KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 5, 2022/ Community Brands recently released findings of its 2022 K-12 Trends Report of independent, parochial, and boarding school decision makers. The study focused on the path through the student lifecycle and the challenges faced during their journey. While fluctuation in budgeting, financial aid awards, enrollment, tuition, fundraising, and retention were the most common challenges faced by schools, responses indicate confidence in increased enrollment, improved retention, stable fundraising revenue, increased auxiliary income, and more full-pay families coming soon.  

Community Brands collaborated with Edge Research in February 2022 to survey over 300 school leaders on how they manage student search, admission, enrollment, financial aid, billing, student information management, communications, and advancement. Respondents represented enrollment managers, business officers, heads of school, principals, information technology managers, and diversity officers. Study results track the student lifecycle, how schools were impacted by COVID-19, the lessons learned, and methods planned in the future.  

Research shows that schools need to maximize showcase opportunities to the community and prospective families to reach admission targets. Respondents shared their methods in generating interest and the types of advertising effective for schools that increased enrollment.  

Improved technology can provide a significant impact on a school’s bottom line, whether building an admission funnel, enrolling more students, or maintaining online payments and fundraising. Families expect a seamless, digital experience for things like tuition contracts, payments and donations for annual campaigns. These solutions provide schools the opportunity to utilize data to improve their operating budget regardless of their goals.  

“When schools have the tools and budgets they need in place, they can focus on successfully fulfilling their mission,” said Richard Grazier, Managing Director, Education for Community Brands. “Because many schools have limited staff who are stretched across multiple responsibilities, the partnership between school and technology which can increase automation is vital to enhancing efficiency, creating space and time so that teachers and school administrators can do what they do best. Our research supports the importance of successfully adopting digital solutions for enrollment management and financial aid, information management, billing and tuition management, and fundraising. Implementing additional technology to streamline these key areas can be a tremendous benefit both for the school and improving the student and family experience going forward.”  

Comprehensive findings across the entire 2022 K-12 Trends Report can be found on the Ravenna by Community Brands website.