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Three Schools, Three Enrollment Challenges, One Common Lesson
Over the past 25 years, I’ve watched Dr. Brian Simmons lead schools through growth, rebuilding, and startup challenges. Along the way, one lesson kept surfacing.
One thing I’ve always admired about Brian is his willingness to keep learning.
Whether serving as President of ACSI, leading at Columbia International University, or guiding Christian schools through seasons of change, Brian has consistently sought wise counsel, asked thoughtful questions, and brought people together around a shared vision.
Over the years, I’ve seen those leadership qualities help him navigate three very different enrollment challenges: a thriving school pursuing a new level of growth, a school working to regain momentum, and a brand-new school being built from the ground up.
On the surface, those situations could not be more different. Yet the lessons are remarkably similar.
As Brian told me:
“Existing good schools, schools struggling to thrive or even survive, and new schools all benefit from guidance in best practice in admissions and marketing.”
Ben Lippen School: Leadership Creates Momentum
My work with Brian began through Ben Lippen School in Columbia, South Carolina.
At the time, Brian was serving as vice chair of the board and chair of the governance committee, and leading the search process for a new Head of School. That search ultimately brought Dr. Tony Fajardo to Ben Lippen, a leadership decision that proved to be a turning point in the school’s history.
Looking back, Brian believes leadership was the catalyst for everything that followed.
“Everything rises and falls on leadership.”
Dr. Fajardo brought a compelling vision for the future. He assembled a strong leadership team, developed a strategic plan, and created alignment around a common direction. Brian had a front-row seat as those efforts began to take shape, providing strategic leadership to the board.
When Tony arrived, Ben Lippen enrolled approximately 734 students. Today, enrollment exceeds 1,250 students.
Reflecting on that transformation, Brian wrote:
“Today, BLS is a strong CESA member school with 1,250 students. Yes, in eight years Ben Lippen grew from 734 to 1,250 students.”
One observation from Brian particularly caught my attention:
“The best, most effective Christian school leaders today look to experts like Rick Newberry and Enrollment Catalyst to guide their admissions efforts because they realize the truth of the statement that they do not know what they do not know.”
I’ve thought about that statement many times.
I occasionally meet school leaders who feel like they’re supposed to be experts in everything. Admissions. Marketing. Retention. Social media. Search strategy. AI.
The reality is that no one can master all of those areas. The strongest leaders I’ve worked with understand that seeking outside perspective is not a weakness. It’s wisdom.
Brian saw that firsthand at Ben Lippen.
“My primary takeaway with Rick serving as a board member at BLS was that we needed his guidance to understand how to market and grow a Christian school in the new world of websites, AI, Google searches and social media marketing.”
He followed that observation with a statement that I deeply appreciate:
“The growth BLS experienced would not have happened without Rick’s guidance and support.”
No school’s success is ever the result of one person, one strategy, or one program. But Ben Lippen is a powerful example of what can happen when leadership, vision, strategic enrollment planning, and consistent implementation all work together.
Augusta Christian School: Leading Through Rebuilding
Several years later, Brian accepted a very different challenge.
He became Interim Head of School at Augusta Christian School during a season when the school needed to rebuild confidence, momentum, and enrollment.
One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that schools facing enrollment challenges often don’t need more activity. They need clarity about where they are today, focus on the priorities that matter most, and alignment around a common path forward.
Brian understood that.
He assembled a strong leadership team and began looking for the right resources and partners to support the work ahead.
When I asked why he chose to engage Enrollment Catalyst, his answer was simple:
“I chose to hire Rick and EC while leading ACS because of the positive results I experienced firsthand at BLS.”
What stood out to him was the customized nature of the process.
“The first thing Rick did was come to my school to meet my team. I appreciated this because his approach was not a one-size-fits-all canned approach. It was custom made to fit our current situation and what we needed to do to grow.”
Brian also noted the importance of prioritizing the right things in the right order:
“People, programs then places (facilities), in that order.”
That’s a lesson many schools need to hear.
The temptation is often to focus first on facilities, marketing tactics, or new initiatives. In my experience, sustainable enrollment growth almost always begins with people and leadership.
From admissions strategy and parent communication to website improvements and organizational focus, the goal was to help the team identify the right priorities and implement them consistently.
Today, Brian believes Augusta Christian is moving in the right direction.
“I believe ACS is rebuilding and turning a corner.”
Lakeside Christian Academy: Starting with a Blank Sheet of Paper
Most recently, Brian accepted perhaps his most unique challenge.
When his son, Jared Simmons, founded Lakeside Christian Academy in Lexington, South Carolina, he invited Brian to join him as the school’s founding Head of School.
Starting a new school is different from growing an established school. It’s different from rebuilding a struggling school. There is no reputation, no alumni network, no enrollment history, and no parent referral pipeline.
Everything must be built intentionally.
When Brian began that journey, he once again sought outside perspective and guidance.
“This opportunity is different than growing an existing very good school or helping a struggling school rebuild. So, again, I turned to Rick Newberry and Enrollment Catalyst.”
Today, Lakeside is focused on creating awareness, building trust, and helping families understand the school’s mission and vision.
Brian described it this way:
“At LCA we have embarked on an awareness campaign. We are focusing on social media marketing, a search strategy, a parent guidebook that spells out why LCA is a great choice, and a new AI-driven interaction tool on our website.”
What I find interesting is that while the tactics are different, the underlying challenge remains the same.
Before families choose a school, they need confidence. They need to understand who you are, see how your mission connects to their hopes for their child, and believe your school can deliver on its promises.
What Brian’s Story Reminds Me
As I think about Brian’s journey across these three schools, one theme continues to surface.
At every school, he sought clarity before action.
At every school, he worked to align people around a common vision.
At every school, he looked for expertise that could help accelerate learning and avoid costly mistakes.
That’s one reason he has been such an effective leader throughout his career.
When I asked what stood out most from our work together, he said:
“Rick not only taught me and my team about best practice, but he helped us to make the changes that were necessary to help us grow.”
Later he added:
“My teams coalesced around Rick and his training because they realized they did not really know how to grow the school.”
And then he made a statement that means a great deal to me:
“The admissions and marketing strategy he taught us is our strategy.”
Three Different Schools. One Common Lesson.
Ben Lippen demonstrated what can happen when a strong school pursues a new level of excellence.
Augusta Christian demonstrated how leadership and strategic focus can help a school regain momentum.
Lakeside Christian Academy demonstrates the importance of building enrollment systems from day one.
The circumstances were different. The challenges were different. Brian’s role was different in each situation.
Yet the lesson remained remarkably consistent.
Enrollment growth is rarely about finding a clever tactic. It is about leadership, clarity, alignment, and the discipline to consistently implement a strategy over time.
Over the years, I’ve found that enrollment challenges rarely have the same symptoms. Some schools need to sustain growth. Some need to reverse decline. Some are starting with a blank sheet of paper.
But the underlying need is often the same.
Schools grow when leaders are willing to seek clarity, align their teams, and consistently implement a strategy that attracts mission-fit families.
Brian’s leadership journey across these three schools is a powerful reminder that while the circumstances may change, the principles rarely do.
