What happens when a school with a fifty-year legacy discovers that its business model can no longer sustain its future?

In this episode, former New Morning School head Pauline Nagle offers a look at what it means to confront the possibility of school closure with clarity, compassion, and professionalism. Her story challenges independent school leaders to think proactively about viability, risk, and long-term strategy.

Pauline walks us through the realities of stepping into a legacy institution with a limited runway, unclear systems, and a shifting market.

She shares the signals that indicated instability, the difficult conversations that followed, and the human-centered approach used to support faculty, families, and students during the dissolution process. It is a rare and important case study for leaders committed to sustainability, transparency, and thoughtful

stewardship.

1. Understand your true starting point: Pauline entered a legacy school assuming stability, only to discover unclear systems, limited data, and no financial runway. The first responsibility of any new head is gaining unfiltered clarity.
2. Retention is your first lever: Early enrollment signals, especially undecided families, revealed deeper vulnerabilities and ultimately accelerated the need for difficult conversations.
3. A school cannot rely on hope as a financial strategy: Historical patterns of barely making it created complacency. Real sustainability requires disciplined projections, market awareness, and purposeful business modeling.
4. Donors think in investments, not one-time gifts: Longtime supporters questioned continued giving without evidence of long-term viability. Leaders must view fundraising through the lens of stewardship and mission return.
5. Closure requires operational, emotional, and ethical leadership: From staff support to legal compliance to community closure rituals, the work is multifaceted and demands courage, structure, and empathy.