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Signs that your school might be failing don't suddenly appear all at once like a flashing neon sign. Instead, they appear gradually over the course of weeks, months, and years. I am targeting small private schools with these remarks and suggestions, hoping that you will recognize telltale signs of concern long before they become major troubles.

As you and your board of trustees review the list I have set out below, I suggest scoring each item on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 representing the low end and 10 representing the high end. So, for example, as you look at your enrolment data for the past 5 years, if the trend shows a deterioration in enrolment, you would score that item 5 or less. And so on. Then tackle the items on the list that need the most attention.

The following video discusses signs that a business is in trouble. Many of these will apply to a private school, which, after all, is a business.

1. Low enrollment

Let's start with enrollment. Filling your school's seats is essential for balancing your budget. If you are having trouble doing that, then you need to find out why you are not able to fill all your seats. If you are a seasoned enrolment professional or have one on your board, then seek his advice and follow it. Enrollment professionals will look at a host of

Editor's Note: I asked Stephen Alexander of to explain how outsourcing a boarding program works. ~Rob Kennedy

1. Tell us about Wilson International, its history, and the services it provides for schools.

Wilson International aims to be at the forefront of global trends in private preparatory school education, providing a housing solution to schools that recognize the value of increased diversity and academic caliber of prospective students. The company was founded just this year for our first program in Roanoke, Virginia. Beyond providing a much-needed housing solution to our affiliate schools, Wilson cherishes the opportunity to help nurture thoughtful and competent global citizens within the framework of our affiliate schools' mission statements. Here in Roanoke, Wilson provides 16 rooms and 48 beds to its affiliates in a recently restored historical building in the heart of downtown. The building is updated with a fully secured access control program, designated fiber optic internet service, laundry facilities, and a full-time chef. In addition to room and board, Wilson provides a residential life program for its students and is also creating a recruiting branch of the company to assist day schools that need a jump-start in their international admission goals.

2. What prompted North Cross School and Roanoke Catholic School to add a residential option to their programs?

Both schools had engaged in specific and strategic initiatives to increase the diversity and caliber of their prospective students in the last seven years. Because both schools are

How sustainable is your school? This article is written with small to medium-sized schools in mind. Larger schools can plan and use professional resources of all kinds to ensure their sustainability for the future. On the other hand, small schools typically have limited resources, to begin with. So with this in mind, I want to look at three aspects of how your school runs and offer some suggestions as to how we can ensure it will run for many years to come. In other words, let's ensure that your school is sustainable and will continue to be sustainable for many more years.

We are going to look at two types of day schools: for-profit schools and not-for-profit schools. A large number of primary schools are what we would describe as for-profit schools. These are the kinds of schools that a well-intentioned, visionary educator has established because she believes in a certain teaching style and wants to reach a certain clientele in her local area. I use the description of well-intentioned advisedly because many of these wonderful people have great pedagogical ideas but lack the business experience to make their school an ongoing reality. Here are some practical steps that the owner of a small primary school should take to ensure that her school stays viable.

Develop a business plan.

When you started your school, you knew that it was not enough to think that you could budget for, say, 50 students and charge tuition at the market rate,

Who in their right mind starts a private school? Starting any enterprise is a daunting project. Yet many parents and teachers are the impetus behind the dozen or so new private schools that appear on the scene each fall. Some schools begin modestly with a grade or two and grow by adding one grade a year. Other schools have much more elaborate plans. Why do these brave parents and teachers start a school? The main reason seems to be that they are passionate about teaching a certain way or adhering to a certain philosophy. Sometimes they do it simply because they want to run their own school and do things their way.

No matter what the genesis of the idea might be, the recipe for bringing a school into existence is straight-forward enough, although there are many ingredients. Staring a school requires equal parts persistence, business acumen, and vast amounts of patience. To those basic ingredients, you add huge lashings of money. Mix thoroughly. As you do, you discover that you will have to add more money regularly as the other ingredients soak up gobs of money.

This video offers an overview of starting a nonprofit organization like your school.

Here is a template for planning and opening your own school. Good luck! I did it. Lived through the experience. I still recall it as one of the best things I ever did.

36 months

How ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Schools Can Manage Bad Press: Strategies for Crisis Communication

• "Popular teacher murdered"
• "Accusations of sex abuse at prestigious private school"
• "Lavish expenditures on headmaster's house renovations"

I am not making these up. These are examples of incidents that have actually taken place at private schools.

• In the course of running any business, things happen that can generate negative and unwanted publicity.
• A private school is a business. will have a huge impact on the future of your school.

It's the head of school's worst nightmare to read a story about something that happened at his school.

• It's a parent's worst nightmare to read a story about something that happened in her children's school.
• It's a teacher's worst nightmare to be in the midst of the maelstrom, which is the evolving story with all its investigations.

Canva generated this picture of a head of school.

Managing A Crisis

The Head of School's Role

21st-century heads of schools know that they cannot simply circle the wagons and deny the existence of the story. A couple of decades ago, when social media and blogs did not exist, the fortress mentality was how many heads handled tough situations.

• You expelled a few students and fired some staff, and hopefully, the matter was put to rest permanently. Not anymore.
• Unfortunately, smartphones flash photos, comments, and opinions around the world in seconds.
• Your