SSFS Closing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Well, that’s not surprising since it seems that half the students there were children of faculty and staff who got a free tuition ride. Not a good business plan!

This is 100% not true. I work at the school and at least half of the faculty and staff have children at the school that receive a significant amount of financial aid.

[Anonymous]

So sneaky. They were actively trying to recruit us to atyend the school this weekend.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:This is awful. So sorry for everyone involved.

We have loved Friends Community School in College Park for our daughter. Outstanding school. It might be a good fit for the K-8 students.

+1

Our child chose FCS over SSFS for middle school and it has been a great experience. We wanted a Quaker school so it worked for us as parents.

FCS is a risky choice. Did not have a good experience there. Teachers were... iffy.

Iffy how was looking at them I’ve heard this would like to hear it from a former parent there.

Current FCS parent here. FCS had a good deal of teacher turnover just after the pandemic and then a new interim head of school. There were a few teachers who seemed ineffective, but they have departed. The teachers they have now are invested, caring, and creative. There is a new long term head of school starting this summer who seems solid.

[Anonymous]

Current SSFS parent here. Totally blindsided and upset for my high school kid who was thriving.

I wonder if the bank called the loan in tying the Board’s hands…

[Anonymous]

That’s what’s so confusing-if a marginal increase in enrollment would have made the school viable for another year, then why didn’t they go to the community hat in hand trying to raise that money when they didn’t hit those numbers? And if hitting their enrollment targets would NOT have been enough then why did they continue recruiting, not let families know they should be applying out, leave teaches in this position, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:14-16 million over 3 years wouldn’t be made up by a few more enrollments. It seems especially careless to wait this late in the admissions season when the gap was that large.

Exactly. That deficit is in addition to tuition dollars. Unbelievable financial mismanagement.

It’s truly about 130 more students for each of the next 3 years. We know enough frustrated families in MCPS and further afield in VA who would have been willing to commute. Why wouldn’t they have done an aggressive marketing campaign to drum up more applicants. It’s also likely they could have raised funds from current families and alums if they knew how dire the situation was. They have the space to increase enrollment.

[Anonymous]

Wow, a surprise 15 million dollar hole is huge! It’s scary that these people were educating kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Believable yet unbelievable. Just hired new HoS and MS HoS. How could they do that in good conscience with this outcome. Just disgusting to do this to people. The amount of staff/faculty out of a job is just sad.

There are SO many openings in MCPS. Teachers will be welcomed to public school!

Private school teachers take a pay cut to escape the headache and dangers of working at MCPS or other local districts. Stop suggesting public as the solution to families and employees who clearly aren’t interested in the public system. Some may be forced there but that’s because SSFS made an unconscionable decision and took the choice away from individuals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, a surprise 15 million dollar hole is huge! It’s scary that these people were educating kids.

It's not like teachers had any clue this was happening--they found out at the same time as everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Were they giving an unusual amount of financial aid? The statement said that people weren’t as generous at this school as at other schools, but how many schools can’t run on tuition? I thought that the giving at schools usually funded the scholarships, but not the running costs.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If it really was they didn’t meet the numbers they needed for re-enrollment then why wouldn’t they do a last ditch call for donations from the whole extended school community? Why not even try, if it was a matter of 20 students tuition?

The FAQ said it was 14 to 16 million dollars in debt. 20 more students would not make up that deficit

With an amount that large, it also means the board was aware of this for some time and would have/should have known that they weren't going to be able to fund things. But maybe, as the announcement said, they were trying to secure additional financing or a merger. My heart goes out to the affected kids and their families. I hope you all find a good place to land.

Whittle was in a similar situation a couple years ago.

Absolutely not comparable. That was a for profit school, run by a notorious grifter. It was a flashy space and never had an actual plan or decent enrollment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, a surprise 15 million dollar hole is huge! It’s scary that these people were educating kids.

It's not like teachers had any clue this was happening--they found out at the same time as everyone else.

Obviously someone is hiding something. These numbers didn’t just jump out of nowhere. Someone has been covering up.
Normally there would have been a big fundraising campaign to bring the school up to where it needed to be. There would have been outreach. But when there is nothing and new HOS are being hired? This doesn’t pass the smell test.

[Anonymous]

It’s gotta be a combo of low enrollment, poor fundraising and unexpectedly unavailable credit. Previous boards must have seen a loan payment and figured they could refinance it. And then I guess they couldn’t. It’s a sign of the times.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Wonder where displaced students will go.

Barry or Sidwell

It’s spelled Barrie.

Burke is also an option

Yeah, Barrie, Burke, and Green Acres as options.

Barrie and Green Acres will close next, so I wouldn't get on those sinking ships either. Burke, Field, McLean, Woods Academy, maybe Sheridan. I think just start calling around. I'm sure many schools will try to help if they have open spaces.

Green Acres is definitely not closing, have you seen how they have really grown the school and shored up so much on that campus?! The new HOS there is phenomenal and they’ve brought in new programming. Quite the far opposite of what you see happening here. Super strategic, very intentional and engaged, and extremely transparent. I’ve seen a more folks choose Green Acres and share how pleased they are, many are families who left and came back! I think that speaks a lot to the growth they are having.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it really was they didn’t meet the numbers they needed for re-enrollment then why wouldn’t they do a last ditch call for donations from the whole extended school community? Why not even try, if it was a matter of 20 students tuition?

The FAQ said it was 14 to 16 million dollars in debt. 20 more students would not make up that deficit

With an amount that large, it also means the board was aware of this for some time and would have/should have known that they weren't going to be able to fund things. But maybe, as the announcement said, they were trying to secure additional financing or a merger. My heart goes out to the affected kids and their families. I hope you all find a good place to land.

Whittle was in a similar situation a couple years ago.

Absolutely not comparable. That was a for profit school, run by a notorious grifter. It was a flashy space and never had an actual plan or decent enrollment

Who's this notorious grifter?