When it comes to school websites, the stakes couldn’t be higher—your site is working 24/7 to attract prospective families. Unlike social media posts or printed brochures, your website must serve multiple audiences simultaneously while guiding families through one of their most important decisions: where to send their children to school.

School websites are often the deciding factor for over half of families making their final enrollment decisions. Here’s how schools can treat their websites as the powerful enrollment tools they should be.

Strategic Content for Every Enrollment Season

The most successful school websites adapt their messaging throughout the enrollment cycle.

October through February: Peak Application Season

Your homepage needs laser focus during this critical window. Prospective families are in decision mode, and your site should make their next steps crystal clear. Feature application deadlines prominently, highlight what makes your school unique, showcase success stories and testimonials, and ensure those “Apply Now” buttons are impossible to miss.

March through May: Decision Time

Families have typically applied and are now making final choices. This is when deeper content becomes crucial. Shift your homepage emphasis to virtual tours, detailed program information, and compelling video content. Parent and student testimonials about actual experiences at your school carry more weight than marketing copy. Most importantly, provide clear next steps for families who have been accepted.

Summer: Relationship Building

Don’t let your website go dormant during the summer months. This is prime time for building relationships with incoming families and keeping current families engaged. Feature welcome information for new families, highlight summer programs, announce community events, and provide preparation materials for the upcoming year.

Throughout every season, remember to balance statistics with storytelling. While academic achievements and test scores matter, families make emotional connections through authentic stories about real students and experiences at your school.

Measuring What Actually Drives Enrollment

Here’s where some schools might get stuck: taking stock in Google Analytics traffic numbers without understanding what actually drives enrollment. High traffic means nothing if those visitors aren’t converting into enrolled families.

Instead of vague goals like “increase enrollment,” implement SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives. For example: “Increase applications submitted through our website by 10% in the next twelve months.”

Track These Conversion-Focused Metrics:

Application form completions (and abandonment rates)
Information session registrations originating from your website
Virtual tours that lead to scheduled campus visits
Contact form submissions from prospective families
Time spent on key pages like academics and admissions

Use tools like Google Tag Manager for conversion tracking and Microsoft Clarity for heat mapping—their free plan offers valuable insights into how users actually navigate your site.

But remember: these tools only provide quantitative data. The most successful schools combine analytics with qualitative feedback from families. Conduct user testing sessions and ask families directly about their website experience. Sometimes high engagement time means visitors are lost and frustrated, not deeply interested.

Creating Truly User-Friendly Experiences

As a designer, I’m constantly tempted by beautiful, complex designs. But the most successful websites focus on how they work and how they make people feel, not just how they look.

The Foundation: Information Architecture

Think of your website’s information architecture like a blueprint for a house. It’s how you organize and present content to balance your audience’s needs with your school’s goals. You might want visitors to “Enroll Now” immediately, but families need information before they’re ready to take that step.

Mobile-First Design Is Non-Negotiable

Over 50% of school website traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site doesn’t work perfectly on smartphones, you’re losing families before they even learn about your school.

Consider how parents actually use your website: they’re browsing during commutes, on lunch breaks, or while waiting in pickup lines. They’re multitasking and need information quickly and clearly.

Essential Mobile Optimization Elements:

Navigation limited to 7 or fewer main menu items
Important information (calendars, contact details) accessible within 1-2 clicks
Fast loading times (47% of visitors abandon sites that take more than 2 seconds to load)
Mobile-friendly enrollment applications with easy-to-tap buttons and simple form fields
Plain language instead of educational jargon

The Human Element

Your website should reflect your school’s voice, culture, and values while creating inclusive experiences for families of all backgrounds and abilities. This isn’t just about compliance—it’s about demonstrating the welcoming community families will join.

Remember that behind every website visitor is a family making one of the most important decisions they’ll face. They’re evaluating not just your academic programs, but whether their child will thrive in your community. Your website is often their first impression of that community.

Moving Forward with Purpose

The most effective school websites serve as 24/7 enrollment ambassadors, guiding families smoothly from curiosity to application. They adapt content strategically throughout enrollment seasons, measure meaningful conversion metrics rather than vanity statistics, and prioritize user experience over flashy design.

Your website isn’t just a digital brochure—it’s your most important enrollment tool. Make sure it’s working as hard as your admissions team to welcome the right families into your school community.

