SSFS Closing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the thing, though. SSFS will still have a much smaller student body than is needed to support its infrastructure, until it rebuilds enrollment. It was already on a downward enrollment trend and this episode will make it worse. It can lay off staff, but can't offload buildings easily. And it will likely need to offer more generous financial aid to attract students, because its brand is damaged. And we're headed into a recession or at least a tough economic time, so less people are willing or able to pay for private school at all. This is a really, really serious situation and it's very unclear to me that $15 million even comes close to covering the gap. Because the gap is worse now than it was when that figure was estimated.

I disagree. This campaign may prove to be the best recruitment tool for SSFS possible. These Coalition alums and parents have given up their sleep and their spring breaks to build community for a cause they really believe in. In a world full of box-checkers and cookie-cutters, they have shown exactly what makes the SSFS community unique. Might not be every parent's cup of tea, but I know that I hope my kids turn out to be every bit as resilient, resourceful, ethical, doggedly determined, and fiercely loyal.

Sorry, no. The time to be those things was the last 5-10 years. "We are broke and desperate and our board is incompetent and our enrollment drastically declined" is not an argument that's gonna work on me. Not when it means putting my kids through a possible future closure. And certainly not for SSFS sticker price!

[Anonymous]

Believe me, we don't want to have to find a new school for our DC. This absolutely sucks. Worse though is preying on people's desperation and vulnerability. Kindly put up or shut up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:lol. Who is claiming they just found 15M?

They aren’t claiming it - the community pledged it. One person pledged a whole lot of it. You don’t have to believe it, though. It’s okay. If you are part of the community click the link and sign up for information.

That’s truly awesome and I hope the coalition is able to work something out and replace leadership. I would not waste time replying to naysayers on this board. Stay positive and fight for what you want. Even if it doesn’t work out at least you will have the satisfaction that you tried all possible options unlike the current board.

I’m sending good vibes to the coalition

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are members. We have signed up. There is nothing substantiated or even close.

The school only had 34 9th graders coming in. The class of 2026 has 77. There's no way to keep the school going next year. The board has had years to secure necessary $ and failed.

There is no angel investor or coalition of donors who are swooping in to save the day. Sadly.

Folks, this is a troll.

Or a developer preying on people's cynicism to snap up some prime MoCo real estate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If a coalition of parents and students want to keep the school going, wouldn’t the best thing be to let the campus go? Let the property be sold and restart somewhere cheaper and smaller with a smaller student body and staff. Maybe just do k-3 to start, or just do high school. Rebuild over 10-20 years on firmer ground.

I have had this thought too about the land.

[Anonymous]

Color me skeptical. Hoping for the best but feels like a well meaning Frye Festival. Would love to be wrong and to see all of the necessary funds actually come in and the school to get its house in order. That said, I would take the under.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a coalition of parents and students want to keep the school going, wouldn’t the best thing be to let the campus go? Let the property be sold and restart somewhere cheaper and smaller with a smaller student body and staff. Maybe just do k-3 to start, or just do high school. Rebuild over 10-20 years on firmer ground.

I have had this thought too about the land.

I think the land is a big part of the character of the school.

[Anonymous]

Not a current or former family so I’m not joining your “database”. We looked into SSFS a few years ago and ultimately found another private school community for our children. The SSFS situation reminds me that there may be tough times ahead for many independent schools, including ours, if the BOTs aren’t paying close attention to their endowments and financial bottom line.

It does seem unbelievable that suddenly SSFS has a magical angel investor and thousands of dollars in pledges. Until I see this reality outside of an anonymous board in a major local publication, I would urge affected families to continue to look at other options for their children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are members. We have signed up. There is nothing substantiated or even close.

The school only had 34 9th graders coming in. The class of 2026 has 77. There's no way to keep the school going next year. The board has had years to secure necessary $ and failed.

There is no angel investor or coalition of donors who are swooping in to save the day. Sadly.

Folks, this is a troll.

Or a developer preying on people's cynicism to snap up some prime MoCo real estate.

Eww. . . so gross. Beat it, developer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the thing, though. SSFS will still have a much smaller student body than is needed to support its infrastructure, until it rebuilds enrollment. It was already on a downward enrollment trend and this episode will make it worse. It can lay off staff, but can't offload buildings easily. And it will likely need to offer more generous financial aid to attract students, because its brand is damaged. And we're headed into a recession or at least a tough economic time, so less people are willing or able to pay for private school at all. This is a really, really serious situation and it's very unclear to me that $15 million even comes close to covering the gap. Because the gap is worse now than it was when that figure was estimated.

