Why We’re Talking About Mergers
More and more independent schools are considering mergers than ever before.
Some are between two strong institutions that recognize the benefit to students that comes from a merger.
Others, as we are seeing more frequently, are based purely on the economic realities of lower enrollment. In these cases it is often one school on the brink of closure seeking to merge with another school, which can end up feeling like an acquisition rather than a more strategic alliance.
Even if the merger is financially advantageous to both, schools deliberating a merger will be wise to think ahead–way ahead–about how to merge well.
In any merger, the goal for all members of both communities is to feel they have benefitted from the alliance. That will come through shared values and a strategic assessment of how to future-proof the culture of the new school so everyone feels included, and students have an enhanced experience.
Mission Minded has supported many schools through merger and post-merger strategies. The goals are always to create a school that is strong and aligned internally, and that projects a bold and appealing brand to attract and retain faculty, staff, and families.
Here we offer three pitfalls your school can avoid if you’re considering a merger. Know a school thinking about strength through partnership? Share this with them or post it within your online networks.
Pitfall #1: Perception that One School Wins, Dominates, or Overpowers
Background: After three mergers and multiple name changes, one East Coast school had a muddled identity—it was thought of as the sum of its parts rather than a cohesive institution.
Post-Merge Pitfall: Alumni from the merged schools felt disconnected, perceiving that one of the original schools “took over” while their respective alma maters disappeared.
How they addressed it: They asked Mission Minded to help them devise a brand strategy to stoke internal cultural and admissions appeal. Our research and strategic analysis uncovered a unifying insight: the school’s history of navigating multiple mergers gave them a legitimate claim to being an innovator and forward-thinker. This led to the value around invention and reinvention which honored the shared past while imagining future ambitions, helping alumni from all four original schools feel pride and connection while also giving the school an edge over schools that prized tradition over innovation.
Pitfall #2: Lack of an Intentionally Created and Powerfully Expressed Shared Vision
Background: When an historic boy’s upper school merged with a co-ed K-8 to become a co-ed K-12 school, faculty and families struggled to see themselves as part of one unified school.
Post-Merge Pitfall: Beyond aligning grades, the schools’ communities initially felt disconnected, physically (they retained their two campuses) and emotionally. In particular, the K-8 community members struggled to retain their identity under the upper school’s name, and faculty from both schools needed a shared vision to unite them.
How they addressed it: Over several years, they worked to articulate a unified mission centered on leadership development, reflecting a shared belief in cultivating character along with achievement. This approach allowed both communities to see themselves in the new identity.
The school later worked with Mission Minded to develop a bold new strategic plan and brand strategy that dimensionalized the concept of leadership for the 21st century. This clarified a unified vision, centered on leadership, that reflected both schools’ values, giving all community members a sense of ownership and setting the school up to be highly relevant for today’s learners—inspiring for faculty, administrators, and families alike.
Pitfall #3: Jumping Ahead to the How Before Deeply Assessing the Why
Background: Merging a progressive elementary school with a more traditional middle/upper school seemed logical based on geography, demographics, and their shared aspirations for academic excellence.
Potential Pitfall: The boards assumed a smooth transition from experiential elementary learning to more traditional upper grades would be natural. In reality, imagining families—not to mention faculty who had such different pedagogical expertise—would seamlessly accept this shift, ignored a core cultural mismatch.
How it could have been avoided: Early exercises with both boards to explore shared values and cultural compatibility could have flagged potential mismatches. With that insight, leaders might have adjusted expectations, implemented gradual integration, or even reconsidered the merger before costly legal and leadership decisions were made. In the end, the merger failed because this kind of cultural and pedagogical exploration never happened.
Set Your School up for Merger Success
If your school is considering a merger of any kind, we recommend you bring in an outside expert to help you consider not just the financial and legal issues at hand, but a partner to help you bring the leaders of both schools together in a meaningful way.
The earliest work should be a warm and collaborative strategic assessment of the opportunities and threats of the merger. Done early and done well, this paves the way not only for a successful merger that achieves its business goals, but also a future school every member of your community is proud and excited to be part of.
We are school strategic plan and brand experts and we can help. Let us know if you’d like to chat about your merger ideas, regardless of how far down the path you may be.
Mission Minded is a strategy and creative firm that helps good causes have greater impact.
Through elevated strategic plans, brand, and messaging strategies, we’ve helped schools and nonprofits navigate pivotal transitions with clarity, confidence, and bold vision.
If your school is exploring a merger—or simply preparing for its next chapter—we’d love to help you build the strategy, brand, and tools that unite your community and strengthen your future.
For more inspiration, take a look at these case studies from organizations who turned moments of change into powerful new beginnings.