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Starting A School I Experienced Consulting Firm

How To Start A Private School With Experienced Consultants

The Mechanics of School Formation can be Extremely Challenging

In today's complicated education environment, the need to work smarter and be ready for day one of private school operation is critical and can't be recreated. With proper pre-planning and controls in place over a projects life cycle, founding groups can be better prepared to start the private school of their vision, and manage costs and project development efficiently and effectively, establishing the foundation for a legacy school.

We can help you start a variety of private schools, from K-12 Private Schools to Post Secondary Institutions that offer certificates, diplomas, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. We can also help you transition your existing school to provide additional grades or programs.

Our services span the globe, with experience starting schools in the USA, Canada, and Internationally (Middle East, Asia, India, China, Singapore, and more!).  Our experienced team is already put together and can provide turn-key services (e.g., marketing, accounting, staffing, programming, marketing, designing, architecture, planning, procuring, infrastructure). We can develop a better school and have it ready on time and under budget. Why invent the wheel!

Halladay Education Group is a dynamic and experienced education consulting firm dedicated to providing you customized solutions to start your own private post K-12 or secondary institution and/or programs. With our collective experience of specialized professionals in the education sector and supporting services, and our knowledge and wisdom in starting and leading schools, we can guide you through the enormous challenges you will most certainly face.

Why should you take on the pitfalls and stress that every group faces in starting a new private post secondary programs and institutions, when you could utilize our services and focus on the big picture – making your dreams a reality. As you can understand, the tasks required to start a private post secondary program or institution are extensive and specific to your unique education sector, and can be costly if not implemented correctly – in relation to profits, recognition, and the long-term implementation of your programs.

By utilizing our services and wisdom, we add value in many ways – you take advantage of professionals who have a proven background in leading schools and who are experienced in the mechanics of institutional formation. With our know-how, we can put together a solid plan, and assist you with meeting regulatory requirements, maximize enrollment, align your decisions with your vision, and ensure that your mission is achieved. Ultimately, you will also build on this success in all other areas of your supporting programs.

They are flexible and joy to work with...

The Halladay Education Group is a very professional team that brings a myriad of talents to private schools and are quite focused and results driven. They work efficiently and are task-driven. As a start-up school we have so many items in our punch-list to complete and Doug and the HEG team came in and helped us with almost every aspect of the operations in a very short time frame. They are flexible and a joy to work with. I would recommend them to any group that wants to start a world-class international school or improve their performance of your established private school.

-- Dr. Jorge Nelson, Headmaster, International School Songdo, Korea

Four Stages of Starting a School

Establishing a school is a very unique process that requires professionals with appropriate experience, who understand the specific tasks and the decision that need to be made. HEG follows the four stages related to creating and operating a new school.

We Take The Stress Out Of Starting A School

Halladay Education Group’s mission is to ‘Help You Achieve Greater Success.’ We want to become your trusted adviser, as invested in your future as you are. Our School Formation services will help a founding board with all the basic elements necessary to open a new school. HEG can assist you from beginning to completion, or simply share our topic-specific expertise.

HEG's services will assist your founding Board with the critical elements needed to start and expand your new school. We can assist you from beginning to completion, sharing our school formation expertise with:

  • Developing a compelling, laser-like Vision
  • Creating your Strategic Plan, Mission, Values, Goals, and Operational Plan
  • Developing the Business Plan and Target Market
  • Coordinating your Legal Team with respect to your Non-Profit Status, Licensing, Bylaws, Constitution, and Incorporation
  • Building Credibility and Awareness in your Extended Community
  • Recruiting and Educating the Board and Senior Administration on Exceptional Leadership, Governance, and Team-Building
  • Marketing Research to Ensure the Vision Meets Community Demand
  • Supporting Development of the Facility Needs, Design, Site Search, and Lease/Purchase
  • Identifying Personnel Needs, Executive Search, Staff Recruiting, Job Descriptions, and Contracts
  • Ongoing Evaluation and Support for the CEO and Board
  • Establishing a Faculty Appraisal System and Professional Development Plans
  • Building the Education Program
  • Determining Combinations for Initial Programs and Phase-In Stages
  • Developing the Marketing Plan to Drive Enrollment, Public Relations, Competitive Positioning, and Admissions Process
  • Supporting the Development of a Strategic Financial Plan for the Formation and Operational Stages
  • Devising School Schedule and Timetable
  • Establishing the Student Management, Record Storage, Accounting, and/or Reporting Systems
  • Supporting the Procurement Process
  • Preparing Policy Manuals for Staff, Students, and Parents Establishing Timelines and Project Management System in Formation Stage

Our Associates Have Been Involved in Starting and Leading A Number Prestigious Private Schools Including...

