Student retention is the percentage of eligible students who return to a school from one year to the next. It's the inverse of student attrition—if 10% of students leave annually, the school has 90% retention. For charter and private schools where enrollment directly determines funding, retention is a critical operational and financial metric.

High retention benefits schools in multiple ways: stable revenue allows confident planning, consistent student populations enable deeper programming, multi-year relationships strengthen community, and high retention rates signal quality to prospective families. Conversely, high attrition disrupts budgets, destabilizes classrooms, and raises questions about school quality.

Research shows that most student departures are preventable. Studies indicate that 65% of families who leave show detectable warning signs 3-6 months before withdrawing—declining engagement, attendance issues, social struggles, or satisfaction concerns. Schools with early warning systems that identify and address these patterns before families make departure decisions see measurably higher retention.

Effective retention strategies focus on monitoring student experience through pulse surveys, intervening proactively when concerns emerge, and ensuring students feel connected, challenged, and supported throughout their enrollment.