SSFS Closing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The 2025 college admissions outcomes aren't even that great for SSFS. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Hope the families land somewhere soon and that everyone finds jobs.

Please. It's too early to even know what they are yet.

This is the class of 2025 class right here not one Top 20- https://www.instagram.com/ssfs2enior5/

First off, it's not May 1 yet.

Secondly, I see USC and Vanderbilt acceptances. Those are two incredibly selective universities. So I think SSFS kids are doing just fine.

+1 This list looks fine! Also, remember this is where students have committed to, not were accepted to. Many students will get into highly selective schools, but for various reasons, especially cost, may choose the more practical option!

+1 I’ve seen kids from inner city schools get into Harvard. If your kid is motivated who cares about everyone else if anything it will make them stand out more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those in K-8, you should reach out to the Sheridans, Lowells, Norwoods, St. Pats, etc. to see whether they might have openings.

Grace also likely has openings for those looking for K-5.

Journey School also has openings for K-8. Maybe even in the PK?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The 2025 college admissions outcomes aren't even that great for SSFS. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Hope the families land somewhere soon and that everyone finds jobs.

Please. It's too early to even know what they are yet.

This is the class of 2025 class right here not one Top 20- https://www.instagram.com/ssfs2enior5/

Stop looking at schools like this. It is not:

1. Pay tuition to the right school
2. Get admission to the right college

You are hurting your child by seeing this all as an Ivy End Game.

Comments like this are why we left. People presume that if you talk about college placements and you have high academic expectations that you're a punch drunk ivy or bust tiger mom. We choose a private for many reasons and one of those reasons are college placement and developing smart rigorous college preparation and eventual life success. Maybe not all families have these objectives but enough of us do and independent schools must consider this in their enrollment calculus. The former HOS was just blatantly not a serious choice to pilot a rigorous academic curriculum. He was more focused on social justice witch-hunting. It was not a serious place.

Stop lying to your selves and recruit ENOUGH families that can pay and return and who will expect an aligned return on their investment. This is the crude reality. I'm sorry if this offends you who do not agree and maybe you see our transactional expectations as some kind of crude darwinian grab for eminence but it is not. It is just a simple expectation that our children are realistic about their future. Radicals will see this and respond in hyperbole like the above comment. We are not exceptional people like so many of you. We are simple, we have simple priorities and we would just like to live in peace. That is why we came to America.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The 2025 college admissions outcomes aren't even that great for SSFS. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Hope the families land somewhere soon and that everyone finds jobs.

Please. It's too early to even know what they are yet.

This is the class of 2025 class right here not one Top 20- https://www.instagram.com/ssfs2enior5/

First off, it's not May 1 yet.

Secondly, I see USC and Vanderbilt acceptances. Those are two incredibly selective universities. So I think SSFS kids are doing just fine.

+1 This list looks fine! Also, remember this is where students have committed to, not were accepted to. Many students will get into highly selective schools, but for various reasons, especially cost, may choose the more practical option!

You're talking about a school charging $45,000 plus per year for tuition which 70% of families at SSFS were playing. I would assume those families have the money to pay for college and would get a good ROI if their child went to a really good college and has successful career outcomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Untenable debt, lack of strategic financial plan, rising tuition, thin enrollment, etc. combined with a private school “surplus” in a strong public school market does not translate well. More conversation should focus on mergers in these concentrated markets where it can feel like survival of the fittest. Regardless of how compelling one school’s value is, there are not enough families to serve them all let alone afford it. At the end of the day, the board owns the school’s long term solvency.

Why did this not get aired ahead of the school’s national search for a head and searches for other key admins this year? Search firms are typically tasked with learning a school’s financial skeletons.

That is why college outcomes matter. It is tied to financial success, stability, long term goals down the road not for a few but a huge majority of the student body interested in philanthropy and eventually if still in the area returning with their own offspring as legacy. That is something that SFS, STA, NCS, GDS and Landon do very well. Their alumni still fell connected to the school many years after.

Alumni still feeling connected is a weird thing.

You think it’s weird to feel connected to your high school (which in many cases was also your elementary school and your middle school)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please stop about the college placements for seniors. We were a part of the SSFS community for 8 years and for my 2023 graduate the goal was for him to get an education in a safe place. He is on the spectrum but was in a supportive environment with his friends. College placements are not the end goal for everyone.

I agree. Those types of comments are just gross, especially under the circumstances. Leave the students out of it.

[Anonymous]

These college comments are out of control. A friends school experience is different than that of a Bullis, Georgetown Prep or Landon (just using them as examples). When we first looked at schools for our oldest, SSFS was the only one we applied to. It was the environment we wanted we for our son.

