Adopt the "New Normal" or Become a Thing of the Past

As we approach the second school year to begin during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are painfully aware of the many things that have changed forever. While most changes apply to schooling in general — readiness to go virtual, and precautionary protocols for in-person instruction, etc, some apply solely to the thousands of independent schools that exist in the country.

The pandemic changed the purchase power of a broad swath of the population, which means the monthly tuition for independent schools is now much harder for parents to manage. To survive in a post-pandemic reality requires an objective audit of the enrollment situation, new strategies to keep up with admissions challenges, and concerted effort to retain the existing student body.

The way the virus situation keeps evolving to new variants, some deadlier, some stealthier, and with the delays and controversies in vaccination, things are truly moving at a snail’s pace. It is futile, or at least impractical, to expect things to go back to the old ways.

Even if they did, schools must remember that the economic losses suffered by the families since March 2020 will take a long time to re-cover.

In the following pages, we take a recap of all the issues that have gripped independent schools since then, including the few silver linings. We hope that the presentation helps admissions professionals with a holistic view, so they can see beyond traditional approaches to recruiting that they have fallen back on until now.

Top. The Ivywild School in Colorado closed in 2009 and was purchased by the Bristol Brewery. By Madalyn Eudy.