About the Author

Niki Blaker is a design strategist and founder of Five Sigma Studio, a design firm focused on integrating brand strategy, user experience, design, and content. Her work is guided by an emphasis on cross-discipline collaboration and in-depth research, which makes meaningful brand strategy and design experiences possible.

If you’re not alive and well on social media, you don’t exist, according to a lot of people. This reality might sound harsh, but it reflects the current landscape where prospective families research schools online long before they ever set foot on campus.

As we enter back-to-school season, schools have a critical window to capture the attention of families still making enrollment decisions. Late enrollments continue well into the school year, and social media provides an immediate, authentic way to showcase what makes your school special.

But here’s the challenge: posting just to post isn’t enough. Strategic, enrollment-focused social media requires intentional content that helps families visualize their child’s experience at your school.

1. Show the Faces That Make Your School Special

The most effective back-to-school social media content focuses on people, not just places. While beautiful facility photos have their place, families connect most deeply with the individuals who will shape their child’s daily experience.

Personal Video Introductions

Consider creating personal video introductions from your school leader and principal. These don’t need to be highly produced—authenticity trumps polish every time. Share your excitement about the upcoming year, your vision for students, and what families can expect from your school community.

Faculty introductions prove equally valuable, especially when highlighting new team members. If teachers return to campus early for preparation, this creates perfect opportunities to capture brief videos where they share what they’re excited about for the new school year. These glimpses behind the scenes help families begin building relationships with the educators who will impact their children daily.

Behind-the-Scenes Content That Tells Your Story

The preparation period before students arrive offers unique content opportunities. Showcase teachers setting up their classrooms, highlight any facility improvements completed over the summer, or document the installation of new playground equipment. These “before and after” moments demonstrate your school’s commitment to creating excellent learning environments.

The key is helping families visualize what their child’s daily experience will look like. Share glimpses of morning routines, classroom activities, transitions between spaces, and after-school programs. Even without students present, you can paint a picture of the vibrant community families will join.

2. Think Year-Round

One of the biggest strategic advantages schools can develop is thinking about social media content creation as a year-round process rather than a seasonal rush. The moments you capture throughout the school year become invaluable assets for future enrollment campaigns.

Capturing Content for Later Use

Those videos of engaged students during science experiments? Perfect for back-to-school excitement posts. Footage of your annual talent show? Ideal for highlighting your school’s creativity and community spirit. Documentation of your graduation ceremony? Powerful testimonial content for prospective families.

Smart schools approach content creation with this longer-term perspective, asking, “How might we use this moment in six months?” This strategic thinking transforms routine school activities into enrollment marketing opportunities.

Repurposing With Purpose

Consider creating countdown posts that build anticipation: “25 days until school starts—here are 25 things we’re looking forward to.” These posts allow you to highlight favorite traditions, showcase different academic programs, feature various faculty members, and demonstrate the breadth of experiences your school offers.

The beauty of this approach is that each countdown post can draw from authentic moments captured throughout the previous school year, creating a nostalgic connection for returning families while providing a comprehensive preview for prospective ones.

3. Use The Power of Authentic Testimonials

While behind-the-scenes content and faculty introductions build connection, authentic testimonials provide the social proof that drives enrollment decisions. The key is capturing these testimonials at moments when emotions naturally run high.

Strategic Timing for Maximum Impact

Graduation ceremonies offer ideal opportunities to capture powerful testimonials from students and families feeling genuinely grateful and excited about their school experience. These emotional moments translate into compelling content that resonates with prospective families months later.

Similarly, back-to-school events, achievement celebrations, and milestone moments throughout the year provide natural opportunities to gather authentic voices sharing their positive experiences.

Not every testimonial needs to be a polished video production. Some of the most effective approaches are beautifully simple: students holding signs explaining “why I chose this school,” brief video testimonials captured on smartphones, or compelling quotes paired with genuine photos of students and families.

These testimonials serve multiple purposes simultaneously—they support new family enrollment, strengthen current family re-engagement, and build overall community connection by celebrating the voices within your school.

Setting a date on the calendar and opening your doors is just the beginning. In today’s competitive educational landscape, schools need open houses that do more than showcase facilities—they need events that convert prospective families into enrolled students.

Having worked with numerous schools on their enrollment strategies, I’ve seen the difference between open houses that simply inform and those that truly transform interest into action. The schools that succeed understand that memorable experiences, not just information sharing, drive enrollment decisions.

