Equipping
Independent Schools
with Tools to Thrive
Are you Experiencing:
- Budgets approved after December for the next year?
- Chronic annual operating deficits offset by fundraising?
- Annual debates about tuition increases?
- Cashflow shortages late in the fiscal year?
- Enrollment Issues?
- Lack of leadership experience?
- Complaints of Poor Communication?
Strategic & Financial Planning
Stop letting your school’s future be dictated by budget emergencies and a culture of scarcity. Our multi-year financial modeling shifts your focus from short-term cost-cutting to sustainable profitability that empowers your mission and your staff.
Interim Leadership
Replace the panic of a sudden leadership gap with a confident plan for your school’s next chapter. Our interim solutions provide the expertise needed to maintain strategic progress while you find the ideal fit.
Board
Training
Move your board from operational confusion to a purpose-driven leadership team focused on the future. Our customized governance training helps you articulate your role and prioritize the school’s mission over daily distractions.
Executive Leader Development
You’re an expert in education – let us give you the business training to match. Transform your leadership style with a 12-month roadmap designed to stabilize your school and engage your Board.
Meet Our Team
Charles T. Evans
SENIOR PARTNER
A former head of schools in Virginia and Texas, Chuck Evans has been serving independent schools as a teacher, leader, and consultant for more than twenty-five years. As a consultant, he has worked with dozens of schools since 2006, leading strategic and financial planning processes and major program expansion projects. He has worked as a lobbyist in the Texas State Legislature, a certified mediator, and is a founding board member of the Council on Educational Standards and Accountability (CESA).
Sheila McDoniel
CONSULTANT
As a former school COO and strategic problem solver, Sheila specializes in transforming complex operational challenges into streamlined, growth-oriented systems. She combines her background in $11.5M budget management with StoryBrand™ and Unreasonable Hospitality™ certifications to help schools clarify their message and value their people. Her expertise empowers leaders to move past daily crises toward a sustainable, mission-aligned future.
Bill McGee
CONSULTANT
With over 30 years of experience as a school head and consultant, Bill is a seasoned expert in guiding boards and leaders through the complexities of school governance and strategic growth. He specializes in helping independent and parochial schools move from survival mode to sustainable profitability through disciplined financial modeling and mission-aligned planning. Bill’s calm, insightful approach empowers leadership teams to make the high-stakes decisions necessary for long-term institutional health.
Testimonials
Kirk Hudson
COO
Grace Community School
Tyler, TX
“Chuck Evans and BetterSchools LLC have assisted our school with long term financial and strategic planning since 2018. The insights and planning that has come from Chuck is invaluable as we consider a variety of directions and growth.
The 2018 version of the financial plan guided us through the impact of the COVID shut downs by giving us a road map to return to for our 2023 version of the strategic financial plan. A main output from this time period identified focused planning with financial aid and two ‘start up’ efforts.
The IHAT model allowed us to test scenarios of future growth as well as isolate the specific income and expense parameters we might face in the strategic outlook. The model is flexible for our purposes as well as provides snapshot views for governance and board approvals.”
Dallas Lusk
Executive Director
St. Mark Lutheran School
Houston, TX
“Grateful that we were able to do the strategic planning process and IHAT back in 2020. We worked that plan, and we just updated our strategic plan and will be working on the financial modeling this Spring.”