It is time to begin recruiting for the fall of 2011.
When school starts enrollment is closed.
Sure, almost every school in the country will accept one more student at any time but the recruiting has ended.
Spending time trying to increase this year's enrollment is suboptimal.
The optimal choice is to begin recruiting for next fall on the first day of the current school year.
In late winter and early spring, families begin to think about changing schools, enrolling their children in kindergarten or as freshmen, and moving to a new home.
Why wait until then to start the recruiting process? Why do you want to be one of dozens of voice clamoring for attention? Besides the current families, who could be your best referral sources? If the parochial school helps to build character, it might be those involved in juvenile justice (family practice lawyers, judges, truant offices, local churches of all denominations, etc.
).
If the Christian school helps students break the cycle of poverty, it might be the local nonprofits and state agencies that help families.
All of the referral sources (families, agencies, etc.
) are busy.
At this moment, few of them thinks they have time or a need to talk with a school representative.
Before you contact anyone, you need to research them (internet, friends, newspaper articles, etc.
).
You need to find a gift you can take them.
The research will tell you want gift is most important.
(The gift - What do you know or what can your school offer that will help them be more successful?) The gift must be one you can give them during the meeting.
It must be an unconditional gift.
A simple gift is fine.
If motivating youth is important to them then share an article from the internet on how to motivate youth.
If it is an article you have written, it is all better.
Every plan needs a goal.
Without a goal, it is impossible to know if there is success.
Realistic goal setting is possible.
- The first step is to determine the number of students needed next year to match this year's enrollment.
Most schools know what their retention rate is for students.
They may be unable to predict which student will enroll but they can predict how many will leave without isolating the causes (dissatisfaction, economic hardship, moving, graduation, etc.
).
- The next step is to determine the number of student that are needed to create comfortable growth for the school.
- The final step is to add the two preceding numbers together.
The sum is the goal.
Now that one has the goal, it is possible to establish milestones.
The milestones will help determine if the plan is working and avoid an unpleasant surprise or disappointment at the end.
Establishing milestones is less scientific than goal setting.
The initial milestone might be one set to provide confidence to you or your team that the plan is working.
The next milestone might demonstrate that the plan is becoming more effective or efficient.
The following milestone might confirm that the final goal is achievable.
One of the milestones might provide predictive information for the budget process or scholarship planning.
The number of milestones and the reason for them is entirely up to you.
Next Steps: - Identify your best referral sources - Develop a plan to cultivate the referrals - Set a goal for fall 2011 enrollment with periodic milestones (December 1st, February 1st, June 1st for instance) - Communicate your goal to everyone (parents, board, donors, referral sources, and the community) and share with them what they can do to help and why the students and community will benefit from success.
People want other people to succeed.
Sharing your goal with everyone will increase your level of support.
It confirms that there is a future for the school.
It provides a concrete way for people to help you and the mission.
Naturally, communicating the success of each milestone is also important.
It provides tangible evidence that the plan is working and is realistic.
Each time success occurs, more people will engage.
Everyone likes to be part of a success and feel that he or she contributed to it.
What affect would it have on everyone's confidence if 90% of the enrollment goal is achieved before spring recruiting begins? If that occurs, it will lower the student attrition rate.
The fence-sitting families will have a reason to reconsider their decision.
The process works.
There are schools in almost every market that reach their enrollment goals before graduation.
It is a process that gives you control of enrollment.
It eliminates the need to be concerned about the economy, demographic shifts, birth rates or other external factors.
The process works in a poor economy at inner city schools as well as rural and suburban schools.
Some years it takes more effort than other years.
Growing enrollment is a strong indicator of sustainability.