Creating Immersive Experiences That Differentiate Your School

The most effective open houses don’t just show families around your building—they let families experience what it feels like to be part of your school community. Rather than relying solely on presentations or scripted tours, successful schools create opportunities for prospective families to see your school in action.

Bring Your Classrooms to Life

Consider having students or teachers lead live demonstrations in your science lab, allowing prospective students to participate in hands-on art activities, or showcasing a typical classroom lesson. These immersive moments help families move beyond wondering “what if” to actually visualizing their child thriving in your environment.

When live demonstrations aren’t feasible—whether due to timing, staffing, or logistical constraints—technology can bridge the gap. Schools that have captured video throughout the school year can create powerful experiences by playing these clips on loop during open houses. Footage of daily routines, classroom transitions, student activities, and authentic moments of learning help families understand your school’s culture and energy even when students aren’t physically present.

The goal is simple: make your open house more impactful than any presentation or scripted tour, no matter how engaging the speaker.

The Power of Personal Follow-Up

What happens after your open house often matters more than the event itself. The schools that excel at converting visitors into enrolled families understand that personal touches still make all the difference in our increasingly digital world.

Pre-Event Engagement

Some of the most successful schools I work with have their school leaders personally call families who RSVP for open houses. These brief conversations—simply saying “I’m excited to meet you at our event”—create immediate connection and demonstrate the personal attention families can expect from your school.

Strategic Post-Event Outreach

After the event, the most effective follow-up strategies focus on personalization rather than automation. This might include:

Personal calls or emails from the school leader checking in with attendees
Targeted communications from specific faculty members based on family interests (have the soccer coach reach out to athletically-minded families, or the art teacher connect with creatively-inclined students)
Handwritten thank-you notes sent through traditional mail—a gesture that stands out dramatically from the dozens of automated emails families receive weekly

The key is creating touchpoints that feel authentic and specific to each family’s interests and needs.

Creating Urgency That Drives Action

The timing of your open house significantly impacts how you should frame your call-to-action. During back-to-school season, successful schools shift their messaging from exploratory (“learn more about our program”) to urgent (“seats are filling up—save your spot”).

Streamline the Enrollment Process

Make it as easy as possible for motivated families to take immediate action. Have enrollment packets readily available, or better yet, provide tablets or laptops where families can complete applications on-site with staff assistance. The goal is removing any friction between interest and action.

Capture Contact Information Strategically

Always collect contact information through event RSVPs, even for “drop-in” style events. This allows you to follow up with families who expressed initial interest but didn’t attend, and it creates a database for ongoing relationship building.

Remember that different seasons call for different approaches. Spring open houses can afford to be more exploratory and informational, while late summer events should emphasize immediacy and available opportunities.

Beyond the Event: Building Long-Term Relationships

The most successful schools view open houses not as isolated events but as touchpoints in ongoing relationship building. They understand that enrollment decisions often involve multiple family members, extended timelines, and careful consideration.

This perspective shifts the focus from immediate conversion to sustained engagement. Even families who don’t enroll immediately may become advocates in their community or consider your school for future academic years. The personal attention and authentic experiences you provide during open houses can create lasting positive impressions that yield enrollment benefits long after the event ends.

As charter school leaders know well, managing your facility—whether you’re on the path to ownership or currently leasing—requires significant planning, collaboration, and foresight. In my work with schools across the country, I’ve seen how understanding your options, budgeting realistically, and negotiating strategically can transform your facility from a simple expense into a powerful investment in your school’s mission.

When Is Your School Ready for Property Ownership?

One of the most common questions I receive from school leaders is how to determine when they’re ready to transition from leasing to purchasing. Ideally, a school looking to purchase should demonstrate strong financial health, including:

Stable or increasing enrollment, preferably with a waitlist
Long-term charter renewal, indicating operational stability
Several years of positive cash flow
Adequate cash reserves for unforeseen expenses or building improvements

These factors signal to potential lenders that your school is a good investment risk. However, if your school doesn’t meet all these criteria, don’t be discouraged. There’s still a path to ownership—it may just look different or affect your timeline.

