Being a school administrator is hard work — both demanding and rewarding. After a full day of activities, managing the school, and working with parents, it’s nice when the halls are empty and the kids have gone home for the night or the weekend. But how would all this be different if the kids didn’t go home at the end of the day or week? How is the experience different for a school administrator of a boarding school?  

That’s why we spoke to a principal with over 15 years experience as a school administrator at a boarding school and got his insight on what kind of concerns parents have when they are making the decision to send their child to a boarding school for high school.

Parents have concerns when deciding to send their child to boarding school, and they want these concerns to be addressed.

Any involved parent will be interested in what their child is doing on a day-to-day basis, and when I have talked to parents about boarding school, they express concern that won’t be able to be involved with their child’s decisions, problems, or successes. They also express concern that they will not be able to get in touch with their child when they want to. But boarding school administrators are sensitive to these concerns and make sure that the students make it a priority to reach out to their family and close friends and keep them in-the-know about the academics and personal lives. Boarding school administration tells parents if at anytime they need to get in touch with their child, they should let an administrator know, and the school will have their child make contact.

Parents want to be partners with the boarding school’s administration.

Boarding school administrators consider being partners with parents a very important aspect of a boarding school. And if there are important decisions or events happening at home that would affect their child, the boarding school would like to know in order to help the student to the best of their abilities. In turn, if something is happening at school, either good or bad, school administrators know they have a responsibility to communicate with parents.

Parents want to know what kind of benefits will come from a boarding school experience.

Many parents want to know in what ways boarding school will benefit their children more than a traditional high school experience. But many parents have expressed that they become closer to their child after he/she attended a boarding school by becoming more mature and independent. Parents always like to see the growth that develops in their child, whether it be academically or personally.

Working at a traditional high school gives one an opportunity to really get to know many young people and their families, and working at a boarding high school really makes that fact even more possible, considering that the kids are perpetually present. And while there are challenges that go along with sending a child to boarding school, the collaboration with dedicated faculty and administrators can make all the difference in the comfort of both the parents and the students.