What are signs a school is struggling or on the verge of closing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:-A single-sex school starts admitting students of the opposite sex

I’m trying to come up with an example of a single-sex school in the area that switched to coed, and coming up with nothing other than the merger of St. Stephens with St. Agnes to make SSSAS back in the 1990s, which obviously changed both schools but the result is going strong. Has this happened anywhere else?

I’m 50 and St. John’s CHS was all boys when I was in school and is coed now. More than fine financially though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:-A single-sex school starts admitting students of the opposite sex

I’m trying to come up with an example of a single-sex school in the area that switched to coed, and coming up with nothing other than the merger of St. Stephens with St. Agnes to make SSSAS back in the 1990s, which obviously changed both schools but the result is going strong. Has this happened anywhere else?

Not in this area, but the Shipley School (pk-12 school in suburban Philly) went from all-girls to coed in 1971.

[Anonymous]

Tough to see it coming more than a couple years in advance, since some schools will have financial down years but do fine in the long run. But 2 years or so before a collapse, it’s overwhelmingly self-evident there is no coming back. Thinking about the Whittle example but I don’t know. Hindsight always seems more obvious. If you want to avoid risk, better to go with more established and older schools.

[Anonymous]

Brookewood

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tough to see it coming more than a couple years in advance, since some schools will have financial down years but do fine in the long run. But 2 years or so before a collapse, it’s overwhelmingly self-evident there is no coming back. Thinking about the Whittle example but I don’t know. Hindsight always seems more obvious. If you want to avoid risk, better to go with more established and older schools.

What are more established, older schools in the Baltimore area? Oldfields has 100+ year history and closing.

[Anonymous]

Renting out space to another school (Green Acres.) I am not saying they are clodung BUT it is not a good sign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Renting out space to another school (Green Acres.) I am not saying they are clodung BUT it is not a good sign.

(Closing)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Renting out space to another school (Green Acres.) I am not saying they are clodung BUT it is not a good sign.

Could be describe that in more detail? I’m pretty sure every school with a pool, for example, rents it out. Schools rent out field space in the summer for day camps. NCS & WIS rent out space for weddings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tough to see it coming more than a couple years in advance, since some schools will have financial down years but do fine in the long run. But 2 years or so before a collapse, it’s overwhelmingly self-evident there is no coming back. Thinking about the Whittle example but I don’t know. Hindsight always seems more obvious. If you want to avoid risk, better to go with more established and older schools.

What are more established, older schools in the Baltimore area? Oldfields has 100+ year history and closing.

Garrison Forest must be struggling too if they can absorb all Oldfields students

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tough to see it coming more than a couple years in advance, since some schools will have financial down years but do fine in the long run. But 2 years or so before a collapse, it’s overwhelmingly self-evident there is no coming back. Thinking about the Whittle example but I don’t know. Hindsight always seems more obvious. If you want to avoid risk, better to go with more established and older schools.

What are more established, older schools in the Baltimore area? Oldfields has 100+ year history and closing.

Garrison Forest must be struggling too if they can absorb all Oldfields students

+1 this actually seems like a gain for Garrison Forest

[Anonymous]

Increasing enrollment of international (full pay) students. Not just a college thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Low enrollment.

Low enrollment

Net loss of people in the town

Crime way up/ family flight

No franchisee model to lean on

Leadership leaves, then teachers/staff

[Anonymous]

I actually wouldn't get too caught up in analyzing 990s. 1) you can't compare because religious schools don't need to file and 2) the markets have been wild in the last few years for obvious reasons. Organizations could have large changes in net assets due to unrealized losses or gains from trading securities, for example – but that could change the next year without them doing anything differently.

I agree with PP: you can have some up or down years, but serious long-term trouble is hard to miss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Renting out space to another school (Green Acres.) I am not saying they are clodung BUT it is not a good sign.

Could be describe that in more detail? I’m pretty sure every school with a pool, for example, rents it out. Schools rent out field space in the summer for day camps. NCS & WIS rent out space for weddings.

Green Acres rented out a building to another school on a permanent basis.

We also felt like their facilities were not well-maintained.

I’m not saying they’re closing, but we didn’t get the impression that the school is well-run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tough to see it coming more than a couple years in advance, since some schools will have financial down years but do fine in the long run. But 2 years or so before a collapse, it’s overwhelmingly self-evident there is no coming back. Thinking about the Whittle example but I don’t know. Hindsight always seems more obvious. If you want to avoid risk, better to go with more established and older schools.

What are more established, older schools in the Baltimore area? Oldfields has 100+ year history and closing.

Garrison Forest must be struggling too if they can absorb all Oldfields students

How many students were enrolled at Oldfields? Sounds like it wasn’t many and presumably not all will end up at GF. So, while several may enroll there, I’m not convinced it’s a sign that GF is struggling.