Funding Options Specifically for Charter Schools

Charter schools have access to several specialized funding options that can make facility ownership more accessible:

Facility grants and programs like Charter School Facility Grant Programs that reimburse lease costs for schools serving low-income students (California’s SB 740 is one example)
Federal charter school grant programs for replication or expansion
Charter school bonds, which offer low-cost financing options ideal for larger, more established schools
New Market Tax Credits that can reduce project costs by offering tax credits to investors (especially valuable for improvement or redevelopment projects)
Mission-aligned lenders offering predevelopment, acquisition, and construction loans specifically to schools
Philanthropic impact investors and foundations offering recoverable grants or low-interest loans
Tax-exempt lease-to-purchase financing, which allows charter schools to lease a facility with either an option to buy or a clear path to ownership (this is what Grow Schools offers to charter schools)

Understanding Project Timelines

It’s never too early to start planning for your facility needs. Different acquisition paths have varying timelines:

Purchasing your current facility: 4-6 months (most straightforward)
Locating and purchasing a new site: 12-18 months (depends on market inventory and whether conversion/improvements are needed)
Purchasing land and developing a new facility: 18-24 months (most complex)

Always budget more time than you think you’ll need. Construction timelines frequently slip, and approval processes vary significantly by location.

Regardless of which path you choose, the acquisition process typically includes these key milestones:

Strategic planning and feasibility to assess your facility needs and financing options
Site search and due diligence, including touring properties, submitting offers, and conducting site feasibility studies
Financing and entitlement periods, including financing applications, working with legal and real estate professionals, and navigating conditional use permit processes
Closing and implementation, including finalizing financing, securing permits, and planning for build-out

Balancing Current Needs with Future Growth

Perhaps the most delicate balancing act in facility planning is addressing your immediate space needs while planning for future growth.

Here’s what you’ll want to consider:

Right-size for today while planning for future expansion
Avoid overextending your budget chasing a dream campus
Look for properties that allow for phased growth, such as those with room for modular classrooms or phased construction
Consider excess land that could accommodate future development
Verify zoning and CUP flexibility to ensure the site allows for additional classrooms or facilities without significant reentitlement (which can be costly and time-consuming)
Evaluate shared-use possibilities or temporary structures that can provide interim growth options
Consider subleasing opportunities to supplement income while you grow into your space
Prioritize location and transportation logistics, ensuring good long-term traffic flow and adequate space for drop-off and pickup logistics

Moving Forward with Confidence

Every school’s facility journey is unique, with its own challenges and opportunities. Whether you’re considering a move from leasing to ownership or looking to make your current facility work harder for your educational mission, the key is thoughtful planning and strategic timing.

By understanding your financial position, researching your options, giving yourself ample time, and balancing current needs with future vision, you can transform your facility from one of your biggest expenses into one of your most valuable assets—one that actively advances your educational mission and creates opportunities for your students and staff for years to come.

About the Author

Maddy Marlton is the VP of Real Estate Acquisitions at Grow Schools, where she helps schools optimize their facility financing to support long-term growth and sustainability.

The Financial Survival Kit for Schools event brought together industry experts who shared valuable insights on budgeting practices, strategic staffing solutions, and facility financing strategies that support sustainable growth.

Key Speakers and Their Insights

The event featured four distinguished speakers, each bringing specialized expertise to address different aspects of school financial management:

Proven Budgeting Practices – Raj Thakkar

Raj Thakkar, Founder & CEO of Charter School Business Management, outlined 15 proven budgeting and forecasting practices for schools.

His presentation emphasized:

Creating clarity with a vision-driven budget that converts words into numbers
Separating operating budgets from capital budgets to avoid “hidden deficits”
Understanding and maximizing revenue streams
Setting appropriate contingency amounts
Focusing on enrollment and compensation as budget anchors
Using forecasting instead of continuously modifying working budgets

Strategic Staffing Solutions – Beth Jacobs

Beth Jacobs, Co-CEO of vChief, discussed how fractional leadership support can help schools navigate financial challenges while maintaining operational excellence.

She explained:

How fractional executive support offers expertise at a fraction of full-time costs
When schools should consider fractional support (during transitions, peak periods, or for specific projects)
The value fractional leaders bring through their experience with similar challenges

Beth noted that many charter schools are currently facing budget cliffs from ESSER fund expiration, teacher shortages, compliance pressures, and enrollment challenges. Fractional support can help schools maintain momentum while addressing these issues efficiently.

Maximizing Funding Streams – Stanton Jandrell

Stanton Jandrell, CEO of Fraxion, focused on spend management as a critical component of financial health.

