Recruitment & Retention Harry Verhiley. Enrollment Trend We are losing students: recruitment & retention.

Recruitment & Retention

Harry Verhiley

Enrollment TrendFort Wayne/South Bend DioceseElementary School Enrollment

9,600

9,800

10,000

10,200

10,400

10,600

10,800

11,000

11,200

11,400

91-92 92-93 93-94 94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06

En

roll

me

nt

We are losing students:recruitment & retention

Enrollment and Tuition

9,600

9,800

10,000

10,200

10,400

10,600

10,800

11,000

11,200

11,400

91-92 92-93 93-94 94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06

En

rollm

ent

$0

$250

$500

$750

$1,000

$1,250

$1,500

$1,750

$2,000

$2,250

Av

erag

e S

ing

le S

tud

ent

Tu

itio

n

Enrollment Tuition

$1,258

$2,02511,164

10,239

School Expenses

Facility Expense15%

Administration Expense

13%

Instruction Expense

72%

Teacher SalariesBooksInstructional Materials

Admin Salaries

Admin Materials

MaintenanceBuilding Upkeep

Educational Expenses

All Other, 20%Books, Materials,

Utilities,

Salaries, 80%

Sources of RevenueLocal

Fundraising3%Outside Sources, 7%

Parish Subsidy, 38% Tuition & Fees, 52%

05/06 Diocesan Averages

Financial Structure

Our Schools are a Fixed Cost Operation You pay teachers’ salaries regardless

of whether there are 30 students in a classroom or 10 students

Salaries are set by the diocese, are contracted and based on a known scale

There are very few costs that would vary according to enrollment

Financial Structure

Average 05/06 Cost of a single class per grade K-8 School: $720,000

Full Enrollment at 30 students per grade = 270 students

Cost per Student at full enrollment = $2,665 per student

Financial Structure

If only 50% of the seats are filled – 15 students per class – enrollment is 135 students

Cost per Student at 50% = $5,330 per student

Cost Per Student 100% = $2,665 50% = $5,330

Financial Structure

Single Class Per Grade - $720,000 Total CostCost Per Student Analysis

$14,400

$10,286

$8,000

$6,545

$5,538

$4,800$4,235

$3,789$3,429

$3,130$2,880 $2,667

$0.00

$2,000.00

$4,000.00

$6,000.00

$8,000.00

$10,000.00

$12,000.00

$14,000.00

$16,000.00

50 70 90 110 130 150 170 190 210 230 250 270 290

Number of Students

Co

st P

er S

tud

ent

50% of Seats Filled135 Students$5,330 per Student

75% of Seats Filled202 Students$3,565 per Student

Financial Structure

In both cases, your school community must cover the $720,000 cost

Driving to Full Enrollment is the most critical factor in improving the long-term financial viability of your school

Financial Structure

Probe the Cost Structure of your school – Data is available

Analyze the Cost Structure over time Understand the drivers affecting the

change in cost structure Teacher’s Salaries and Health

Insurance represent the most significant drivers

Revenue

Increasing Tuition may not always result in Increased Revenue

Example: Current Tuition $2,000, Current enrollment 202 students yields Tuition revenue of $404,000

If you increase Tuition to $2,150 and enrollment drops to 188 students (14<), the total tuition revenue is $404,200

Revenue

Understand the impact of Tuition increases on your school families How will your school families cope with

increases? Does your parish actively encourage families

to attend regardless of financial capability? Do you have a pool of financial aid money

available? Is there a structured financial assistance

request process?

Developing a Plan

Project Expense changes Teacher salaries can be predicted from salary scale

Enrollment Plan What would current enrollment project out to in 5 years –

recognizing retention issues. Create a plan to address recruitment and retention

issues

What can you reasonably expect in tuition, without losing students?

How will you address funding for financial support?

What other sources of long-term revenue can you develop?

What is the School’s Student Potential? Maximum class size? Willing to expand the class size? Will the expansion damage

quality? Willing to add an additional class

for specific grades?

Target Audiences for Marketing Effort Parishioners New Parishioners Religious Education Parents &

Students Non-parishioners Alumni Current School Parents

Who Markets the School?

Marketing Committee Current Parents Teachers, Administrators Parish Leadership Athletic Association Home & School Involved Parents Neighbors (i.e.. Businesses)

Top Factors for Choosing Catholic Schools

Religious Values Academics Faculty Discipline Security

First Impressions Answer the phone smiling Fact sheet available by reception

desk Greet visitors…

Prompt Friendly Welcoming Introduce Others

Connect with Parishioners School is a Ministry of the Parish

- welcoming parish… welcoming school Means of Evangelization Share School Information

Newsletter Bulletin Insert Bulletin Corner Display Schoolwork Student Speakers Invite parishioners into school building - events

What Makes News at Your School? How is it shared?(Articles are free, Ads cost $)

Interest & Impact Headlines Numbers, Trends, Lists, Charts Famous graduates, unique learning

experiences, meaningful community service activities

Best Practices… New family is recommended = tuition

discount or other incentive Baptized babies receive a t-shirt with

school logo Guardian Angel from Baptism Periodic Open House during school

hours(Follow up with a “Thank You” card and phone call to answer questions)

Ideas… Reserve space in the parish bulletin

every week for school information (same place)

Sponsor a lunch for local businesses Publish an Alumni Newsletter

(Spring/Fall) Invite community leaders to events

Ideas… Mass card or sympathy card sent

to parishioners with a promise of school community prayer

Realtors & prominent employers are sent school information

Buy zip codes for mailings Create press releases… send to

TV, radio and newspapers

Ideas… Community coffee with the

principal Website PowerPoint slide show Video or CD presentation

(less than 10 minutes)

Ideas… Public Service Announcements

TV, cable Radio Outdoor advertising Newspapers