SSFS Closing

[Anonymous]

I'm alumni. I would like to potentially join the coalition but don't have grade parent reps any longer Is it just for current families?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm alumni. I would like to potentially join the coalition but don't have grade parent reps any longer Is it just for current families?

Please join! The alumni have been a major driving force in the coalition while current parents we still sort of stunned into silence. Yes, alumni are needed and welcome! Please join.

[Anonymous]

What is the plan to address the reasons people left? It's not enough to blame RG and say everything is fine now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the Friends of SSFS Coalition’s latest email:
“The donor commitments over the past 48 hours have been remarkable. We have $9M+ in pledges, which has given our primary angel donor the confidence to guarantee the money up front to keep the school open for the next three years. Our long-term goal is to set up an endowment so that nothing like this can happen again.”

You can sign up at the link below (making any sort of pledge) to get further updates or contribute your time or talents.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGcMj7TwE0wjzHBO_FqiFLK58hy4Fz05u7R0TH9eOoftQWDA/viewform?pli=1

So -is SSFS staying open?

We’re working on it. Join us!

Look at the power of community!!! I am rooting for everyone connected tonSSFS right now!! Good for you guys!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From the Friends of SSFS Coalition’s latest email:
“The donor commitments over the past 48 hours have been remarkable. We have $9M+ in pledges, which has given our primary angel donor the confidence to guarantee the money up front to keep the school open for the next three years. Our long-term goal is to set up an endowment so that nothing like this can happen again.”

You can sign up at the link below (making any sort of pledge) to get further updates or contribute your time or talents.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGcMj7TwE0wjzHBO_FqiFLK58hy4Fz05u7R0TH9eOoftQWDA/viewform?pli=1

Bumping this for the alum pp-please join!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the Friends of SSFS Coalition’s latest email:
“The donor commitments over the past 48 hours have been remarkable. We have $9M+ in pledges, which has given our primary angel donor the confidence to guarantee the money up front to keep the school open for the next three years. Our long-term goal is to set up an endowment so that nothing like this can happen again.”

You can sign up at the link below (making any sort of pledge) to get further updates or contribute your time or talents.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGcMj7TwE0wjzHBO_FqiFLK58hy4Fz05u7R0TH9eOoftQWDA/viewform?pli=1

So -is SSFS staying open?

We’re working on it. Join us!

Look at the power of community!!! I am rooting for everyone connected tonSSFS right now!! Good for you guys!

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those of us who have been part of this wonderful community are saddened but the course of events that has led to SSFS closing. There is a lot of speculation and finger-pointing trying to assess blame. SSFS took a calculated risk to build an upper school to bring in more students and more tuition dollars - and it had its largest graduating class in 2023. By undertaking that risk, they could not have foreseen how COVID and RG leadership would impact the school so negatively. Taking risks involves navigating complex situations where a single factor rarely determines the outcome. In hindsight there are many things that could have been handled differently but as with so many things in life, I don't know that we will find an explanation or a scapegoat to blame.

At this point, our family has decided to focus on the positives that SSFS has given us and we are holding those who are directly impacted in the light. It does us no good to be angry about the outcome.

Many families went to privates with Covid. Not left.

[Anonymous]

I have no doubt that SSFS is an amazing community that was life changing for many of the families. I also completely accept that the BoT and the former HoS were instrumental in the failure of the school. But, ultimately, from the outside, it seems like throwing good money after bad. There’s been no disclosure or transparency as to why exactly it collapsed, why the fiscal situation was so dire and mismanaged and what the plan would be if the funds were raised. (not that they owe it to me, but I haven’t seen anyone say that they know).

While it’s not a perfect comparison, it feels like fans of a product trying to keep it produced after the market has determined that it’s not viable. $13-15M is not a minor, temporary cash flow gap caused by an external event. It’s a total statement that the school is not financially viable in anything close to how it currently stands.

Before donating a penny, I would certainly make sure that you understand and personally believe that your money is going to a viable turnaround plan that is sustainable and sound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no doubt that SSFS is an amazing community that was life changing for many of the families. I also completely accept that the BoT and the former HoS were instrumental in the failure of the school. But, ultimately, from the outside, it seems like throwing good money after bad. There’s been no disclosure or transparency as to why exactly it collapsed, why the fiscal situation was so dire and mismanaged and what the plan would be if the funds were raised. (not that they owe it to me, but I haven’t seen anyone say that they know).

While it’s not a perfect comparison, it feels like fans of a product trying to keep it produced after the market has determined that it’s not viable. $13-15M is not a minor, temporary cash flow gap caused by an external event. It’s a total statement that the school is not financially viable in anything close to how it currently stands.

Before donating a penny, I would certainly make sure that you understand and personally believe that your money is going to a viable turnaround plan that is sustainable and sound.

All of this! Time for a real conversation about what went wrong and why. I'm not friend of RG but you can't just point the finger at him. He did what he did for so long because the board allowed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the Friends of SSFS Coalition’s latest email:
“The donor commitments over the past 48 hours have been remarkable. We have $9M+ in pledges, which has given our primary angel donor the confidence to guarantee the money up front to keep the school open for the next three years. Our long-term goal is to set up an endowment so that nothing like this can happen again.”