For the kids who decide to move on to college, of course you want them to go to the school that is the best fit for them. But, there is so much pressure on kids these days and these comments show us why. Many people are very successful without going to the top colleges and universities. My husband and I did not attend an Ivy school but paid full tuition at SSFS with no financial aid for multiple children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The camp decision is so strange. I’d guess that is purely income earning and would help pay off some debt. Unless they plan to file for bankruptcy asap or can’t make it to August before a huge default.

If they were struggling with debt service coverage, no amount of camp income (plus the required ongoing insurance, utilities, maintenance, staffing, and benefits) is going to fix that. It might not be at the point of bankruptcy or default, but that doesn’t matter and the board would be acting as responsible as possible to wind things down now vs. after camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Second this. Current FCS parent who chose FCS over SSFS due to proximity - if you are looking for the same type of education, FCS is worth exploring. My kid is thriving there and we’ve been happy with the school’s communication. Teachers are great. All schools have their quirks but FCS has been great for us. Ultimately everyone has to make the right decision for their child but if I was an SSFS parent right now, I’d at least call FCS and pay a visit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been waiting for this to happen since I heard SSFS was struggling to bring in students from China. There was no way to replace that revenue.

This news makes me sad even though I'm not surprised. SSFS has been a wonderful school. The faculty and administration are serious about intellectual vigor and serious about morality. When it comes to Quaker values, they don't just talk the talk. They walk the walk, consistently, unlike another Quaker school in the area. (I have experience with both SFS and SSFS.)

Private schools are very expensive to run. This type of thing is going to happen more and more at schools that don't attract very wealthy students and donors. Same for liberal arts colleges.

Why were they struggling to bring in kids from China?

I think COVID and Trump's hostility to China contributed to the problem by reducing demand. Plus other schools probably started competing for the same students. Other people may know more.

[Anonymous]

Highly recommend Barnesville School of Arts & Sciences. It's in the outer part of Montgomery County on a lovely campus where kids (up to 8th grade) spend a lot of time outside. They have bus routes from Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown, etc and I suspect that they would expand routes if there were demand. My child has gone for years and thrived.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCS might be a good school today but it will be an environment of secrecy, politics and manipulation once the new head takes over as she was despised in her last job -teachers couldn't stand working for her and families had enough of her wobbly leadership, favoritism when issues arose, and Machiavellian tactics. Tread carefully. The place will change.

Oh well, maybe some huge debt problem from the past will wipe it out anyway lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The 2025 college admissions outcomes aren't even that great for SSFS. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Hope the families land somewhere soon and that everyone finds jobs.

Please. It's too early to even know what they are yet.

This is the class of 2025 class right here not one Top 20- https://www.instagram.com/ssfs2enior5/

Stop looking at schools like this. It is not:

1. Pay tuition to the right school
2. Get admission to the right college

You are hurting your child by seeing this all as an Ivy End Game.

Comments like this are why we left. People presume that if you talk about college placements and you have high academic expectations that you're a punch drunk ivy or bust tiger mom. We choose a private for many reasons and one of those reasons are college placement and developing smart rigorous college preparation and eventual life success. Maybe not all families have these objectives but enough of us do and independent schools must consider this in their enrollment calculus. The former HOS was just blatantly not a serious choice to pilot a rigorous academic curriculum. He was more focused on social justice witch-hunting. It was not a serious place.

Stop lying to your selves and recruit ENOUGH families that can pay and return and who will expect an aligned return on their investment. This is the crude reality. I'm sorry if this offends you who do not agree and maybe you see our transactional expectations as some kind of crude darwinian grab for eminence but it is not. It is just a simple expectation that our children are realistic about their future. Radicals will see this and respond in hyperbole like the above comment. We are not exceptional people like so many of you. We are simple, we have simple priorities and we would just like to live in peace. That is why we came to America.

Wow!

1. High academic expectations are reasonable. However, "admission to an Ivy" is not the same as a rigorous academic education. Transactional expectations aren't always compatible with getting a well-rounded education. Broaden your definition of high expectations.

2. You can be "realistic about their future" and also acknowledge that there are many outstanding ways to get an education. If your child ends up at, god forbid, the University of Maryland, they can still have an outstanding college experience and career. It is wild to me that you see Ivies as the only path to success in life.

3. Where is your child in all of this? You aren't leaving room for who they are as people or learners.

Again, you are limiting your children and putting enormous pressure on them if you see High School as a Determiner of their ENTIRE LIFE. That's not how this works. Very few people only have one job or one career anymore. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are rejecting capitalism. They are seeing the greed and climate destruction and wondering what it's all for.

[Anonymous]

Ugh. This thread is about SSFS closing. Bring this college convo elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PP post regarding Barnesville School of Arts & Sciences as a possible option. It's a wonderful place for PK-8th.