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Without regard for how hard or easy it might be, it is the job of the board and administration to recruit and retrain students. It is certainly true that a strong economy makes recruiting students easier. It is equally true that a weak economy makes recruiting students difficult. [...]  Most Christian schools, Catholic schools, and other parochial schools have a few families that are slow making their tuition payments. In a down economy, there are a few more than usual. At the same time, enrollment is down for many schools so it is hard to expel a student or keep them from enrolling next year. Some money is better than no money. [...] How can any congregation afford a school? In most circumstances, the short answer is that it can’t. In most states, the cost of running a public school increases about 7% per year. The parents at a private or parochial school can afford a 3% tuition increase because their income raises approximately the same rate as inflation. Where is the other 4% going to come from? [...] Does it strike you as odd that public school and private school students both have the same reaction to waking up and going to school each day? Both groups of students would rather do just about anything other than go to school? Why isn’t a private school or Christian school different? [...] Often one assumes families send their children to a Christian school because they care about religious education. That is true. However, all of the families who are passionate about that currently have their children enrolled. Those whose children are attending public schools are looking for more value. [...] Is it impossible to know what a congregation expects from its school? A congregation is a diverse group. They all agree that the school must be a ministry. Most of us would agree that ministry is outward looking and involves spiritual development for all of the participants. [...] That question has five different answers. Can your school say yes to all five? If answering “yes” to any one of the questions was a crime, is there enough evidence to convict your school of the crime? [...] Should a Christian school lay off workers? Is a layoff consistent with their mission? [...] Is it a good idea to merge two weak schools? This is a continuation of the previous article. One merges two entities to create added strength. How do you create added strength when both schools are weak? Having a common weakness (as an example declining enrollment) compounds the weakness. Having two different weaknesses means the [...] |
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