Our Senior Associates have, as part of our collective experience, been involved in helping to start, develop, and/or lead a variety of prestigious private K-12 private schools and post secondary institutions.  Listed below is brief list of our associate's school formation projects: (Click to expand) 

- US Projects click to expand
  • Island Pacific Academy: IPA is a secular, co-educational, independent school offering programs from PreK-12. It is currently Grades PreK-8 with 1 grade added each year up to Grade 12. One of our associates was engaged by the Estate of James Campbell to start an independent school in the City of Kapolei, Hawaii, in 1999. The consultants oversaw the entire school formation process (e.g., market study, raised funds, built the school, hired Head of School and key staff). The school is now operating in its third year with over 600 students taught in a 65,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility.
  • Sage Hill School: SHS is a Grade 9-12, Coed college preparatory day school founded in 2000 on a 30-acre campus with academic buildings, library, gymnasium, football/soccer field, baseball field, outdoor basketball and sand volleyball court, and outdoor amphitheater. It has an enrollment of 450 students. It is accredited by WASC, NAIS, CASE, and CAIS.
  • Santa Ynez Valley Christian Academy: Santa Ynez is a Grades K-8 Private Interdenominational, coed, religious, nonprofit school of 152 students, and belongs to the ACSI.
  • Fisher Island Day School: FIDS is a Grade Prek-5 Private coed, non-denominational, university prep school. Students are exposed to languages (Spanish and Mandarin Chinese) technology, strong academics, and inculcation of strong character.
- Canadian Projects click to expand
  • West Point Grey Academy : WPGA is an independent, Prek-12, university preparatory, co-educational school started by one of our associates and a group of dedicated professionals in 1996. It opened it doors to +300 students enrolled in PreK-Grade 8. Bill Wan was the founding Director and Doug Halladay was the founding Senior School Director and Deputy Head. The school is now ranked #1 academically in the province of British Columbia.
  • Aspengrove School: Aspengrove School is the first and only Prek-12 independent, non-denominational, co-educational, university preparatory school located in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. One of our associates was engaged by a group of founding parents in 2002, and advised on the formation of the school over a 12 month span, from the ground up.
  • Stratford Hall School: Stratford Hall is a K-12 ICo-Ed IB preparatory private urban school based in Vancouver, BC. One of our associates was engaged by a group of founding parents, and advised on the formation of the school.
- International School Projects click to expand
  • Dalian Maple Leaf International High School: Students are registered as BC students and write the same Grade 10, 11, and 12 BC examinations as resident students in BC and graduate with the same BC Ministry of Education transcripts and graduation (Dogwood) diploma as resident students in BC. English program taught by BC certified teachers. Inspected annually on-site and certified by BC Ministry of Education. Over 2,300 students are currently enrolled.
  • British Columbia Canadian International School of Cairo: It offers a British Columbia program from PreK - Gr.12. All subjects are taught in English and all the academic staff must be BC College of Teachers certified. The school is certified by The BC Ministry of Education and is inspected annually.
  • International School Songdo: ISS will open in 2010 and will be Korea’s first international K-12 private school for Korean citizens and international students. ISS is located in the new international free economic zone city of Songdo, Korea. The school is located on 24 acres in a new state-of-the-art 500,000 sq. ft facility and provides a co-ed- college preparatory IB program supporting 21st century learning.
  • Dresden International School: DIS was founded 1996 and has grown steadily from 13 pupils to almost 500 from 44 nations. The school has its campus in the historic city of Dresden, and is a non-profit Grade PreK-12 (ages 2-18) co-ed international preparatory school, and a member of the European Council of International Schools and an International Baccalaureate World School.
  • Thuringia International School: THIS was founded in 2000 and is a PreK-12 co-ed international private school located in Weimar, Germany, offering a world-class learning experience to all children through an internationally recognized curriculum. It has grown to 265 students and is a member of ECIS, AGIS and IBO.
- Post Secondary Projects click to expand
  • Stenberg College: Stenberg College was acquired in 2002 by a joint venture company that owns CATO. It offers post secondary diploma programs in the area of nursing and allied health care.
  • Center For Arts And Technology: CATO is the industry leader and a respected digital arts school, with campuses in Kelowna, B.C., and Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Fredericton, New Brunswick. It was formed by one of our associates in a joint venture with the Center for Digital Imaging and Sound (CDIS), a leading Vancouver film school. CDIS was subsequently acquired by the Art Institute of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania (now know as the Art Institute of Vancouver).
  • Pacific Institute of Trades and Technology: We're presently working with a group of investors to start a new trades and technology institute in Surrey, British Columbia, using the Red Seal Programs of Industry Trading Authority and accreditation through PCTIA
  • American National College: Offers Sri Lankan students affordable alternative to spending 4 or more years overseas pursuing higher education. Students obtain 1-2 years of credits toward Associates or Bachelor Degrees at ANC. All courses are 100% transferable to partner Universities in the USA, offering US University courses taught by US professors, US textbooks, and course outlines.
- Recent School Formation Projects click to expand
  • Please click here to see additional projects that HEG has recently been involved with.

