seeking information on current (post closure crisis) school environment at sandy springs friends school
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Anonymous
| No matter how lovely the school may be, commuting from NE DC to Olney is not tenable. Have you looked at a map? How would they get there? How long would it take? |
Anonymous
The school has several bus routes. |
Anonymous
| Thanks everyone. OP here. This has given me a lot to think about. The commute is a worry that’s for sure. Right now we have a long drive to get two to two different schools so we thought it would be similar. I’ve made a list of the schools to call, and I do think we will visit SSFS. Can’t hurt to visit! |
Anonymous
| We vetted ssfs and were pleasantly surprised (shocked really) with the school. It went from a rule out to a top contender. |
Anonymous
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I am putting this suggestion on the table just for consideration. If you haven't bought a house yet, have you thought about Baltimore and commuting to DC? It's feasible depending how often the working parents have to go into the office and where the office is in DC, especially if you can take MARC. I bring this up because there are a few privates in Baltimore that could be great fits, especially Friends. Tuition is also lower, about 42k next year I think. While they do have admissions deadlines, they should be open to late transfers from out of state schools. Private schools are good at helping each other out this way. And Friends is not at any risk of closing.
Another option is Park, but a bit more competitive to get into. |
Anonymous
| We're having a phenomenal year at SSFS. I cannot imagine my child's life without this school. It has literally transformed them. (sorry to sound so dramatic but it's true!) |
Anonymous
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SSFS family here. Been at the schools 5+ years. 2 kids with experience in both MS and LS. Last year was awful, but I’m surprised to say I think it made the school better.
This year is going incredibly well. We are extremely impressed with the new leadership and the transparency of the new board. It’s a totally different approach to partnership and it’s working. Teachers also seem much happier. My kids have both clearly stated that they intend to stay through 12th. You should definitely ask the admissions office about the re-enrollment numbers. They are impressive and a great sign of how families are feeling about the school. |
Anonymous
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We've been at the school for 8 years, 2 kids, and have experience with all three divisions. I can say this has been our best year yet. The new administration is very much aligned with Quaker values; they are supportive and transparent in their decision-making. Joining the school all those years ago was one of the best decisions we made as a family new to the area. It's a wonderful community to be a part of.
Not only are the academics strong - I see how the school and its values have guided my children. They are kind, curious, and most importantly, able to speak their truth. Anyone who feels this school will be closing any time soon certainly does not have any knowledge of the inner workings of the institution and the community. The board just released reenrollment numbers for next year (because they want to be as transparent as possible), and we're at almost 90% reenrollment: the school hit that number in a week. |
Anonymous
| This year has been amazing. I hate that the closure had to happen, but I actually think it was needed for SSFS to recover itself. I have been there for 10 years with 3 kids, and it has been the best thing for our kids and our family. The high schoolers are just different. It's just a different place. |
Anonymous
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[quote=Anonymous]Field is probably too expensive, but is Burke? It’s in the low 50s. I’m not a fan of Waldorf schools, but Washington Waldorf is cheaper than SSFS. May be a good option. I wouldn’t touch SSFS with a ten foot pole. And I say that as a Quaker who was considering it for my kids in the future.[/quote]
My kids go there, and I could not disagree more. To each their own experience, but being a Quaker shouldn't give you the authority to decide if it's good enough to weigh in when you aren't even part of the community. - A fellow Quaker |
Anonymous
90% doesn't mean that much in February |
Anonymous
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Reenrollment is all well and good but in the long run don't they need a net gain of students to afford their campus?
OP, be warned that if you were hoping for financial aid, a school just back from the brink of closure is unlikely to have much mid-year. |
Anonymous
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You absolutely do not want the commute from NEDC to SSFS. I did it for camp for only two weeks and it was horrible.
It doesn't matter how nice it is, it will be terrible. Find somewhere in town. FCS would also be a semi-reasonable commute and it's Quaker but it's K-8. |
Anonymous
| Seriously OP if your heart is set on SSFS, can you just live closer? |
Anonymous
Good luck with that. Any viable upper school aims to replace the number of graduating seniors with a similar number of incoming freshmen to maintain their numbers. Those numbers are more than just numbers. Those numbers impact that overall "feel" of a school. They impact course offerings, athletics, clubs, etc. The current 9th grade is barely 20 kids. That's not even half of the number that graduated in 2025. The incoming number of 9th graders will also not even reach half of the current graduating seniors. See where I'm going with all of this? While the enrollment numbers may be pleasantly surprising, it was a very low bar of expectations to begin with and the impact on upper school is huge. And while the students themselves are all lovely and tight knit -even more so as someone mentioned (seemingly because of the drama of last year), it is quiet and not in a good way and it's only going to get quieter and more dull. It's foolish to stay and it's foolish to enroll as a new family. This school needs another year or two to truly demonstrate if it is viable beyond the next 2-3 years. While I hope it is. I unfortunately very much doubt it will be. I |