| There is no reason to waste a tragedy. Congress | | | | that there were serious problems between senior |
| takes advantage of every one to pass legislation | | | | staff members. |
| to protect us from the next one. Business learns | | | | - Turnover. As mentioned previously they have |
| from each lost sale, failed experiment, and | | | | had three pastor and three principals in the past |
| product failure. In sports, loss is justification for | | | | 10 years. In addition, they have had many more |
| training that is more intensive or new skill building. | | | | congregational presidents and school board |
| Why should parochial schools closures be | | | | presidents. The membership of their school board |
| different? | | | | and church council has been equally unstable. |
| The key thing that is present in all of the | | | | Three years ago, they were told their school |
| preceding is that future success is under the | | | | would close in three years. Their response was, |
| control of the current leadership. Trouble is | | | | "Things are better than they look." They failed to |
| unavoidable but failure is unnecessary. | | | | take the warning seriously and were unwilling to |
| A Lutheran school decided on June 28th to close | | | | test their assumptions against the closure |
| (They were not a client of ours.). For a variety of | | | | assumptions. As predicted, the school closed. |
| reasons, we have been able to stay close to | | | | The closure was avoidable. It could have been |
| them. The school started in the 1850s. It is in a | | | | prevented as late as June 1st of this year. |
| market that has always valued Christian schools. | | | | However, reversing the trend depends on doing |
| However, over the past 10 years a number of | | | | an objective assessment of the situation, being |
| parochial schools have closed or merged. Many of | | | | willing to make hard choices, and admitting that |
| the merged schools are struggling. The mergers | | | | things are different today. What worked in the |
| caused the rate of failure to decline but failed to | | | | past is unlikely to be the best process for the |
| arrest the decline. | | | | future. |
| For more than 10 years, the parish membership in | | | | It is important to note that closure had nothing to |
| the church has been in decline along with school | | | | do with the denomination, parochial education, the |
| enrollment. The school has had three principals | | | | quality of the teaching, fundraising, marketing, |
| over that time. The church has had three pastors | | | | demographics, competition, or their geographic |
| during the same period. The leaders were all | | | | location. The school closed because of internally |
| experienced individuals. | | | | controllable factors rather than changes in |
| Here are the primary reasons for the closure of | | | | demographics, economics, birthrates, or other |
| the school: | | | | external events. |
| - Vision. The school lacked a vision. While it said it | | | | Geographic location deserves exploration. The |
| provided a Christian education to its students, it | | | | church is an inner city church in a struggling |
| was unable able to tell the students, families, or | | | | neighborhood. There are members of the |
| the community how to translate the education | | | | leadership who were willing to blame the local |
| into something (better career, stable marriage, | | | | demographics for the struggles. However, several |
| escape from poverty, etc.). | | | | of the readers of our weekly newsletters and this |
| - Ministry. The school and churched lacked a | | | | article are prospering schools in struggling urban |
| common ministry. Therefore, it was always a | | | | areas. If you take a moment, you can think of a |
| competition for money. The competition fostered | | | | few in your area also. |
| a division in the membership. As a result, | | | | Success can occur in any location. Location does |
| members withheld support from each other. | | | | sometimes determine how hard one must work |
| - Reputation. The school was indiscriminate about | | | | and how creative or innovative one must be to |
| whom it served. It needed money, so every | | | | achieve success. |
| willing family was accepted. Sometimes the | | | | Next Step: |
| student was an impressive success, other times | | | | Objectively evaluate your school or hire someone |
| the student floundered. With unpredictable | | | | to do the evaluation |
| success, it is hard to say what part the parents, | | | | Have a frank discussion of the state of the school |
| school, or luck played. The school's reputation was | | | | Identify the collective three wishes for the school |
| uncertain in everyone's mind. | | | | excluding money |
| - Leadership. There were multiple camps rather | | | | Develop a plan to make the wishes come true |
| than a unified leadership. | | | | Please also note, the school could have been |
| - Advocates. The school lacked internal advocates. | | | | successful without spending money. You can too. |
| No one can remember any of the pastors | | | | Money is necessary if you want outside help. |
| preaching a sermon on the value of Christian | | | | Outside help will accelerate the change process. If |
| education even though every year there is a | | | | you have the time, will, and courage, success is |
| National Lutheran Schools Week. The students | | | | cheap. If you need outside help and lack the |
| were applauded for their academic success but | | | | money to pay for the help, there are ways to |
| the congregation never heard about the impact | | | | solve that problem also. |
| the school had on the students' lives. The | | | | It is impossible for the external events to cause |
| principals never spoke to the congregation except | | | | the failure. It is possible for external events to |
| at the annual budget meeting and only then to | | | | blind one and make it difficult to see what is |
| justify the need for money. | | | | possible. It is possible for the external events to |
| - Board. The school board spent most of its time | | | | be a distraction. Success comes from focusing on |
| on money and budgets. It was rare for it to | | | | what one can control and responding thoughtfully |
| discuss planning, students, mission, or ministry. It | | | | to external events. |
| was common for it to handle disputes between | | | | There is a message of hope in the preceding: |
| various parties. It never invited parents, students, | | | | Failure is unnecessary. Every organization and |
| donors, staff, or others to talk with it. | | | | especially every Christian school can be successful |
| - Communication. The internal communication was | | | | and strong. All of the requirements for success |
| poor. In January, the congregation president was | | | | are under the control of the leadership. |
| asked if the school would close. His response was | | | | Sometimes success requires great effort and |
| that things were going well. In March, an | | | | imagination but it is possible. |
| emergency meeting was held because of the dire | | | | Please keep your ministry strong. The students |
| condition of the school. When the announcement | | | | and the community need what your school does |
| of the closing of the school occurred, it surfaced | | | | and can do. |