Preparing for a Changing Education Industry

Preparing for a Changing Education Industry 

The education industry changes with the speed of technology—which is fast! When it comes to the K-12 private education space, little looks the same as it did. Parent and family expectations demand that schools keep pace. In addition, schools can face declining enrollment and increasing costs if they neglect their evolution. 

The good news? The tech landscape offers solutions to fill the gaps. To come out on top, schools need to adopt a new way of thinking. Here are three ways to prepare for change and future-proof your private school. 

Combat Declining Enrollment 

Your administrators need to market a unique value proposition, manage a funnel and help families navigate the many choices available to them today. Quality admission and enrollment management software enables these actions and more. 

If you recognize a need when it comes to reaching new families, you’re not alone. 75% of interviewed K–12 private schools are looking to better manage their recruitment pipeline and leverage advanced marketing methods to grow application volume.* Volume is not the only consideration, however. Once you increase the number of applications, you want to shepherd them through the process efficiently. Don’t let qualified applicants fall between the cracks because you fail to engage with them regularly. 

Meet Family Expectations 

Families are busier than ever. They want to interact with their children’s school whenever and wherever they go, using their device of choice. It can be too easy, on the school side, to miss an email or forget to return a phone call. When a family has multiple children enrolled with you, records become increasingly complicated. In addition, they may already be making education plans for new or future children in their family. You’re building a long-term relationship that must grow and evolve.  

A central data hub that manages multiple touchpoints facilitates smooth digital interactions with parents and students. Offer families real time access to student information and classroom visibility. It’s what they expect in today’s environment. They also want flexible payment plans for tuition and fees. Deliver on these expectations and you’ll be their hero.  

Increase Efficiency 

Your finance office juggles income streams from tuition, fees, donations, and more. Meanwhile, they figure in variables like financial aid and tuition assistance, not to mention your school’s expenses. You might be exploring new revenue streams to keep up with increasing pressure. In addition, finance must often share information across departments and generate reports. With so many moving parts, they can get bogged down with inefficiencies.  

Integrated software gets your school functioning more like a business. See everything in one place and eliminate silos. With streamlined processes, you’ll make real-time, strategic decisions. You can quickly take advantage of growth opportunities and resolve issues. A great bonus of cloud-based solutions is that they’re constantly being upgraded and improved. This eliminates the need for your school to buy a whole new system each time the digital landscape shifts. 

Community Brands listens to schools and develops the tools they need to achieve their goals. A whole suite of technologies empowers tuition and enrollment management, student information management, and so much more. Tell us about your needs and let’s get you prepared for anything the fast-paced education industry brings your way. 

*According to proprietary research commissioned by Community Brands in November 2018.