Private Education
Enrollment growth is a pandemic silver lining
The pandemic shifted many families from public schools to private in 2020 — and they’ve stayed because they love it BY SCOTT PICKERING
spickering@eastbaymediagroup.com
While the global pandemic made a mess of just about everything everywhere, it had a hidden benefit for private schools — it boosted their enrollments. Admissions directors at numerous independent schools tell a similar story. Their inquiries, applications and enrollments all increased in the summer and fall of 2020, and some enjoyed their best admissions years ever. “We admitted the most new students ever, in the history of Pennfield School, in the first year of Covid,” said Kristin Emory, head of external affairs and director of admissions and advancement at the Pre-K to Grade 8 school in Portsmouth. That was the summer of 2020, when everyone was getting ready to go back to school after the infamous shutdown of in-person learning earlier that year. Many families were worried about the prospects of seeing their children spend an entire school year learning alone, while sitting at the kitchen island or lying in their beds, staring at laptop screens. Therefore, many families shopped around and found that the private schools were mostly committed to reopening, in person, from day one, and many made the switch. They left the public schools and enrolled in private schools. “We saw families that might not have discovered us prior — they weren’t considering a private school. But because we were open, they found us,” said Caroline Mullaney, admissions director at Gordon School. Both admissions directors said their story in not unique. At conferences and in conference calls, they talk to their peers at other independent schools, and most say that the first year of the pandemic brought
Gordon School has created a new “Whatever I Need” block in every student’s day, where they have free time for “whatever they need.” In the spirit of social-emotional wellness and growth, classes might go outside for some fun, hold a lively discussion about an important topic, or spend time reading together (above) with the school’s therapy dog, Denver. a significant boost in enrollment. residents, as compared to out-of-state Data from the Rhode Island Depart- residents. During the same time period, ment of Education the number of outbacks up the anecof-state residents dotes. Total enrollattending a private ment in Rhode or parochial school Island’s private or in Rhode Island parochial schools decreased 7% in the fall of the (from 837 to 780 2018-19 school students), while KRISTIN EMORY, year (about 18 the number of PENNFIELD SCHOOL months before the Rhode Island resipandemic started) dents increased was 4,830 students. Last school year, two 11% (from 3,993 to 4,427). years after the pandemic started, nonIt was good news for the local private public school enrollment grew to 5,207, schools, most of whom enrolled more an 8% increase. students from close to home than they Furthermore, the increase was even had in a long time, or ever before. Howevmore significant among Rhode Island er, that’s just the beginning of the good
“We admitted the most new students ever, in the history of Pennfield School, in the first year of Covid.”
news. The private schools did not just welcome new families in the first chaotic first of Covid, just to see them slip back to public schools once the world returned to more normalcy. They have so far kept those families and maintained the higher levels of enrollment. Both admissions directors said their enrollment has been consistent since 2020, and they both suggest compelling reasons why.
Culture and character Kristin Emory at Pennfield said the majority of their new enrollments fell into one of two categories. The new families were either looking for a safe environ-
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