Administrative

Editor's Note: I asked Stephen Alexander of Wilson International 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

"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. How you handle a crisis 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.

The Head of School

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 such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, email, 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 story better deal with all those reports effectively and professionally.

Now when bad press appears, it takes on a life of its own. It is bad enough to see a

Does your school avoid politics? You might want to make sure it does if you are set up as a non-profit corporation. If your school is exempt from taxes under the provisions of Section 501 (c3) of the Tax Code, it must refrain from conducting political activities designed to influence political elections. Consult your attorney if you are not sure what your school's IRS status is. To access Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, you can visit the IRS page on exemption requirements for 501(c)(3) organizations. Here is the URL: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/exemption-requirements-501c3-organizations.

Intramural elections are exempt.
Putting up posters and holding rallies for student council president is not generally considered a violation of the 'no politicking' provisions of the law. Internal or within the bounds of the school community activities are acceptable. Read Rules for Exempt Organizations During an Election Year for further guidance.

This video offers an explanation of not-for-profit organizations and the 501 (c)(3) status with the IRS.

Politicking for local, state, and federal issues and candidates is forbidden.

In the current political climate, where emotions often run high and young people are increasingly drawn into the electoral process, it is crucial for schools to understand the boundaries set by their 501(c)(3) status. Politicking for local, state, and federal issues and candidates is strictly forbidden. This prohibition is not just a guideline but a legal requirement under the Johnson Amendment, which