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SSFS Closing
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Anonymous
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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. |
Anonymous
| This happened to a family friend - about ten years ago their small boarding school closed after application deadlines. They ended up reaching out to schools about openings and got into another boarding school as a junior. Sorry to hear for SSFS families. I don''t think this will be the last private in the area to have problems in the next few years. I think full pay families will be able to find other schools. |
Anonymous
It’s spelled Barrie. Burke is also an option |
Anonymous
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The teachers there have been so, so wonderful. They have really seen and cared for my kid. He has thrived. I’m so heartbroken for them and for all the kids and families. What a waste, the destruction of this lovely community. The letter from the board of directors was a joke. “We tried. Trust us. The math didn’t work. Okay bye, email us if you have questions but we won’t have time to respond.” ?! So sad. So sad.
I will not be one of the parents getting a lawyer but I hope the ones that do get some answers about where the money went and what the hell is going on. I don’t think this is a blameless situation. |
Anonymous
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https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/582051101
More details re their financial strain. How big was SSFS? Do you think folks will end up going far away to find privates with space? I bet some of the baltimore privates would accommodate, but that’s a trek. No way this was done in good faith. You can’t just take deposits expecting $16 million to come along. |
Anonymous
They were seriously that nonchalant in the email? My god. |
Anonymous
This is not Sandy Springs Friends School in Maryland. |
Anonymous
That link is for something in Georgia |
Anonymous
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Current parent of an 11th grader whose senior year is now ruined. Rage isn't even strong enough of a word to describe my feelings towards the Board of Trustees.
My initial thoughts: Why the f**k didn't they send this on Friday? At least this way the kids could have the weekend to gather their thoughts and parents could've had the two days off to start to strategize and plan. $14 million in debt and they thought that student enrollment would fix it? Does any of the BOT members have any idea how finance works? They hired a new HOS who quit his job? How could they in good conscience have gone through that process? They're still doing the AIMS process? I'm sorry why? Are they joking? The email and FAQ are laughably insincere and insufficient! I'm so so sad for all of the kids especially the current junior class, and all of the wonderful teachers and staff who's livelihoods have been thrown into turmoil by stupid decisions made by an unaccountable volunteer Board. This is infuriating! |
Anonymous
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18:48, my sincere sympathies to you and your child. This is awful.
One piece of advice: Have your child ask teachers for college recommendations this spring. Figure out some way to either send them to your kid's next school now or get teacher contact info so your child can send them links once the Common App and other apps open up for next year's cycle. |
Anonymous
Completely agree. It’s so painful for kids and I feel terrible for the many dedicated and wonderful teachers and staff we have known. I am one of the many in the community who thought Rodney’s management was bad for the school but it was INSANE to fire him like that rather through the usual process. That compounded the Rodney related attrition and is entirely the board’s fault. I’m furious at the mismanagement and their ridiculous communication strategy. |
Anonymous
| I just can't believe that the beautiful campus is going to just lie fallow, some institution will buy it, maybe not for the price SSFS was asking.... The FAQ says that the land cannot be divided but it leaves open the possibility of it being bought. |
Anonymous
| I would be so embarrassed if I were a board member. What a pathetic reflection of their abilities. |
Anonymous
| That's a shame, some dear friends of mine went to boarding school there. I don't know why they'd close the boarding school, actually. Seems like that would be the cash cow. Quaker boarding schools have really been having a rough time of it, I think, aside from Westtown and George, and I'm not sure about Westtown. |