His presentation revealed:

Unmanaged spending equals missed savings (potentially 10-20% of operational costs)
The direct link between effective spend management and stable cash flow
Tools for spend control, including procurement automation and budget tracking systems
Additional savings through strategies like punchout catalogs and group purchasing organizations (GPOs)

Jandrell emphasized that implementing strong spend management supports financial transparency, accountability, and sustainable growth, enabling schools to better serve students while building resilience against financial uncertainties.

Facility Refinancing as a Growth Strategy – Maddy Marlton

Maddy Marlton, VP of Real Estate Acquisitions at Grow Schools, explained how strategic facility refinancing can unlock capital for educational investments.

She covered:

Reasons to refinance: reducing interest rates, extending terms, converting short-term debt to long-term fixed-rate solutions
Timing considerations for refinancing, including school financial health and credit market trends
Various facility financing options like tax-exempt bonds, CDFI facility loans, and lease-to-own models
Grant and philanthropic funding sources for facilities, including charter school facility incentive grants

Marlton provided actionable steps for schools to take immediately, including reviewing current working capital positions, updating financial forecasts, and evaluating existing loan terms.

Want to hear more?

You can watch the live event on demand here.

As schools navigate increasingly complex financial landscapes, many leaders are searching for strategies to optimize their resources and create more stability. One powerful opportunity lies in refinancing your school building.

For schools that already own their facilities, strategic refinancing can unlock capital, reduce costs, and fund future growth. Having worked with numerous educational institutions on their facility financing, I’ve seen firsthand how the right refinancing approach can transform a school’s financial outlook and create new opportunities for educational excellence.

When Is the Right Time to Consider Refinancing?

Many school leaders struggle to identify the optimal moment to refinance. Based on my experience, there are three key indicators that suggest it might be time to explore your options:

1. Interest Rate Opportunities

If market interest rates have dropped since you secured your initial loan, refinancing could significantly reduce your overall costs. Even a small percentage decrease can translate to substantial savings over the life of your loan.

2. Improved Financial Standing

Has your school strengthened its credit profile since your original financing? Improvements in enrollment stability, operational efficiency, or fundraising success can qualify you for better interest rates or more favorable repayment options.

3. Upcoming Balloon Payments or Cash Flow Concerns

Many schools face looming balloon payments they aren’t positioned to handle, or struggle with debt obligations that create ongoing cash flow challenges. Refinancing can help restructure your debt into more manageable terms, allowing you to better align your financial obligations with your operational reality.

The Financial Benefits of Refinancing

When executed strategically, refinancing can deliver several valuable benefits that directly impact your school’s financial health and growth potential:

Lower Monthly Payments

By securing a lower interest rate, schools can reduce their monthly debt service, freeing up cash for educational programs, new hires, or facility improvements. This increased financial flexibility can be transformative, especially during periods of budgetary constraints.

Extended Loan Terms

Refinancing allows schools to potentially extend their loan repayment period, reducing monthly payments and creating more breathing room in operational budgets. While this may increase total interest paid over time, it can provide crucial short-term relief and stability.

Access to Additional Equity

If your facility has appreciated in value, refinancing can allow you to unlock some of that equity. This capital can fund renovations, new construction, or other facility improvements that enhance your educational environment and potentially increase enrollment appeal.

Preparing for Refinancing Success

When approaching lenders about refinancing options, preparation is key to securing the most favorable terms:

Get Your Financial House in Order

Lenders will scrutinize your financial readiness, focusing particularly on debt service coverage ratios and cash flow stability. Before initiating conversations, gather comprehensive documentation including:

Three years of audited financial statements
Current loan agreements
Projected budgets and cash flow statements
Enrollment trend data
Fundraising reports
Strategic plans outlining future growth and sustainability

This documentation helps demonstrate your school’s financial health and long-term viability.

Explore Multiple Options

Don’t limit yourself to a single financing source. Investigate various alternatives including:

Traditional bank loans
Bond financing (if your school qualifies)
Specialized education lenders like Grow Schools

Compare rates, loan terms, and flexibility across these options, keeping your primary objectives in mind—whether that’s reducing annual payments or accessing additional improvement funds.

Consider Professional Guidance

Working with a financial advisor who specializes in educational institutions can provide valuable expertise throughout this process. These professionals understand the unique challenges schools face and can help navigate complex financing decisions.

The Right Partner Makes the Difference

When considering refinancing, choosing the right financial partner is crucial. Look for organizations that understand the unique challenges and opportunities within the education sector. The most valuable partners will offer more than just financing—they’ll provide comprehensive support that respects your school’s mission while enhancing your financial stability.

