There’s a curious quote in this week’s issue of the Sag Harbor Express. Following up on a story from the previous week, Editor Bryan Boyhan looks a bit more deeply at the relatively large number of Sag Harbor School District students that choose to attend area private schools, particularly the Ross School in East Hampton. Looking for the reasons behind this exodus from public education Boyhan interviewed several parents and school administrators. When he got to Ross School Head, Tim Kelly, Mr. Kelly, perhaps a tad defensively, offered the comment contained in the following quote from the Express.
“Ross School does not market itself,” said Head of School Tim Kelly this week, choosing to focus on its programming and unique curriculum structure. The mission of the school, which Mr. Kelly said may be responsible for attracting some students, “focuses on changing the world.”
Now, you may be wondering why I threw in that “a tad defensively” comment above. On the surface, there doesn’t appear to be any defensiveness in Mr. Kelly’s remark. But, I guess it depends on what you call marketing. Actually, I guess marketing is the wrong word. Maybe arm twisting is a better way to put it.
Let’s cut to the chase. Say you’re a typical Sag Harbor parent with 2.1 children. Your son is entering middle school, and for one reason or another, you believe he would do better at the Ross School. Your younger child is in first grade, and both you and she love the Sag Harbor Elementary School, and so you plan to keep her there. Then reality hits in the form of your son’s Ross School tuition. You’re shocked and dismayed at the cost. Frantically, you call the admissions office to see if there’s something they can do. And, of course there is, provided you send both your children to Ross. We can offer a much better financial incentive to families sending all their children to our school, they tell you. Not marketing, exactly…
Not-marketing scenario #2: Your daughter has just completed the fourth grade in Sag Harbor Elementary and is doing well there. You’re planning to let her stay there for fifth grade, her final year at SHES. However, you’re not sure about sending her to Middle School at Pierson. Middle school can be a tough time, you’ve heard, and you think your child may do better in a private school during those years. So, you pick up the phone and make a call to Ross to get the ball rolling. Oh, you want to send your daughter here starting in sixth grade, they say. That’s our most popular year. We fill up really quickly, and can accept very few new students in sixth grade. However, if you send her here this fall for fifth grade, then she will be assured of being here throughout her middle school years. Again, not what most people think of as marketing, but the results are the same…maybe better. (By the way, this one’s been going on for years.)
Now there’s nothing dishonest, illegal, or even immoral about either of the above tactics. It’s just that school board members, school administrators, worried parents and the editor of the local paper want to know why kids parents are choosing private schools, and I thought all the facts should be out in the open. Now you know two reasons; there are undoubtedly many others. What do you think is going on? Should the District be concerned? Do they need to take steps to counter the trend? I’ll probably have more to say on this subject (I always have more to say), but now it’s your turn. Click on “Post a Comment” below to join the conversation.
