly impacts a school's financial sustainability, program planning, staffing, facilities, and long-term viability, boards should treat enrollment as a strategic priority in the coming year. That does not mean the board should make individual admissions decisions or manage the admissions office. Rather, the board should ensure that the school has a clear, data-informed enrollment strategy that aligns with the school's mission and long-term goals.
Board members can support schools' enrollment efforts by championing the school's mission and strategic priorities in the broader community; reviewing enrollment data and asking strategic questions; investing in marketing, admissions, retention, and financial aid resources where appropriate; helping identify community partnerships or outreach opportunities; modeling confidence in the school's leadership and direction; encouraging current families to engage positively and constructively with prospective families; ensuring that enrollment strategy is connected to budget planning, facilities planning, and program development.
At the same time, boards should avoid micromanaging admissions operations, directing admissions staff, lobbying for particular applicants, or second-guessing individual admissions decisions. The board's role is to help create the conditions for enrollment success, not to run the admissions process.
Boards should also take a hard look at their strategic goals and the long-term financial outlook of the school. If enrollment strategies have not been successful, consider other avenues to ensure financial sustainability, including partnerships, affiliations, re-allocation of resources, mergers, auxiliary revenue, or even closure of all or part of the school's operations.
Practical Governance Steps for Independent School Boards
The start of the school year is a strategic opportunity for independent school boards to reaffirm their role as stewards of mission, strategy, leadership, and long-term sustainability. Boards that understand who they are, respect the distinction between governance and management, and focus their attention on strategic priorities are better positioned to support the head of school and advance the institution's mission.
In addition, boards of trustees should consider reviewing essential documents and board procedures, such as the following, to ensure that the proper processes are in place to address any unforeseen issues that may arise during the year:
- Conduct annual board orientation
- Train board members on proper governance
- Review the school's mission, bylaws, committee charters, and conflict of interest policy
- Establish board goals for the year that align with the strategic plan
- Review enrollment, retention, and admissions data at a strategic level
- Confirm that the annual goals of the head of school align with the board's goals
- Review major financial, operational, legal, and reputational risks
- Ensure board committees understand their charges and limits of authority
- Review long-term financial planning and consider mergers, partnerships, or affiliations
- Set expectations for confidentiality, communications, and board conduct
Boards should be active partners in shaping strategy, asking the right questions, and ensuring that the school has the resources and clarity needed to deliver on the school's mission. Doing so starts with healthy board governance.
The Venable Independent School Law team is available to answer any questions about enrollment trends.