As we enter budgeting season, now is an excellent time to evaluate your facility financing and consider whether refinancing might create new opportunities for your school. By understanding the indicators, benefits, and preparation needed for successful refinancing, you can make informed decisions that strengthen your school’s financial future and, ultimately, enhance your ability to serve students.

About the Author

Maddy Marlton is the VP of Real Estate Acquisitions at Grow Schools, where she helps schools optimize their facility financing to support long-term growth and sustainability.

As a charter school leader, your software choices aim to positively impact curriculum and instruction. But have you considered how the tools you choose impact your community’s satisfaction, engagement, and ultimately your retention rate?

With the increasing number of digital applications used in K-12 education, many schools are inadvertently creating a fragmented experience that hinders student success and frustrates families so much that it may impact your school’s enrollment.

One Challenge: Multiple Apps Cause Frustration

Many charter schools use a mix of different learning management systems, grade books, communication tools, and student information systems—sometimes 10 to 15 official apps or more. While each tool may serve a purpose, the sheer number of systems, often adopted organically over time, creates complexity. A new study has found your stakeholders are likely more frustrated with this approach than you may be aware of.

For Parents: Managing multiple logins and interfaces makes it difficult to stay informed about their child’s progress. 42% of parents rated their satisfaction at 5 out of 10 or lower when dealing with multiple educational apps. Parents were the least happy of all user types. When parents feel disconnected, their ability to support their child’s education diminishes. So does their enthusiasm for your school’s brand.

For Students: Switching between platforms creates confusion, missed assignments, and an inconsistent learning experience. Instead of focusing on learning, students spend valuable time navigating different systems, which can negatively impact performance and engagement, according to the study.

For Educators and Administrators: The study found teachers lose hours each week managing multiple platforms, duplicating data entry and troubleshooting tech issues instead of focusing on instruction. Administrators struggle to gain a clear, real-time view of student progress across disconnected systems. This inefficiency leads to lost time, lost learning, and, ultimately, lost trust.

The Solution: Consolidation for Higher Satisfaction

The key to improving satisfaction and streamlining operations is reducing the number of apps your school relies on. A single, integrated platform offers:

A unified experience for parents with one easy login for grades, assignments, and communication.
A seamless learning environment for students that eliminates confusion and ensures consistency.
Increased efficiency for teachers and administrators, reducing administrative burden and improving data accuracy.

One Way to Streamline Technology

The Edsby platform for K-12 is one example of a comprehensive all-in-one platform designed specifically for K-12 schools. Unlike piecemeal solutions, Edsby combines assessment and reporting, parent engagement, learning management, and analytics into one system, eliminating the need for multiple disconnected apps. Students, teachers, and parents have only one place to go for everything related to teaching and learning.

With systems like Edsby, charter schools can:

Improve parent satisfaction by providing a single, easy-to-use interface for all school interactions
Increase student engagement by ensuring a consistent and organized learning experience
Boost operational efficiency, allowing teachers and administrators to focus on what matters most: student success

The Bottom Line

Your school’s technology should enhance your stakeholders’ experience, not jeopardize it. By consolidating disparate apps into a single platform, you can improve parent and student satisfaction, drive better learning outcomes, and create a more engaged school community. An engaged school community stays a school community.

About the Author

John Myers, Cofounder and CEO of Edsby, a K-12 software that does everything. He is passionate about streamlining tech stacks for schools so they can better focus on what they do best—educating students.

This week, we had the privilege of hosting an enlightening conversation with two industry leaders in school design and construction. If you missed our live event Building and Designing Future-Ready Schools, featuring architect Danish Kurani and construction expert Michael Soh, you can read the recap below and now access the full recording on-demand.

Event Highlights

The discussion provided valuable insights for school leaders, administrators, and anyone involved in educational facility planning. Our experts shared practical guidance drawn from their extensive experience in transforming educational spaces across the country.

Michael Soh, Construction & Development Project Manager, began with insights with practical advice on navigating the complex process of school construction. He outlined critical steps for success, from assembling the right team to managing budgets and timelines effectively.

Danish Kurani, a renowned architect and designer, emphasized how thoughtful design choices can create environments that not only facilitate learning but also support student well-being.

