Transcript
Starting a private school is a challenging process and generally takes no less than 2 years. Private schools often have high academic standards, low teacher-student ratios, availability of non-core subjects such as art and music and an emphasis on discipline, safety, community service, and values. Private schools can be proprietary (for-profit), however most are incorporated non-profit entities. The following steps will help guide you in starting a private school. 1 Determine the grade levels for your private school. How many and which grades will you start with and how many will you eventually grow to include? Many private schools start with fewer and lower grade levels and add upper grades over time. 2 Write a mission statement for the school to focus your reasons for starting a private school. This statement will be the driving philosophy for your educational plans and a way to gather community support. The mission statement should include a rationale for starting your school, your school values, the educational approach, the curriculum focus and goals and planned outcomes for students. 3 Assemble a private school committee. The committee will eventually become the core members of your board of directors. Committee members should be experts in different areas, including education, legal, accounting, business and construction. 4 Research your state's educational requirements for private schools. In some states, private schools are overseen by a division of the Department of Education. Other states have individual accrediting agencies for private schools, while still others have no private school regulations. 5 Create the business entity. Determine if your private school will be proprietary (for-profit) or non-profit. Most private schools incorporate and apply for tax-exempt status. File the appropriate paperwork with your Secretary of the State and the IRS. Your founding committee attorney should handle this step. 6 Write a business plan for your private school. Create a 5-year business plan, including operational plans (such as financial and marketing) and educational plans (such as educational focus, curriculum, implementation and assessment). 7 Determine your budget and secure your funding. The budget should include capital expenses. Your committee accountant or financial specialist should help with the budget, or you should seek expert advice. If you are operating as a non-profit, solicit contributions by asking for donations from foundations, applying for grants and establishing donations from private donors. 8 Find a location for your private school. Locate a current facility or develop plans to build one. 9 Interview and hire critical staff members. The first 2 staff members you should hire are the headmaster and a business manager. This should be done approximately 18 months prior to the start of school so you will have experienced professionals to help implement the final steps to starting your private school. The headmaster/administrator will be able to help you handle the educational and staffing aspects of the school plan, while the business manager will work with you on duties such as enrollment and purchasing. 10 Promote your private school to prospective parents and students. Advertise for students through community, church and service groups. You can also advertise through local newspapers and magazines and submit your school to online and private school directories. Design a website that will provide admissions and enrollment information. Join national private school associations for exposure such as NIPSA.org and NAIS.org. 11 Open your business office. Begin the admissions process for students. Order your curriculum materials, furniture and educational supplies. 12 Interview and hire faculty. It is extremely important to find highly-qualified teachers and staff, so be competitive in your compensation. States vary in requirements for private school teacher qualifications. Provide faculty training sessions several months before the start of school to familiarize the teachers and staff with the school, policies, procedures, expectations, curriculum and your vision for the school. 13 Open your private school. Plan your opening for when other schools in the area are starting. This is usually in the early fall, although in peninsular Florida it tends to be in August. Starting a school is complex. It’s also very exciting and rewarding. The specifics of how to start a school depend on many factors such as governing laws, type of school, location, mission, ages of students and more. However, the following ten steps are critical to any school startup. 1 Develop a Compelling Vision: A compelling vision is essential to guide you through the startup phase and beyond. Your vision will drive decisions and actions in the short-and long-term. Envision your school. What kind of education do you want to provide? Who do you want to serve? What kind of academic and social experience do you want to give your students? Where do you want your school to be in 5 years, 25 years and 100 2 Demonstrate Strong Leadership: Someone needs to take a strong leadership role. Although the responsibilities of the leader will vary significantly from school to school, a competent leader is critical to a successful school startup. Regardless of your circumstances, there will be many hurdles along the way. The leader must continue to move the process forward and provide competent, visionary leadership for all those involved. 3 Conduct a Feasibility Study: Early in the startup process, it is essential to conduct a feasibility study. A good feasibility study will help you take a hard look at your vision and determine how best to proceed. While it is possible that a feasibility study will lead you to the conclusion that your school is not feasible, it is much more likely that the feasibility study will help you make sound decisions about next steps to starting a school successfully. 4 Prepare a Business Plan: Your business plan will describe your goals, the reasons they are attainable and how you plan to achieve them. The process of preparing a business plan requires thoughtful analysis of your goals, whether they are achievable and how you will accomplish them. A business plan can be used for many purposes, such as raising funds, public relations efforts and recruitment at many levels. Yet perhaps the greatest value of a business plan is the process of creating one. 5 Get Professional Help: Starting a school requires professional knowledge in many areas, such as curriculum, strategic planning, financial management, real estate, legal matters and marketing to mention a few. If you don’t have people with the necessary expert ise in your founding group, it is essential to seek assistance from others. Even so, it is often highly advisable to get advice from people outside the founding group. 6 Select and Develop a Curriculum: Curriculum is the core of your service. Regardless of which curricula you select, it is vital to involve your teachers in developing the curriculum further. Your faculty is teaching the curriculum. They need to "own" it. 7 Develop Facilities: Whether you’re leasing existing space or building a new campus, th e acquisition and development of facilities is a significant undertaking. Begin the search for facilities or the planning for renovation or construction early. The leasing, renovation and construction processes tend to take longer than anticipated. Also, if possible, design your physical space to facilitate your school’s mission. 8 Conduct a School Head Search: If your school leader is not among the founding group, conduct a search to find a strong leader. First-rate leadership is essential for all schools and critical for new schools. 9 Hire Excellent Teachers: Your faculty will determine the quality of your school. Nothing else comes close. Your teachers will be the single most important factor in the quality of your school’s education. That quality will determine your school’s success. Attract and retain first -rate teachers who are passionate about education and compassionate with students. 10 Market Your School: Design a high-impact branding, marketing and public relations plan and be prepared to carry it out with gusto. Create a buzz about your new school. There are many creative and cost-effective ways to market your school. Good marketing is not necessarily expensive. The important thing is to know your market and what you need to do to be successful in attracting the number and kind of students you want to enroll.
