What are signs a school is struggling or on the verge of closing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Renting out space to another school (Green Acres.) I am not saying they are clodung BUT it is not a good sign.

Could be describe that in more detail? I’m pretty sure every school with a pool, for example, rents it out. Schools rent out field space in the summer for day camps. NCS & WIS rent out space for weddings.

Green Acres rented out a building to another school on a permanent basis.

We also felt like their facilities were not well-maintained.

I’m not saying they’re closing, but we didn’t get the impression that the school is well-run.

I think that private schools that don’t have high schools are more likely to struggle with alumni donations because if they finish at a school in 6th or 8th grade, there’s at least another decade before an alum is going to be in a position to donate much. By 23+ you’re too far removed from where you went to elementary school to care.

Norwood is doing quite well in donations.

So is Langley. New building for Primary School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An issue on the horizon for all private/independent schools in the DMV is the decline in fertility rates. There just aren't as many babies being born. Reduced numbers of students will stress some schools who need a set number of full pay families to break even.

A family may be willing to send one child to private school versus three though. We know a lot of onlies in private school. Not sure fertility rates correlate directly with private school enrollment choices.

[Anonymous]

Reaching out directly to kids over social media to "recruit" them

[Anonymous]

Doing potluck for events that used to be catered.

[Anonymous]

Looking at Niche.com list of Best privates in Maryland (specifically the top 10) is it safe to assume those schools will never be struggling or on the verge of closing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:-A single-sex school starts admitting students of the opposite sex

I’m trying to come up with an example of a single-sex school in the area that switched to coed, and coming up with nothing other than the merger of St. Stephens with St. Agnes to make SSSAS back in the 1990s, which obviously changed both schools but the result is going strong. Has this happened anywhere else?

St Johns went coed what, 25 years ago now? Not sure if finances were behind the decision, though it is interesting that Gonzaga never did

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve lived in the DMV my entire life and I’ve never heard of Baltimore being part of it. Ever.

+1. Have spent time in both, and no in in Washington or Baltimore considers Baltimore the DMV

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Increasing enrollment of international (full pay) students. Not just a college thing.

I think that is actually a plus for the students. Classmates from China, Spain, Germany, India, etc give great global perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Baltimore is…Baltimore. It certainly isn’t in its heyday at the moment. I don’t think schools in the DMV are in much danger.

Baltimore is part of “DMV”. Please tell me you know that.

Honestly, if you don’t know about “Baltimore privates”, you don’t seem qualified to weigh in on this discussion.

Wrong.

Honestly, if you don’t know what you are talking about, you don’t seem qualified to weigh in on geography, unless your purpose is to inspire giggles.

[Anonymous]

If your county has a metro station in it, it’s in the DMV. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Brookewood

Really? What have you heard?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doing potluck for events that used to be catered.

Isn't that usually a parent choice?

[Anonymous]

Privates in the DMV (Does not include Baltimore!) had a boon year in 2021 because of the pandemic. If anything, privates are flourishing, including many K-8s who were able to take in a bunch of kids in the higher grades as they fled publics.

[Anonymous]

What are signs a school is struggling or on the verge of closing?

Uh, "Whittle" is in the school's name.

[Anonymous]

Struggling, but maybe not closing, when the press releases highlight accomplishments of the parents, friends of the school, staff. It should just be the students and the alumni. I don’t care if the aunt of a fifth grader did a safari and took pictures last month. Tell me what the kid does.