Key Takeaways

The event covered three main areas that are essential for anyone considering school facility improvements or new construction:

Critical Steps for Project Success Our experts walked through the entire development process, highlighting decision points, potential pitfalls, and strategies for keeping projects on track. Soh’s framework for team assembly proved particularly valuable, offering a blueprint for bringing together the right mix of expertise.
Designing for Learning and Well-being Kurani shared compelling examples of how intentional design choices can create spaces that foster student engagement, improve safety, and support mental well-being. The discussion explored how schools can be more inclusive, accessible, and reflective of the communities they serve through thoughtful architectural decisions.
Real-World Case Studies Perhaps most illuminating were the detailed case studies of completed school projects. These examples demonstrated the profound impact that community-driven design can have on educational outcomes and school culture.

Watch Now

If you’re considering facility improvements or planning a new school building, this conversation provides essential guidance that could save your institution time, money, and unnecessary challenges.

[Access the Recording Here]

Running a charter school comes with unique challenges: attracting and retaining students, navigating compliance requirements, and ensuring academic excellence. With limited budgets, fluctuating enrollment, and strict funding regulations, hiring additional full-time staff to address capacity restraints can be challenging.

Hiring a fractional executive — an experienced leader who provides part-time support — can be a cost-effective and flexible solution for charter schools. Fractional executives come without the long-term commitment or hiring expenses of full-time employees. They can provide as few as 20 hours of support per month, and they bring specialized expertise in a wide variety of disciplines. Here are five ways fractional executives can help you maximize your resources, optimize staff time, and drive growth.

1. Focus on Your Zone of Genius

As a charter school leader, you build relationships with students and families, foster a strong culture of learning, and develop and retain talented teachers. In our experience working with school leaders, we see that those tasks are typically the aspects of the job that school leaders enjoy the most. We call it their Zone of Genius.

But running a successful charter school also requires business acumen. Tasks like financial analysis, setting up data management systems, and designing marketing campaigns are crucial to your school’s success, but are often added to the job descriptions of leaders who are already at capacity.

With fractional staffing, you can bring in an executive who understands both the education and business sides of charter school operations. By delegating specialized tasks to fractional experts, such as long-term financial planning or crafting a marketing strategy to improve enrollment, you and your team can focus on what you do best.

2. Optimize Your Finances

While very few charter schools are big enough to need or afford a full-time chief financial officer, they can often benefit from the support of a seasoned financial leader, especially when they’re looking to buy their own facility or dealing with funding cuts. A fractional Chief Financial Officer (CFO) can help charter schools improve their financial position by streamlining financial processes and identifying areas where costs can be trimmed and resources more effectively allocated.

For instance, a fractional CFO can lead you through a zero-based budgeting process, ensuring that every expense aligns with your priorities. They can also help you manage cash flow more efficiently, evaluate and restructure debt, or explore paths toward owning instead of leasing your school. In addition, they can audit and improve your financial software systems to get you in a position to start making data-driven financial decisions. Over the course of a three-to-six-month engagement, a fractional CFO can implement changes that can have a lasting positive impact on your budget.

3. Streamline Your Operations

Operational efficiency is crucial for charter schools, especially during periods of rapid growth or change. A fractional chief operating officer (COO) can assess your operations and identify areas for improvement, from enrollment processes to data systems.

If your school faces sudden enrollment increases, perhaps due to nearby school closures, a fractional COO can help you scale smoothly. They can help ensure that you’re prepared to welcome new families while maintaining quality and consistency for existing ones. While your leadership team focuses on cultivating relationships with these new families and ensuring they feel part of the community, the COO can tackle the necessary operational adjustments to accommodate a larger student population.

4. Add Capacity for Strategic Initiatives

Perhaps you have identified a few large, one-time projects that could dramatically improve your funding situation or help you attract and retain the top teaching talent, like buying a new facility, merging with another school, or overhauling your enrollment process. These initiatives often require swift action and a lot of dedicated planning and oversight, which can put a strain on you and your existing full-time staff. However, adding a full-time team member in these situations may not make sense because the kind of support you need right now is likely not what you’ll need in six months or a year from now when the project is complete.

For example, Prospect Schools hired a fractional chief of staff to evaluate and improve its enrollment process. After implementing a family engagement playbook developed by their CoS, they increased enrollment by 240 students.

Fractional executives are a perfect fit for one-time projects. You don’t have to create a job description, search for candidates, or complete an extensive onboarding process. A fractional executive will take control of their own onboarding, get up to speed quickly, and see the project through to completion — while also setting up structures that support your school’s long-term success.

