The Prep and Planning Timeline for Starting Your Hybrid School

This post is generated from Podcast 23.

Starting a hybrid school is exciting — and, let’s be honest, a little overwhelming. There are so many moving pieces: your vision, your budget, your curriculum, your space, your staff… the list goes on. But with a clear prep and planning process, you can tackle it step by step without feeling paralyzed.

Here’s a practical overview of what that first year might look like and what you should be working on before your doors open.

Step 1: Market Validation and Early Feedback

Before you dive into building infrastructure, start by validating your idea. You want to make sure families are out there who are interested in what you’re offering.

• Host informational nights or casual meetings to gauge interest.

• Listen to feedback, but don’t let one or two opinions knock you off course — trust your vision if most families respond positively.

• Start getting a sense of budget, tuition, curriculum, and program offerings even at a high level.

The goal is to walk the line between staying true to your vision and adapting to what families want. This builds trust and confidence early on — families will be more willing to join if they feel you know what you’re doing.

Step 2: Solidifying Your Vision and Budget

Once you have a bit of interest, you’ll want to:

• Define your schedule and program: e.g., a two-day program for K–3, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., with specific subjects.

• Draft your budget and tuition: make sure you have a realistic understanding of expenses, staffing needs, and what families are willing to pay.

• Start thinking about your facility: contact potential sites, consider rental agreements, and determine how many classrooms you’ll need.

This is also the time to develop a small online presence — a simple website, a basic logo, and some social media accounts. Even if it’s not perfect, it lets people find you and shows that you’re serious.

Step 3: Administrative Foundations

As your interest grows, it’s time to handle the behind-the-scenes administrative work:

• File articles of incorporation and get your EIN (Employer Identification Number)

• Open a business bank account

• Decide if you’re an LLC or a nonprofit, and if nonprofit, begin gathering board members

• Set up basic bookkeeping systems to track registration fees, deposits, and expenses

By the time you’re registering families, you’ll want these pieces in place so you’re organized and professional from day one.

Step 4: Marketing and Information Gathering

Even if you’ve already done some market validation, keep marketing as you move forward:

• Continue hosting info nights with sample schedules or curriculum to build trust.

• Collect emails and contact information to keep interested families updated.

• Maintain a Facebook presence or simple social media to reach your community.

At this point, your marketing starts to overlap with admissions, as families begin to commit.

Step 5: Registration and Early Enrollment

Once you’re confident in your location, tuition, and program:

• Open registration — collect application fees (usually $100–$200, non-refundable).

• Keep bookkeeping organized, labeling all funds carefully.

• Continue updating your website and communicating with families.

Early registration ensures you have some funds coming in to help cover initial expenses like deposits, supplies, or small renovations.

Step 6: Hiring Your Team

With registration underway, it’s time to hire staff:

• Post job descriptions and interview potential teachers or aides

• Prepare sample schedules, curriculum, and pay structures

• Review policies: sick days, conflict resolution, training, and employee handbooks

• Set up payroll systems and necessary HR paperwork

Even if you don’t have a program running yet, you want your staff to feel confident about what they’ll be doing and how the school operates.

Step 7: Building Your Space and Final Preparations

As summer approaches:

• Start physically equipping your building: furniture, safety items, and supplies

• Train teachers on curriculum and program management

• Set up insurance, policies, and safety protocols

• Continue admissions, registration, and communication with families

By the time your doors open, you’ll have a functional, welcoming space, a trained team, and families ready to start the year with confidence.

A Realistic Timeline

From my experience, giving yourself about a year from your first info meeting to opening day works well:

• Fall (Sept–Oct): First info nights, early vision, and some online presence

• Winter (Nov–Jan): Facility visits, paperwork, EIN, bank account, continued info nights

• Early Spring (Feb–March): Registration, tuition collection, hiring staff, refining curriculum

• Summer: Building setup, teacher training, final preparations, and safety checks

Starting a hybrid school is a lot of work, but taking it step by step makes it manageable. By following this prep and planning process, you’ll enter your first year confident, organized, and ready to welcome your first families