You can sign up at the link below (making any sort of pledge) to get further updates or contribute your time or talents.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGcMj7TwE0wjzHBO_FqiFLK58hy4Fz05u7R0TH9eOoftQWDA/viewform?pli=1

So -is SSFS staying open?

We’re working on it. Join us!

I understand your love for the school. I understand your dream to keep it open. But saying you “got pledges!” Without even having a full understanding of the schools finances sounds like you’re as naive as the ppl who “got pledges!” Built a high school and got us in the mess. How are you different? Can you even share the schools full financial hole with us now in order for us to trust you have a solid plan? Are you basing your solution based on the email and FAQ of a board that has clearly hidden key information and you think that makes a solid plan? That’s completely laughable. Hasn’t it occurred to you that if it was as simple as raising $16 million the board would have tried that? Or you think such a simple solution has occurred only to you?

Share the books. Then we talk. I’m not signing a pledge without a concrete balance sheet/990 to review. This is like the community is trying to do what the board did. Make empty promises!

Anyone in the community can join the coalition, and that is where information is being shared as it is discovered. It won’t be posted here. You absolutely do not need to make a pledge to join the coalition.

Don’t expect it here but why not openly share with the community? Why does anyone need to join a “secret club” to learn the truth?

[Anonymous]

Serious question. Even if they can raise enough money to stay open for the next several years, what is the incentive for families and faculty to stay? If I am a teacher there, I'm not going to allow myself to potentially be left high and dry again. I have bills to pay. I would be out of there so fast.

I understand the impulse to try to save the school, but it seems like the trust has been broken at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those of us who have been part of this wonderful community are saddened but the course of events that has led to SSFS closing. There is a lot of speculation and finger-pointing trying to assess blame. SSFS took a calculated risk to build an upper school to bring in more students and more tuition dollars - and it had its largest graduating class in 2023. By undertaking that risk, they could not have foreseen how COVID and RG leadership would impact the school so negatively. Taking risks involves navigating complex situations where a single factor rarely determines the outcome. In hindsight there are many things that could have been handled differently but as with so many things in life, I don't know that we will find an explanation or a scapegoat to blame.

At this point, our family has decided to focus on the positives that SSFS has given us and we are holding those who are directly impacted in the light. It does us no good to be angry about the outcome.

Many families went to privates with Covid. Not left.

The cost of COVID on schools from having to test, to clean, etc was unexpected and unplanned. So perhaps there was an uptick in tuition but there was also an uptick in expenses.

[Anonymous]

Very true, pp, and I think the idea/hope is to make a financially sustainable plan going forward. I think it’s important to be realistic but also okay to acknowledge that this was not a foregone conclusion-if it was it wouldn’t have happened so abruptly! And clearly the current board HAS misjudged how willing the community is to pitch in when the future of the school is on the line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the Friends of SSFS Coalition’s latest email:
“The donor commitments over the past 48 hours have been remarkable. We have $9M+ in pledges, which has given our primary angel donor the confidence to guarantee the money up front to keep the school open for the next three years. Our long-term goal is to set up an endowment so that nothing like this can happen again.”

You can sign up at the link below (making any sort of pledge) to get further updates or contribute your time or talents.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGcMj7TwE0wjzHBO_FqiFLK58hy4Fz05u7R0TH9eOoftQWDA/viewform?pli=1

So -is SSFS staying open?

We’re working on it. Join us!

I understand your love for the school. I understand your dream to keep it open. But saying you “got pledges!” Without even having a full understanding of the schools finances sounds like you’re as naive as the ppl who “got pledges!” Built a high school and got us in the mess. How are you different? Can you even share the schools full financial hole with us now in order for us to trust you have a solid plan? Are you basing your solution based on the email and FAQ of a board that has clearly hidden key information and you think that makes a solid plan? That’s completely laughable. Hasn’t it occurred to you that if it was as simple as raising $16 million the board would have tried that? Or you think such a simple solution has occurred only to you?

Share the books. Then we talk. I’m not signing a pledge without a concrete balance sheet/990 to review. This is like the community is trying to do what the board did. Make empty promises!

Anyone in the community can join the coalition, and that is where information is being shared as it is discovered. It won’t be posted here. You absolutely do not need to make a pledge to join the coalition.

Don’t expect it here but why not openly share with the community? Why does anyone need to join a “secret club” to learn the truth?

You can email [e-mail] to be sent the form to sign up!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious question. Even if they can raise enough money to stay open for the next several years, what is the incentive for families and faculty to stay? If I am a teacher there, I'm not going to allow myself to potentially be left high and dry again. I have bills to pay. I would be out of there so fast.

I understand the impulse to try to save the school, but it seems like the trust has been broken at this point.

I think if you look at what's happening in the DMV at this particular moment in time, if you told a teacher who just found out on Monday that they're losing their job and then said that they have a 3-year reprieve, a lot of them might take it! Not trying to be unrealistic and I think the chances of this coalition saying the school are slim at best, I do think that the external circumstances in the country right now could mean that people might stay put, and allow a little cautious optimism.