At an open house recently at Hebron Academy, a small private school set on 1,500 bucolic acres in central Maine in the US, 14 prospective middle school students and their families toured the campus and met the teachers and staff.

The attendance – a record high for the school this time of year – offers a small glimmer of hope that next year’s class size will be on track. “We think it’s a good sign,” said John King, the school’s headmaster. “We hope that those people have the means and the readiness to invest in their kids’ education.”