The following Notable Numbers are taken from recent member surveys submitted through the INDEX portal.
Endowment Draws (62 schools responding)
- Most schools (60%) make a single annual draw from their investment pool into operations.
- About a third (34%) use quarterly draws.
- Nearly all (92%) complete the draw within the current budget year.
Head of School Reporting (51 schools responding)
- On average, Heads oversee 9.4 direct reports (median 10).
- 39% of Heads juggle more than 11 direct reports, while the smallest number reported was 5.
- The most common direct reports include: Associate/Assistant Head (100%), CFO (100%), Advancement/Development (90%), Admissions (82%), and DEI (76%). Many also mentioned College Counseling.
Accounting Software (48 schools responding)
- Two-thirds (67%) of schools use Blackbaud FENxt, while 23% use Veracross.
- Satisfaction is mixed: 74% said they are “somewhat satisfied” with Blackbaud, describing it as clunky, overly complex, and costly, with customer service that can be inconsistent.
AI Use in Student Applications to Your School (33 schools responding)
- Just 9% of schools provide guidance or ask applicants about their AI use on the application form.
- 34% have no plans to address AI in applications.
- 56% don’t currently have policies but are considering them.