About
Yoni Samuel-Siegel
Founder & Principal, Enrollment Design Studio
20+ years in education. Former COO. Founder of EDS. I started this practice because too many schools are working incredibly hard on enrollment — and still falling short. The problem is almost never effort. It’s design.
Results
Real outcomes, real schools.
Citizen Schools — Houston
50%
growth in enrollment and impact
The core program model built in Boston wasn't translating to the Houston market. Redesigned it for the local context — resulting in 2 new school partnerships and a 50% increase in enrollment and reach.
Uncommon Schools — Camden
350 → 800+
students enrolled
Joined in year two, when the network was still establishing its presence in Camden. Overhauled the marketing philosophy — moving away from leading with test scores toward family testimonials and community stories. Enrollment more than doubled.
Prospect Schools — Brooklyn
32%
overall enrollment growth over 4 years
Inherited a $3M enrollment deficit. Built enrollment systems from the ground up — strategy, operations, data, and team culture. Delivered 4 consecutive years of growth averaging 8% year-over-year, while simultaneously driving the network toward its 50/50 socioeconomic diversity goal.
Prospect Schools — Diversity
38% → 44%
FRL-qualifying students enrolled
Prospect is diverse by design — striving for a 50/50 balance of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch and those who don't. Growing enrollment while actively recruiting more FRL-qualifying families required a fundamentally different strategy. Moved the needle by 6 points.
Currently in the field
EDS is currently partnering with charter networks on active SY27 enrollment engagements — building clearer roles and responsibilities, year-round recruitment arcs, and the data systems to track them. Outcomes in progress.
My story
After more than 20 years in and around schools, I know what it looks like when enrollment works — and when it doesn’t.
I started my career as a teacher. Somewhere along the way I became the person schools called when things weren’t working.
That path led me into operations and systems leadership — eventually to a COO role at Prospect Schools, where I spent years building the infrastructure that charter networks run on. Enrollment kept coming up. Not because schools weren’t trying. They were. But effort without design is just exhaustion.
I watched talented, committed teams grind through every spring and still miss their numbers — because nobody had actually designed how enrollment was supposed to work.
That’s what EDS is built to fix. A strategic partner for leaders who are done reacting and ready to build something that lasts. Every engagement is different. Every solution is built for the specific community it serves.
My philosophy
Enrollment isn’t a season. It’s a system.
Design over reaction
The best enrollment outcomes aren't the result of heroic effort in March. They're the result of intentional decisions made in September, October, and November.
Context over playbooks
Every school community is different. What works in Houston doesn't automatically work in Philadelphia. I don't bring answers — I bring a process for finding yours.
Systems over heroics
A school that hits enrollment because one person worked 80-hour weeks is fragile. A school that hits enrollment because the system works is sustainable. That's what we're building.
Want to work together?
Start with a conversation. No pitch, no pressure — just a chance to think together about what your schools need.
Get in touch