The Case of the Board Member Whose Child Applies Out

A persistent question posed by some independent school governing boards is whether members should be required to keep their children in the school. The issue arises when a parent board member in, say, a K-12 school applies to another school for middle school after 6th Grade, or when one child attends the school while a second in the same family attends a competitor nearby.

We strongly believe that independent school trustees govern for future generations of students. That is why board composition need not be representational of all interests in the school. It is also why we don't have elections for board membership. Independent schools are institutions, just like universities, symphony orchestras, and art museums, and, as such, they should have institutional boards dedicated to preserving and enhancing the future school.

Consistent with this belief, board membership and where one's children attend school are two different decisions. In practice, especially in day schools, the two are highly, but not perfectly, correlated. There is no obvious reason why a member must have his or her children in the school in order to be an effective governor. Rather, we suspect that the energy behind the question, when asked, is primarily emotional; e.g., hurt feelings at an apparent rejection of the school, or sparking latent doubts in the remaining trustees.

The counter-argument goes something like this: "if the board member really thinks this is a great school then all of her children would go here." Or, "it sends a bad message into our community when board members have their children at competitor schools." Simply put, boards need to be mature enough not to feel threatened by those who opt out, unless of course the member goes around the community saying bad things about the school. Even then, it becomes a matter of trustee discipline, rather than an issue of school attendance.

In markets with a plethora of independent schools, we believe the best board response to others in the community who see a board member child applying out as a negative commentary on the school is something like this: "We are lucky to have so many good independent schools here that parents and students can find just the right match for whatever reason. No school is best for every child."

To anxious boards that would otherwise vote a member off the island for having a child apply to other schools we would say, "grow a thick skin and get over it." And above all, don't lose good trustees in the process.

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