Independent School Magazine

The focus for this issue—crisis leadership—hits close to home. We started planning the issue a year ago, and the content was written and edited months ago, well before the COVID-19 pandemic started to transform our world. As you begin to look down the road to the mid- and long-term future of your school, you'll find inspiration in these articles, which explore the crisis life cycle, crisis management teams, boards working through difficult times, and more.

The success of an independent school relies on a strong board of trustees, one that fundamentally understands the essence of the school⁠—why it exists, what its purpose is, and who it serves. A school’s success also relies on a strong head-board relationship. This issue explores critical issues at the heart of this foundational relationship, examining how heads and boards can be most effective, stay agile in time of change, and explore structures to ensure board accountability.

As the price of tuition rises, demographics shift, and the value of an independent school education is under the microscope, financial sustainability has become a critical issue. Schools are looking more closely at their markets and using strategies within advancement, enrollment management, financial aid, and other areas to help ensure a strategy that sustains. In this issue, we explore critical intersections and questions around tuition, financial aid, and access and affordability.