We are often encouraged to think in general terms. That is good advice, but how should we act? Should a Christian school play broad or is it better to play narrow?
The answer depends on what we are discussing. If we’re shopping for items, there are good reasons to be diverse. Diversity means we have multiple relationships, so if a supplier is closed or out of stock, we still have a source. There is also exposure to different technologies, business practices and philosophies. The wealth of experience is an advantage.
It could mean a higher price because we waive a volume discount. The price discount may not matter if we need something urgently or want the sustainability that comes from extensive exposure.
With volunteers (board and others), diversity is valuable. New ideas, exposure to different cultural viewpoints, and representation of a broader audience all have advantages. Of course, there is also the sacrifice of the volume discount. Without diversity, everyone thinks alike and it is easier and faster to make decisions, work together and reach a common understanding.
Donors are the same story. Many small donors create force but are more expensive to manage (time, effort, resources, etc.). Diversity of ideas, reasons for giving to the mission, and entry points into the giving process are also valuable.
It is efficient to deal with a large donor ($100,000). Just like a supplier, there is a volume discount. However, if the largest donor’s wealth cools, his fundraiser comes down with pneumonia.
It’s less expensive to be narrow, but breadth and depth (width) create a valuable insurance policy against the unexpected and inconvenient. Diversity provides a wealth of information.
It seems that diversity and broad thinking are important for sustainability.
Should the mission of a parochial school be broad or narrow?
The public school system has a lot of seats to fill. They must be broad if they are to accommodate the diversity of students needed to fill the chairs.
Perhaps the opposite is true when thinking about your school’s mission. The school has a small number of seats to fill.
At some point, when enrollment drops, there is a fear that the mission is too narrow. The hope is that expanding the mission will attract more students. Mission expansion sometimes creates an immediate increase in enrollment. Our experience suggests that expansion is unsustainable in the long term in most cases.
Since high schools are usually larger than elementary schools, let’s focus on a high school. Let’s imagine there are 1000 chairs in the high school. Suppose the mission of the high school is to reach young women in the community who are in trouble or nearly in trouble with the law. If your community is like most, there are more than enough students to fill the school. Therefore, if the school is below capacity, the problem is something other than the mission.
Other possible problems are:
Cost: However, if the school is doing quality work to community standards, there will be adequate community support to grant any student a scholarship.
Visibility, Awareness, Marketing – However, if the school was doing quality work to community and family standards, word of mouth would be more than enough to fill the school (In most communities, the best dentist never advertises, but everyone knows who he or she is).
Academic Status: While it is important for the student to receive a higher education, the mission is to reach out to those who are in trouble. Saving a life is more important than creating a superior scholar. Do both if you can, but remember the mission.
Ultimately, the community only cares about the mission. How well the school serves its mission determines how well the community will support the mission.
Next step:
Limit the mission to something the school can excel at
Focus on the quality of the mission while doing everything right
Be selective and only admit students who fit the mission
The summary of this article is simple: make your mission support as broad and diverse as possible, and make sure your mission is as narrow and specific as possible. Think FedEx. They only handle packages. They let others handle the load. Its diversity comes from sending any package, containing almost anything, from anyone to anywhere.
Sustainability comes from the narrowness of its mission and the diversity of its other activities.
