SSFS HOS leaving

[Anonymous]

The message from the school said -“Our enrollment was 613 in 2020-2021 and rose to 690 in 2021-2022”. And for current year their numbers are back to what it was pre Covid. No clue re the millions in debt statement - but many entities finance building projects with borrowing (debt).

[Anonymous]

I think there is much to talk about here and in the spaces SSFS will be providing as listening sessions. In general however, we should all prefer facts over speculation. I would rather have hard numbers provided or at least confirmed by the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The message from the school said -“Our enrollment was 613 in 2020-2021 and rose to 690 in 2021-2022”. And for current year their numbers are back to what it was pre Covid. No clue re the millions in debt statement - but many entities finance building projects with borrowing (debt).

They presumably didn’t lay off a bunch of people because everything is going great with their finances (which happened a couple weeks before RG resignation.)

[Anonymous]

If enrollment shrunk, the responsible thing to do is the adjust staffing to match enrollment. That would be prudent financial planning. Although doesn’t feel good to do those impacted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If enrollment shrunk, the responsible thing to do is the adjust staffing to match enrollment. That would be prudent financial planning. Although doesn’t feel good to do those impacted.

Enrollment shrunk because of rampant dissatisfaction with their offering. Perhaps if they are able to behave prudently they should have done something before there was a mass exodus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If enrollment shrunk, the responsible thing to do is the adjust staffing to match enrollment. That would be prudent financial planning. Although doesn’t feel good to do those impacted.

Of course, but people didn't leave for no reason. They left because there were so many mounting problems. People dont leave if they're happy. Even with an increase in tuition, if you feel your kid is having a good experience you push to stay. No one wants to disrupt their kids lives like that. So that's not prudent financial planning, that's a knee jerk reaction trying to keep from going further into debt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there is much to talk about here and in the spaces SSFS will be providing as listening sessions. In general however, we should all prefer facts over speculation. I would rather have hard numbers provided or at least confirmed by the school.

100%. But the school hasnt shown any budget summary numbers for 2024-25 and seems unlikely to. Another poster pointed out that as a religious school they arent obligated to publish their financial situation like secular private schools, where revenue, debt, salaries of major positions are all public knowledge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If enrollment shrunk, the responsible thing to do is the adjust staffing to match enrollment. That would be prudent financial planning. Although doesn’t feel good to do those impacted.

Of course, but people didn't leave for no reason. They left because there were so many mounting problems. People dont leave if they're happy. Even with an increase in tuition, if you feel your kid is having a good experience you push to stay. No one wants to disrupt their kids lives like that. So that's not prudent financial planning, that's a knee jerk reaction trying to keep from going further into debt.

This is way overgeneralizing. Not saying people didn't leave because of mounting problems but some or even many may have left for other reasons. For example, perhaps some in US or rising US left for athletics? Maybe some people moved. I'm worried about hysteria and over speculation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If enrollment shrunk, the responsible thing to do is the adjust staffing to match enrollment. That would be prudent financial planning. Although doesn’t feel good to do those impacted.

Of course, but people didn't leave for no reason. They left because there were so many mounting problems. People dont leave if they're happy. Even with an increase in tuition, if you feel your kid is having a good experience you push to stay. No one wants to disrupt their kids lives like that. So that's not prudent financial planning, that's a knee jerk reaction trying to keep from going further into debt.

This is way overgeneralizing. Not saying people didn't leave because of mounting problems but some or even many may have left for other reasons. For example, perhaps some in US or rising US left for athletics? Maybe some people moved. I'm worried about hysteria and over speculation.

Well, yes, obviously that’s true. People aren’t suggesting dissatisfaction is the only reason but are responding to the fact that the attrition was very clearly higher than usual, confirmed by both the school’s email as well as kids reports of how many of their friends are leaving (and why.)

[Anonymous]

“millions in debt”? Current family and we have not been given this “fact.”