Opening Your School...What Should You Do Next?

Starting a school is a complicated and unique project that requires a team of experienced professionals who have had direct experience with all of the elements of school formation, and can take you from concept to operating your school. We can provide full “turn-key” services (e.g., feasibility studies, business plan, project management, human resources, marketing, and more). HEG can work with you in each of the stages of school development related to starting and operating your school. HEG can assist you with planning, forming, and operating your school...around the world. There are many reasons why HEG continues to be the leader in the development of schools. We can help answer your questions...

  • Do you want to start a school either for profit or as part of a housing or community development project?
  • Do you want to start a non-profit independent school but are not sure where to begin?
  • Do you feel the idea of starting a school is viable but you are not sure what needs to be done next?
  • Do you want professional support and guidance to ensure the sustainable success of your new school?
Next Step: We would like to help you start the school of your dreams. If you are interested in receiving written material about HEG, or would like to discuss your particular schooling needs, please contact Doug Halladay directly to find out more about our School Formation services. You can set this up by sending him an email to info@halladayeducationgroup.com or calling directly at 1-604-868-0002. Don't wait...make your dream a reality!
Our services can be tailored to your projects specific needs. This could be for a group of parents wanting to start a school for their children, a group of investors wanting to start a for-profit career college, or a major land development firm needing expertise advice to oversee the feasibility, design, land usage, and project management for one or multiple private schools. We are an international firm that is experienced working globally.
FREE CONSULTATION: Hold a complimentary 1-on-1 30 minute telephone consultation to find out more about your project. We can help you get started in the right direction and help you understand where to go to next. This can be can set up by calling me at 604-868-0002 or email me at info@halladayeducationgroup.com to take the next step (valued at $150).

 ONE DAY WORKSHOP AND FOLLOW-UP REPORT: Hold a 1-day workshop where we provide a comprehensive presentation on the 10 key stepping stones to starting your school and address all of your questions. We review the critical elements to consider in starting a sustainable school. Afterwards, we follow-up with a comprehensive Summary Report that provides direction on your schools development, including: purpose and direction, educational programs, marketing and admissions, project overview, organizational structure, facility needs, fundraising, budget, recommendations, timelines, and action plan to move forward. This is a priceless in moving forward in a coordinated effort.

 FEASIBILITY STUDY: We perform statistically driven surveys to gauge real market demand for your school. This approach will determine whether the formation of your school is realistic and feasible. Our professional survey tools include both qualitative and quantitative tools including: focus groups, phone surveys, mail surveys, online surveys, and more. As with the One-Day Workshop, we first meet with you in-person to understand the type of school you want to start, as well as provide a comprehensive presentation on the 10 key stepping stones of starting your school. Our follow-up Feasibility Report is extremely detailed and provides answers to the key questions about market demand and enrollment, including: purpose and direction, educational program, marketing and admissions, statistically validated enrollment projections (grade, gender, location), work plan, organizational structure, location and facilities, fundraising, finance (start-up budget, 5 year financial forecast, revenue projections, ROI, payroll, programming, and more). We can do this with for- and non-profit schools.
DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE BUSINESS PLAN: In many cases, founders need a detailed Business Plan to assist with approaching investors to provide the capital needed to fund the formation of your school and cover potential shortfalls in the first few years of operation. In addition, non-profit schools need a business plan as part of their fundraising case to convince donors and lenders of the true costs of the start-up budget and the first five years of the operational budget. We can assist by developing a comprehensive business plan that covers all the financial details needed to start and operate your school. Essentially, it is the detail of the Feasibility Study without the survey data. We've done dozens of these and are the experts in the field.