5. Bridge the Gap Between Layoffs and New Funding

Many charter schools rely heavily on government grants to fund resources that enhance the well-being of students, such as mental health advocates. When grant funding runs out, charter schools often find themselves needing to restructure their budgets to preserve those resources. Some schools may even consider cutting back on administrative staff until new funding can be secured. A fractional executive can step in to temporarily cover any administrative gaps, minimizing disruption while you explore long-term funding solutions.

Additionally, fractional executives with experience in education or nonprofit settings can often help you find new funding sources. Fractional chiefs of staff are well-suited to handle grant research and writing to secure new funding for essential programs, lead local fundraising projects, or build new partnerships with local businesses.

Fractional Staffing: A Budget-Friendly Solution for Charter Schools

By offering flexibility, specialized skills, and cost-effective solutions, fractional executives can help charter schools weather budget constraints while continuing to achieve their mission and support their students. Whether addressing financial management, operational improvements, strategic initiatives, or short-term staffing needs, fractional staffing is an adaptable, budget-friendly option for schools facing an uncertain financial future.

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Every message your school sends—whether it’s an email to families, a social media post, or a fundraising appeal—tells a story about who you are. A clear, consistent voice builds trust, strengthens engagement, and makes it easier for your community to take action. But without a plan, school communication can feel scattered, with different tones, styles, and messages that don’t quite align.

That’s where a written communications guide comes in.

Why Your School Needs a Written Communications Guide

Let’s be honest—when you have a principal, office staff, teachers, and maybe even parent volunteers all writing on behalf of your school, things can get a bit… chaotic. Your Tuesday newsletter sounds nothing like your Thursday email blast, and your social media posts feel disconnected from both.

A communications guide acts like a compass for anyone crafting messages for your school. It removes the guesswork and ensures you’re not accidentally developing multiple personality disorder in your external communications.

Here’s what to include:

Tone and Style – How should your school sound? Warm and nurturing? Scholarly but accessible? Professional with a dash of personality? Define the voice that feels authentically you.
Audience Considerations – The way you write to prospective families should feel different from how you communicate with your board. Map out these different audiences and what matters to each of them.
Content Guidelines – Set some ground rules. Maybe emoji work great in your parent newsletters but should be used sparingly in fundraising appeals. Perhaps you have specific language you use around your educational model.
Crisis Communication – When things get messy (and in schools, they inevitably do), having pre-established language and protocols can be a lifesaver. This isn’t about creating templates as much as establishing a framework for communicating during challenging moments.

From Clarity to Action: The Power of a Strong CTA

You’ve crafted the perfect email. It’s warm, on-brand, and beautifully written. But if your readers don’t know what to do next, what was the point?

Every communication should answer one key question: What should the reader do next?

The best CTAs don’t just suggest an action—they compel it. Here’s how to make yours more effective:

Be Clear and Direct – Instead of the vague “Learn more,” try “Reserve your spot for the info session” or “Submit your application by Friday.” Specificity creates action.
Use Action-Oriented Language – Start with strong verbs that create momentum: “Join,” “Give,” “Volunteer,” “Claim,” “Discover.”
Create Urgency – Nothing motivates like a deadline or limited availability. “Only 5 spots remaining in our summer program” hits differently than a generic enrollment announcement.
Keep It Short – Your CTA isn’t the place for showcasing your vocabulary. Make it quick, clear, and impossible to misunderstand.
Make It Stand Out – Whether it’s a button, bold text, or strategic placement, your CTA should be impossible to miss.

Bringing It All Together

Your school’s communication should be consistent, clear, and action-driven. A written communications guide keeps everyone aligned on the how and why of your messaging, while strong CTAs transform engagement into tangible results.

Take a hard look at your recent communications. Do they sound like they’re coming from the same school? Do they clearly tell the reader what to do next? A little intentionality with your messaging can transform your communication from scattered to strategic.

About the Author

At Grow Schools, Marin channels her passion for research, writing, and advocating for high-quality education for all students. After earning a Master’s in English, she spent nearly a decade teaching Writing and Rhetoric at California Polytechnic State University and guiding students in developing style, voice, formatting, source evaluation, and rhetorical awareness. Marin thrives on crafting narratives that resonate—whether refining a brand’s voice, exploring new perspectives in writing, or championing meaningful causes.