Increase Independent School Enrollment

We’re ThinK-12. A software company that helps K-12 independent schools drive family enrollment, engagement and retention. It’s time to think of families as customers. It’s time to ThinK-12.

Five teen boys and girls

ThinK-12 Families™ for Independent Schools

Some private schools are doing a great job at marketing themselves to prospective students/families. But many are not.

Private and Faith-based K-12 schools have an excellent opportunity to tell their story because they were created to provide families with another choice. For families who feel public school is not the right fit for their child, Private and Faith-based schools could be a great fit. But this can be a harder “sell” to families because of cost and other reasons. Which means it’s more important than ever to tell your school’s story in a compelling way to future and even current families.

Even before the “COVID Era”, many private schools were already experiencing declining enrollment. Families who delayed kindergarten starts, home schooled or switched to virtual school meant lost revenue for schools. Not to mention declining birth rates in many parts of the U.S. In the post-COVID world, experts predict a continued and increased enrollment decline for private schools, which will create a devastating downward spiral impacting every part of education, including:

Student academic and non-academic resources

Building infrastructure

Mental health services

Extra-curricular activities/Sports

Graduation rates

Shortage of teachers, their quality, training and pay rates

School technology investment

Extra-curricular Activities/Sports

College and career planning

College-goers

Unless We Change the Trend

While there are many variables to improving education, it all starts with driving and protecting student enrollment. School funding impacts everything, and its connection to enrollment is the only constant. Today, School Leaders have the power to stabilize and even grow their enrollment, leading to higher and more predictable funding.

At ThinK-12, we believe schools must change the way they view themselves before they can change the way students and families view them. It’s time for a world where schools market themselves the way colleges and universities have done for a hundred years. Most schools feel they don’t need to market themselves. This is a dangerous position to take. Today, educational opportunities are global, not local. Parents have already demonstrated this by opting for virtual or home schooling even though the public school is a mile from their home. Location is NO LONGER the deciding factor when education is at stake.

The opportunity for Private and Faith-based schools is clear. Public school leaders who rely on geo-convenient thinking is risky for school leaders and does not reflect today’s education environment. Yes, there will always be families who attend a school because it’s the traditional “school district map” model (we call this E.G.E™…see below), but more and more families are realizing they now have other- and in some cases- better options, including your school.

Your role as a school leader is to acknowledge this new reality and change the way you run your business (yes, your BUSINESS).

“I teach future district and school leaders the two most important factors in running successful schools: Enrollment and Retention of future and Current families and Recruitment and Retention of future and current staff is in your control and must be managed.”
Dr. Joanne Harrison
Former Deputy Superintendent School Board of Broward County

Independent School Enrollment is at a Tipping Point

And that’s where the team at ThinK-12 comes in. For more than 20 years, we have worked with thousands of colleges and universities to help them create and market their brand to students and families. And now we’re bringing that experience to K-12.

For both K-12 and Higher Ed, revenue drives success and enrollment drives revenue. It’s time K-12 schools used marketing strategies and tools to attract families to their brand. Yes. Their BRAND.

At ThinK-12, we use our decades of experience in Higher Ed marketing and technology to create strong brands and incredible user experiences for K-12 schools. This drives enrollment, which drives school revenue, and that affects every facet of educational success for your school.

Every school has a great story to tell. If they don’t know what it is, we uncover it. Or create it. And then create comprehensive plans to promote it. With interactive tools to engage new and current families.

Why Now?

Because it’s more important than ever that Independent schools take control of their future by taking control of their enrollment.
ThinK-12 Families is a revolutionary approach to driving enrollment and retention for independent schools. It’s a web and mobile solution that supercharges school websites and communication with richer experiences for prospective and current families.

Private Schools: Frequently Asked Questions

Parents choose independent schools over public or charter schools for the high-quality education from experienced teachers, smaller student-to-teacher ratios, increased access to additional support for their children, and for their children to be academically challenged. 

In order to continue to grow your school’s enrollment, it’s important for your school to sell itself to families by telling its story as a brand, including supports designed to help interested students attend your school. 

If a family feels connected to your school when they visit the website, they will be much more inclined to contact you and find out more about what your school offers. By having various private school marketing features in place such as the ThinK-12 Chat, Family Ambassadors, Q&A videos, and more, you increase the chance of each family wanting to connect further. 

When independent schools have compelling stories that foster engagement, families will be able to envision their child in the school achieving their goals and succeeding.

Family engagement involves traditional ways to include families at school, such as open houses and parent-teacher conferences. It also includes greater opportunities for collaboration and support, like volunteers, parent leaders, and family education initiatives.

Family engagement is a way to increase student enrollment at your independent school. The variety of innovative tools offered by ThinK-12 makes it easier than ever for prospective parents (and current parents) to connect with the staff and your school and other families. This results in long-term commitment and is an excellent way to increase school enrollment. 

Our family engagement marketing features include:

  • ThinK-12 Chat
  • Family Ambassadors
  • Q&A Videos
  • Staff Directory
  • ClubHub
  • Custom Content
  • Sponsorship Guide
  • And much more

The most effective way to promote a private school and drive enrollment is to treat your school like a brand, recognizing that you are competing with nearby school districts and charter schools. At ThinK-12, we create strong brands through our expertise in marketing, technology, and user experiences. Even if you aren’t sure what exactly your school’s brand or story is, we help you identify and create it. The result is increased enrollment which ultimately drives revenue.

Word of mouth can potentially help increase private school enrollment, but these days there are significantly more powerful tools available to you for use – specifically through technology and marketing that uses interactive tools to engage and connect with families. This gives your private school, including Catholic schools and other faith-based schools, a much higher chance of increasing student enrollment. Plus, when utilized correctly, parents who are impressed with your school’s offerings will then share their experience with other potential families.

Yes, your school’s website is extremely important for increasing private school enrollment. When a prospective parent is researching schools, the internet is typically the very first place they will go. If your school’s website is lacking and filled with generic content, parents will not be interested in sending their child to your school. 

In order to stand out above the competition, your private school’s site needs custom content that tells a compelling story about your school, clearly states its values and offerings, and can easily connect prospective families to current ones. The features we offer at ThinK-12 will take your website to the next level.