Adversity: Saving the School They Love

Following a stunning announcement just before Thanksgiving that their school would close in December, parents at Holy Trinity Episcopal School in Houston banded together to save it, becoming the school’s business managers, janitors, and groundskeepers. They also raised more than $200,000.

The Parent Leadership Group earned recognition in PTO Today’s 2011 Parent Group of the Year search for Outstanding Effort To Overcome Adversity.

The group’s initial goal was to keep the preK-12 school going through the end of the school year. When the first few weeks of fundraising brought a positive response, parents realized they could put Holy Trinity on a path to long-term success.

“We worked so hard,” says David Foret, who serves as project manager for the PLG. “I forgot I had a business for two months. Holy Trinity engulfed us. There was no option for defeat.”

At his corporate training company, Foret examines problems, comes up with solutions, and then executes those solutions. Until last year, Foret had never used those business skills in his role as a parent at the small private school; he was busy coaching the girls’ basketball team.

The email he received about the school closure changed that. Foret and other parents were shocked to read that the 110-student school would close at the end of the first semester as a result of financial problems. A meeting the next day reiterated the board decision as a done deal, devastating parents whose kids were thriving.

“My child had been there five years, and he had really excelled,” says Foret, whose son, Trystan, was in 9th grade last year. “I wanted that school there for him, and I wanted those rug rats in preK, K, and 1 to get the same opportunities my son had.”

After the meeting, parents tried to accept the news, but they couldn’t. There are few other private schools in northeast Houston, and Holy Trinity’s atmosphere was not something they thought they could find elsewhere. Most important, their kids were happy.

So parents decided not to accept the news. Instead, they joined forces, combined their formidable business skills, and went to work to save Holy Trinity. Within 10 days, the campaign had gathered more than $200,000 in pledges. The head of school solicited a single donation of $150,000, and a story on the local news brought in another $50,000 in large and small contributions.

“It was absolutely awesome to look to the parents sitting next to you and decide to roll up your sleeves and come up with solutions,” Foret says.

Culture Shift

Raising money was the most critical step, but there was much more work to be done. Holy Trinity needed a more targeted marketing campaign, ensuring enough students and tuition dollars to cover expenses. Parents needed to explore options for financial relief, such as the sale of land owned by the school. The board of directors needed an overhaul. The administrative team needed additional members. And parents needed to provide services they once took for granted: mowing the grass and waxing the floors.

There were conference calls and meetings that went on for hours. Parents focused on identifying the skills they had and figuring out how those skills could be used to rescue Holy Trinity. “With this parent group, there was a lot of talent,” says Xraka White, whose world became centered on saving the school her then 1st grade son, Ethan, adored. “We had parents skilled in project management, accounting, sales, and negotiation.”

White led the marketing work group. She and the parents who served on the work group became visible in the community, talking up the school and recruiting families into the fold. Work group members attended a book fair, a parade, and a neighborhood fair. Volunteers designed the school’s website, initiated a direct mail and newsletter campaign, and encouraged all parents to sing Holy Trinity’s praises in their neighborhoods.

Their efforts paid off.

At a carnival, Holy Trinity parents and students led other children in craft activities, giving them an opportunity to promote the school. “We spoke to the families of more than 700 children who completed our craft activities,” White says. “Over 50 families expressed sincere interest in being contacted by the school for information on enrollment. New contracts have been signed as a direct result of these efforts, and tours are being scheduled daily for prospective parents.”

A parent with a background in fundraising met with former donors and board members to establish “a culture of giving time, talent, and treasure to the school,” White says.

As White brought more and more parents into the effort, she noticed the culture at the school changing. “More parents are involved,” she says. “And we are getting still more parents involved.”

Holy Trinity has always had the Trinity Volunteer Association, which organized spirit nights and classroom volunteers. But members were not engaged with the business operation of the school, leaving that to the board of directors. That will not happen again, White says. “I can’t be surprised anymore,” she says. “I need to know what’s going on so I can always be prepared.”

During the crisis, the PLG partnered with the Trinity Volunteer Association, tapping their members’ talents and making sure school life for the students was unchanged.