In many districts, new school openings are an ad-hoc process, usually prompted by overcrowding or parent demand for a new kind of program, such as a magnet school. In districts seeking continuous improvement, a dedicated office or organization focused on expansion, replication, and/or incubation of new schools performs this function in a more strategic and intentional way. New schools can replace low-performing schools, expand high-quality options, meet the needs of a growing population, and offer families specialized educational models aligned with student needs.

New school offices can cultivate a pipeline of founders and new schools in various ways. First, fellowships or residencies can support selected educators and leaders within the community to develop, propose, and create new schools. Second, a community might invite successful school operators from outside the district to open new schools or take over operations at schools facing closure. Third, districts might ask existing high-performing, high-demand schools to expand or replicate their model in a new building.

In some districts this function may be served by an internal office; in others, external organization(s) may fulfill this role either in partnership with the district, or independently. Whether new school generation occurs internally, externally, or in combination, any new school activity must be responsive to community demand, population trends, and the district’s talent strategy. Unbridled generation of new schools may create an oversupply of seats, destabilizing the system. New Schools for New Orleans and Education Forward DC are two examples of external organizations cultivating new school options and attracting or developing talent pipelines for schools in their respective communities, in close communication and partnership with district officials.

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