COMPLETE FORMATION SERVICES: When you are ready, we can tailor a proposal of our complete services specifically for your formation project that will assist you through the entire process of starting your school. Why invent the wheel. Our team of associates have combined to start close to 30 private K-12 schools and colleges around the world, so we've been there and know the most efficient process to start a prestigious school.

MONTHLY RETAINER/COACH: Many founding groups feel that they have the internal staff to handle the critical elements of starting their own own school, but like many, they want to have a coach to go to when they have questions or have hit the wall. We can make arrangements to set aside as many days/hours per month so that you can bounce ideas and questions off of us, or determine what the next step.
If you are interested in receiving written material about HEG, or would like to discuss your particular schooling needs, please contact Doug Halladay directly to find out more about our School Formation services. You can set this up by sending him an email to info@halladayeducationgroup.com or calling directly at 1-604-868-0002. Don't wait...make your dream a reality!
Benefits to You

As you can see, the tasks required to start a school are extensive and specific to this unique education sector, and can be costly if not implemented correctly. By utilizing our services, we add value in many ways ‑‑ you take advantage of professionals who have a proven background in leading independent schools and are experienced in the mechanics of starting schools. With our know-how, we can put together a solid business plan, maximize enrollment and fundraising, align your decisions with your vision, and ensure that your new staff supports your mission. Ultimately, you will build on this success in all other areas. This in turn will allow you to:
  1. Save money
  2. Develop a solid business and strategic plan
  3. Find the best school leader and staff possible
  4. Maximize your enrollment and revenues
  5. Recruit the best board possible and have them govern effectively
  6. Develop credibility and awareness in your community
  7. Put together a fantastic facility that matches your vision
  8. Establish ground breaking educational programs
  9. Open your doors on time and under budget
  10. Fund raise the funds you need to make your dream a reality
  11. Always be there to deal with the problems and know the answer
Start-A-School Toolkit

If you need immediate help, our Start-A-School Toolkit is a quick and inexpensive solution. It's a comprehensive Series of Audio Presentations and Handbooks that reveal the...

The fundamental building blocks of starting a school of your dreams. You'll Find Tremendous Value in Our Incisive Toolkit that explains How To Start A Private School. Our Toolkit explains how to start a school from the viewpoint of those who have started their own private schools and understand how to put a school together efficiently and cost effectively. And we want the same to happen for YOU. We've recorded all the presentations on MP3 Cd's and then had them transcribed and desk topped into a high quality Handbooks for you and your founders to read over to grasp the critical elements of starting a successful school. Our Toolkit includes:

The Critical First Steps Of Independent School Formation
The 9 Secrets Of Starting A Charter School
Starting A Successful Private Senior School from the Ground Up
The 8 Golden Rules of Starting a New Private Junior School

Visit our secure Online Store now to find the proven resources that will show you how to effectively start your own school. Click here to take a closer look at the Start-A-School Toolkit.

Five Reasons That We Be Able To Help You

Halladay Education Group Inc. is the leader in school formation. We take pride in assisting people like you start the school of your dreams. Here are five good reasons why you should stop procrastinating and call us now for a free 1-on-1 60 minute consultation certificate.

Reason #1: Halladay Education Group Inc. has experience starting private schools…lots of it. I and my associates have combined to start more than a dozen independent schools. We have hundred of years of experience starting and leading independent schools. We are the leaders in this market.

Reason #2: This experience means that we know the best way to start a new private school and can apply best practices to ensure that the client’s school has the best educational programs possible…that is the reason you open a school…great educational learning experiences.

Reason #3: Our fees are more than recovered through our economies of scale and attracting more qualified students to the client’s private school. So you get more students, better students, and more revenue.

Reason #4: We can structure the private school to ensure that the client has the possibility to recover all of their investment costs with interest. You get the school you want, and still get your money back. That’s the best of both worlds!!!

Reason #5: You’re not alone. We’ve been there…as Heads, Principals, Business Officers, Fundraisers, Marketers, Educators, Builders, Buyers….The list goes on and on. But would you go to a doctor that has never had a patient before? No, probably not. Why would prospective parents invest their money and their child’s education in your school, when you and your ounders have NO experience? They wouldn’t.

If you would like more information about how to start a school, or project assistance with starting a private school, don’t wait…let’s make it happen!! Please call me at 604-868-0002 or email me at info@halladayeducationgroup.com to take the next step.

To your success,

Douglas Halladay B.A., B.ED., M.A.
President and Founder
Halladay Education Group Inc.		 Douglas Halladay

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