Small-School Yearbook Planning: A Month-by-Month Timeline

Summer: set the foundation

Confirm your picture-day and retake dates, choose your yearbook software and page count, and align deadlines with your publisher and photographer. Decide early how portrait data will be delivered and matched by student ID.

Fall: portraits and coverage

Run picture day and retakes, and start collecting candids from events, clubs, and sports. Build your ladder (page plan) so every group and section has a home before the pages fill up unevenly.

Winter: build the bulk of the book

With fall portraits and events in hand, lay out the majority of your pages. Confirm staff and class composites are complete and IDs are correct — fixing names now is far easier than at deadline.

Early spring: proof and fill gaps

Proof every spread for spelling and correct student matches, chase down missing photos, and finalize spring sports and events. Keep an eye on your publisher's submission deadline.

Late spring: submit and distribute

Submit on deadline, confirm your delivery date, and plan distribution. A quick survey of what worked will make next year's timeline even smoother.