You can buy a school. You still have to earn its community’s trust.

You can buy a school. You still have to earn its community’s trust.

On my first visit to Lanna International School Thailand, the rundown entrance worried me.

Then I followed the music.

Inside a packed dining hall, a high school rock band was performing on a makeshift stage. Students and parents of all ages were cheering.

The buildings needed work. This school had heart.

When we acquired Lanna in 2017, our challenge was to build a new campus with no financial reserves, improve the student experience enough to justify higher tuition, and protect the culture families loved.

Little did we know that Covid was just around the corner too.

The original campus plan would increase capacity from around 400 students to 500.

We asked the community to imagine 1,200 to 1,500.

That required more than an ambitious drawing. It meant investing in facilities, programs and university counseling. Honoring long-standing families through legacy tuition. Keeping the founder involved and empowered to protect the school’s culture.

In this case study, I share the decisions behind that transformation, the growth figures, and the tensions we had to navigate.

If you own or lead a school facing expansion, a change of ownership or a campus move, this is for you.

Grow the school. Keep its heart.

Read the full Lanna case study.

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