Keeping Your Staff Through a Transition

Staff turnover after a school sale is one of the most common causes of post-closing valuation decay. Buyers know this, and it is one of the first risks they diligence.

A thoughtfully structured transition can reduce turnover from the industry average of 35–40% in the first year to under 10%. The mechanics are consistent: announce the transition before rumors do; protect compensation and benefits in writing through a defined retention period; introduce the new owner in person, ideally with the outgoing owner endorsing them by name.

The most effective sellers we work with treat staff continuity as part of their legacy. The result is invariably a smoother transition for the families they have served.