Closing the Year on the Road

As another school year winds down, we’ve found ourselves reflecting less on strategy documents and board presentations, and more on the remarkable institutions and people we’ve had the privilege of working alongside this year.

One of the quiet realities of this work is that every school believes its challenges are uniquely its own. In some ways, they are. But when you spend enough time moving between campuses, cities, and countries, patterns begin to emerge. So do contrasts. Different geographies. Different tuition models. Different governance structures. Different political climates. Different student populations. Yet beneath all of it sits a common thread: great schools, with deep purpose, doing the hard thinking about how to serve students and communities well into the future. That’s ultimately why we love this work. These institutions are not simply managing operations or chasing trends, they are wrestling seriously with what kind of impact they want to have on the world.

This year took us from dense urban campuses to island schools, legacy boarding institutions to progressive city schools, girls’ schools to faith-based communities, and international institutions navigating entirely different cultural and demographic realities. The common thread among all of them was not prestige alone, but seriousness of purpose. These are schools thinking deeply about who they are and where they are headed.

A few of the communities we’ve been fortunate to work with this year:

• The Bolles School (Jacksonville, FL) — One of the Southeast’s most established independent schools, balancing strong academics, elite athletics, and a multi-campus identity in one of Florida’s fastest-changing regions.
• Ravenscroft (Raleigh, NC) — A rapidly ascending school in the heart of the Research Triangle, leaning into innovation, leadership, and the future of learning within a booming demographic market.
• Brookwood School (Thomasville, GA) — A deeply relational Southern independent school known for its close-knit community, strong student experience, and distinctive small-town setting in southwest Georgia.
• Hamlin Robinson School (Seattle, WA) — A nationally respected school serving students with dyslexia and language-based learning differences, doing some of the most important mission-driven work in education today.
• Bancroft School (Worcester, MA) — A historic New England independent school known for its strong academic tradition, entrepreneurial spirit, and growing presence within the competitive Boston-area market.
• Hawai‘i School for Girls at La Pietra (O‘ahu, HI) — A globally minded girls’ school with one of the most unique campus settings and cultural contexts in American education.
• Episcopal School of Nashville (Nashville, TN) — A relatively young Episcopal school in one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities, building institutional identity and momentum at exactly the right moment.
• Sandia Preparatory School (Albuquerque, NM) — A respected independent school in the Southwest known for its strong academics, creative culture, and distinctive high-desert campus setting.
• St. George’s School (Middletown, RI) — One of the nation’s iconic Episcopal boarding schools, located on the Rhode Island coast and known for its deep traditions, stunning campus, and global reputation.
• Marlborough School (Los Angeles, CA) — A leading independent girls’ school, recognized for its academic excellence, ambitious student culture, and prominent place within the Los Angeles educational landscape.
• Ridley College (Ontario, Canada) — One of Canada’s great boarding institutions, balancing global ambition, tradition, and a rapidly changing international enrollment landscape.
• Green Hedges School (Vienna, VA) — A longstanding independent school in Northern Virginia known for its small-school environment, strong community culture, and child-centered approach to learning.
• St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School (Oakville, ON) — A leading Canadian girls’ school recognized for its strong academics, global outlook, and commitment to developing confident young women leaders.
• American School of Brasília (Brazil) — A remarkable international school serving diplomatic, Brazilian, and global families while navigating the complexities of identity in a changing world.
• Branksome Hall (Toronto, ON) — One of North America’s leading girls’ schools, operating at the intersection of global education, innovation, and institutional ambition.
• City and Country School (New York, NY) — One of the New York’s most historically significant progressive schools, still asking bold questions about experiential learning and childhood.
• Marylhurst School (Oregon City, OR) — A values focused independent school in the Pacific Northwest known for its close-knit community, and experiential learning approach.
• St. George’s School (Vancouver, BC) — A globally recognized boys’ school combining extraordinary university outcomes with a strong sense of character and citizenship.
• Lee-Scott Academy (Auburn, AL) — A growing independent school in a dynamic university town.

And the horizon ahead is equally exciting.

This fall, we’ll continue partnering with schools and organizations across North America that are asking difficult, future-facing questions about enrollment, leadership, AI, governance, institutional identity, and the evolving value proposition of independent education.

One of the privileges of this work is perspective. We get to see where schools are thriving, where they are struggling, and where the market itself appears to be heading. The schools leaning into honest self-examination right now, and the ones willing to ask difficult questions while still protecting their core identity are the ones that will define the next era of independent education.

As always, we’re grateful for the trust these institutions place in us. This work remains deeply human, deeply relational, and endlessly fascinating.

See you down the road.