Making the Bold Move: Montgomery School’s Path to Sustainable Growth

In this episode, Tom McManus, Head of School at Montgomery School, and Drew Cocco, VP of Client Experience at Clarity and former Director of Enrollment leader at Montgomery, break down the school's steps to build a sustainable growth model.

They talk about the decision to reset tuition as part of a bigger plan to make the school more accessible and the ongoing work to define what makes Montgomery unique.

Tom and Drew highlight how partnerships, a community-centered approach, and practical innovation have all become essential to Montgomery’s strategy.

From new revenue ideas to redefining its value proposition, Montgomery School’s journey offers independent schools a grounded look at ways to support lasting growth.

Listeners will gain insights into tuition strategies, community involvement, and flexible planning that responds to challenges.

What You'll Learn:

• Strategic Tuition Reset: Montgomery School made a bold move to reset tuition, making their pricing more accessible to families without compromising program quality.
• Enhanced Value Proposition: The school focused on what makes Montgomery unique, emphasizing experiential learning and leadership opportunities that set it apart from local public schools.
• Community Partnerships: Strategic partnerships, like the Salt Performing Arts preschool collaboration, strengthened community ties, aligned with the mission, and boosted auxiliary revenue.
• An Innovation-Driven Approach: Montgomery’s MI2 Task Force embedded an innovation mindset into the board’s work, allowing for strategic growth and adaptability.
• Financial Stability through Strategy: With thoughtful tuition discounting and net tuition revenue management, Montgomery turned a deficit into a surplus and laid the groundwork for long-term stability.

Discussion Prompts

• Defining Value: What aspects of our school’s value proposition differentiate us from other local options? How can we emphasize these unique aspects more effectively?
• Expanding Revenue: Montgomery paired a tuition reset with creative revenue streams. What new revenue ideas could we explore that align with our mission?
• Building Partnerships: Montgomery's partnership approach enriched their program and boosted enrollment. Are there potential partnerships in our area that could bring similar benefits?
• Innovative Thinking: Montgomery's MI2 Task Force fostered an innovation mindset among board members. How can we create structures to ensure innovation remains a core part of our strategic planning?
• Staying Adaptive: Montgomery took an iterative approach to growth, especially during challenges like the pandemic. How can we make our planning and strategy more adaptable to unexpected changes?