Independent Schools and Consultants Should Watch Legislative Action for Opportunity to Attract New Students

May 27, 2010 | no comments

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

At first blush it may defy logic, but the Defense Appropriations bill, which will come up for Congressional approval in the coming weeks, may present an excellent opportunity to introduce the benefits of independent schooling to families. Depending how a proposed amendment goes, families with a strong commitment to education may explore the possibility of independent day or boarding schools.

The Obama administration is seeking to add an emergency amendment to provide somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 billion to prevent the layoffs of more than 100,000 teachers and non-teaching assistants. Many school districts had been planning such extensive layoffs this past year but had the jobs saved through the stimulus bill. That lifeline was provided just for one year. Now many districts are reporting that those delayed layoffs will kick in for the 2010-2011 school year if new funding is not found. Some estimates show that as many as 160,000 staff positions are at stake.

Many political experts anticipate the House will approve the amendment in the next week. However, it appears far less likely that the Senate will go along, as 60 votes would be needed to prevent a filibuster. Should the bill fail, there will be headlines across the country about schools laying off teachers, non-teaching staff, and others, and the dramatic impact such layoffs will have on public education.

Such public attention to the issues of growing class size, elimination of programs, electives, art, and music are likely to cause some families, especially those who have been on the fence, to at least examine the health and vibrancy of independent education. These schools should gear up for such interest, which may come late in the application cycle for most schools, making the role of educational consultants even more critical. In turn, consultants must stay up-to-date on developments in the independent school community in their area, and boarding schools across the United States.

Interestingly, this may occur just as the public’s confidence about the direction of the economy has begun to improve, with evidence that consumers are willing to spend, including on more expensive items like a private education.

Of course, everyone benefits when all schools—public, private, charter, religious, and boarding—are well funded and well run. Yet the current efforts in many states to reduce funding for public education, and the loss of federal stimulus dollars, may be the encouragement some parents need to examine all of their options.