Show Notes: 

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Episode Transcript

Instead of Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, every student at Twin Peaks Classical Academy in Colorado belongs to one of three houses, Rober, Adamus, or Aram, each with its own colors and school crest—which students chose themselves when the house system was created three years ago. Not only is it really fun for the students, it gives the kids there a sense that they belong. And that is at the heart of what we’re discussing today. 

Welcome to the SchoolCEO Podcast. I’m your host, Eileen Beard. Last week, we started talking about the threat school choice might pose for your schools and how mapping your families’s customer journey might help mitigate the fallout. We started by discussing the awareness phase of the customer journey—which is key to attracting new students to your schools. But if hotels ignored their current guests just to focus on booking new rooms, they'd be out of business pretty quickly, right? Which leads us to today’s topic: the retention phase. 

Let's be honest: retention doesn't get nearly the attention it deserves in K-12 marketing conversations. Most districts pour their energy and resources into attracting new families while taking their current families for granted. The goal here is simple but powerful: deepen relationships with your existing families and make them feel so connected to your school community that leaving becomes unthinkable. 

Let’s be honest, it costs less to keep a current family than to recruit a new one. Not only that, happy families become your best advocates—and word-of-mouth is still an extremely effective form of marketing. Finally, strong retention creates stability that benefits everyone: students thrive in consistent environments and teachers can build deeper relationships. So, how do you do it? 

First, Hospitality doesn’t just apply to restaurants and hotels. It’s beneficial to schools, too. And hospitality is really just about making people feel like you're on their side. This principle should guide every interaction with your current families. When parents call with concerns, when students face challenges, when families need support—these are opportunities to demonstrate that they matter to you beyond their enrollment numbers. 

Second, make students feel like they belong. Students who play school sports tend to have a stronger connection to their teammates and their schools. That’s where Twin Peaks’ hufflepuff approach to hospitality works so well—it deepens the students’ relationships with their school, by creating teams—but these teams envelop the whole student body. 

Third, Communicate consistently. Regular newsletters, social media updates, and community events keep families engaged and informed about all the great things happening at your school. 

Finally, make sure your communication is two-way. Hospitality needs to be responsive when customers aren’t satisfied. Create opportunities for families to share their thoughts, concerns, and ideas with you. Not only that, ask your families what they value most. Don't assume you know. Survey them, hold focus groups, create feedback loops. Then invest your resources accordingly. This might mean robust extracurricular programs, exciting course selections, or unique learning opportunities. 

When families do leave, which is unavoidable sometimes, consider doing the same thing a business does when an employee leaves. Give them an exit survey so you can understand why departing families are leaving. 

As you evaluate your current retention efforts, ask yourself: Are we treating our current families like valued community members, or are we taking them for granted while chasing new enrollments? Because the families sitting in your classrooms today are your most valuable asset for building the school community you want tomorrow.