[Anonymous]

Leaving for athletics or moving isn’t 80+. And not why staff left in large numbers or why repairs weren’t being done. Of course there is normal attrition and turnover. But it can’t surprise anyone that what we’re seeing isn’t is simply not normal attrition. It’s not hysteria to acknowledge what is in plain sight. A large number of families left this year, after staffing and other problems. Several high level administrators left in the last 5 years. Hos resigned with no transition period. These all point to large enough problems that it’s just being pragmatic to state this and want to have more information in order to make an informed decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Leaving for athletics or moving isn’t 80+. And not why staff left in large numbers or why repairs weren’t being done. Of course there is normal attrition and turnover. But it can’t surprise anyone that what we’re seeing isn’t is simply not normal attrition. It’s not hysteria to acknowledge what is in plain sight. A large number of families left this year, after staffing and other problems. Several high level administrators left in the last 5 years. Hos resigned with no transition period. These all point to large enough problems that it’s just being pragmatic to state this and want to have more information in order to make an informed decision.

But this is not the place where you are going to get that information. Hopefully the listening sessions will be helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Leaving for athletics or moving isn’t 80+. And not why staff left in large numbers or why repairs weren’t being done. Of course there is normal attrition and turnover. But it can’t surprise anyone that what we’re seeing isn’t is simply not normal attrition. It’s not hysteria to acknowledge what is in plain sight. A large number of families left this year, after staffing and other problems. Several high level administrators left in the last 5 years. Hos resigned with no transition period. These all point to large enough problems that it’s just being pragmatic to state this and want to have more information in order to make an informed decision.

But this is not the place where you are going to get that information. Hopefully the listening sessions will be helpful.

Hi, there. We’ve spent the last 4 years not able to ask questions or give honest feedback so now people are not completely on board with keeping quiet except in forums the school approves us. Maybe listening to parents before now would have been a better plan but this is where we are now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“millions in debt”? Current family and we have not been given this “fact.”

The upper school cost millions more to build than was raised. So yes. Still paying off millions.

~80 students leaving is about $2.3 million in losses compared to last year. That’s a huge amount of money that won’t be available for payroll, maintenance, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Using archive.org, I compiled the US tuition from ssfs.org over time to see how it changed.

17-18 $32,300.00
18-19 $33,250.00 2.94%
19-20 $34,250.00 3.01% *
20-21 $35,250.00 2.92%
21-22 $36,500.00 3.55%
22-23 $38,300.00 4.93%
23-24 $40,980.00 7.00%
24-25 $43,200.00 5.42%
*19-20 tuition is estimated from the average of 18-19 and 20-21 as data was not available from archive.org.

Before RG headed the school, the tuition increases were consistently 3%. During RG's time, the tuition increases are random and reactionary. To me, this proves that TG knew how to manage the schools finances.

Doesn’t the board decide on tuition increase? Didn’t most independent schools in the DMV have ~4-5% increase post pandemic? The jump to 7% seems like an outlier, seems like they wanted to move to the $40k bracket like other schools in the area; there must have been an explanation as to why that increase by the board.

Well if we know one thing, the oversight of the BOT has not been present. So what the BOT agreed or didnt agree to is hard to tell. But then, the BOT is only going to make decisions based on the data they are given, if the data is flawed their concurrence will be flawed as well. The BOT doesnt run the day to day finances, staffing or other operational decisions - at best they only hey/nay's the HOS decisions that are presented to them. But if he's presenting data showing they need to increase to make ends meet, what's the board going to do? I don't believe the BOT knew how bad the finances were.

Second "other schools in the area" are not 40K, there are several in the Moco, Hoco, Baltimore area that are in the 30s still. But prices shouldnt be increased to compete with other schools tuition - it should increase because it needs to and there is a value added service being provided. You have to go towards DC to find schools in the 40K range and frankly SSFS is not those schools. So to increase tuition just because there are schools in the DMV that are pricier is a poor reason (and yes, that is the reason he used - "other schools are more expensive anyway!").

Which non-catholic independent schools (not K-8), in the DMV are below 40k? Who would you say are SSFS peers?