I disagree. This campaign may prove to be the best recruitment tool for SSFS possible. These Coalition alums and parents have given up their sleep and their spring breaks to build community for a cause they really believe in. In a world full of box-checkers and cookie-cutters, they have shown exactly what makes the SSFS community unique. Might not be every parent's cup of tea, but I know that I hope my kids turn out to be every bit as resilient, resourceful, ethical, doggedly determined, and fiercely loyal.

This! Outsiders will never get it. This school has decades of history and the history runs deep. The alumns are not to be played with. If and when they pull it off, major changes will be made for the better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a coalition of parents and students want to keep the school going, wouldn’t the best thing be to let the campus go? Let the property be sold and restart somewhere cheaper and smaller with a smaller student body and staff. Maybe just do k-3 to start, or just do high school. Rebuild over 10-20 years on firmer ground.

I have had this thought too about the land.

I think the land is a big part of the character of the school.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a current or former family so I’m not joining your “database”. We looked into SSFS a few years ago and ultimately found another private school community for our children. The SSFS situation reminds me that there may be tough times ahead for many independent schools, including ours, if the BOTs aren’t paying close attention to their endowments and financial bottom line.

It does seem unbelievable that suddenly SSFS has a magical angel investor and thousands of dollars in pledges. Until I see this reality outside of an anonymous board in a major local publication, I would urge affected families to continue to look at other options for their children.

I believe that, I just don't think $15 million is going to be anywhere near enough to right the ship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the thing, though. SSFS will still have a much smaller student body than is needed to support its infrastructure, until it rebuilds enrollment. It was already on a downward enrollment trend and this episode will make it worse. It can lay off staff, but can't offload buildings easily. And it will likely need to offer more generous financial aid to attract students, because its brand is damaged. And we're headed into a recession or at least a tough economic time, so less people are willing or able to pay for private school at all. This is a really, really serious situation and it's very unclear to me that $15 million even comes close to covering the gap. Because the gap is worse now than it was when that figure was estimated.

I disagree. This campaign may prove to be the best recruitment tool for SSFS possible. These Coalition alums and parents have given up their sleep and their spring breaks to build community for a cause they really believe in. In a world full of box-checkers and cookie-cutters, they have shown exactly what makes the SSFS community unique. Might not be every parent's cup of tea, but I know that I hope my kids turn out to be every bit as resilient, resourceful, ethical, doggedly determined, and fiercely loyal.

This! Outsiders will never get it. This school has decades of history and the history runs deep. The alumns are not to be played with. If and when they pull it off, major changes will be made for the better.

Playing with the alums is exactly what the board has been doing for the last 5 years. That's why this is happening. I'm glad people finally noticed but I fear it's too late.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the thing, though. SSFS will still have a much smaller student body than is needed to support its infrastructure, until it rebuilds enrollment. It was already on a downward enrollment trend and this episode will make it worse. It can lay off staff, but can't offload buildings easily. And it will likely need to offer more generous financial aid to attract students, because its brand is damaged. And we're headed into a recession or at least a tough economic time, so less people are willing or able to pay for private school at all. This is a really, really serious situation and it's very unclear to me that $15 million even comes close to covering the gap. Because the gap is worse now than it was when that figure was estimated.

I disagree. This campaign may prove to be the best recruitment tool for SSFS possible. These Coalition alums and parents have given up their sleep and their spring breaks to build community for a cause they really believe in. In a world full of box-checkers and cookie-cutters, they have shown exactly what makes the SSFS community unique. Might not be every parent's cup of tea, but I know that I hope my kids turn out to be every bit as resilient, resourceful, ethical, doggedly determined, and fiercely loyal.

This! Outsiders will never get it. This school has decades of history and the history runs deep. The alumns are not to be played with. If and when they pull it off, major changes will be made for the better.

100% This place has a spirit and heart that I've never seen anywhere else. If and when we pull this off we will be left with the strongest of the strong to start the next chapter. And I am here for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a coalition of parents and students want to keep the school going, wouldn’t the best thing be to let the campus go? Let the property be sold and restart somewhere cheaper and smaller with a smaller student body and staff. Maybe just do k-3 to start, or just do high school. Rebuild over 10-20 years on firmer ground.

I have had this thought too about the land.

The land is heavily mortgaged...better to restructure the debt and find a through line to rebuilding enrollment but as a school true to it roots as " it is the people, not the amenities." The campus is part of what makes it a magical place for students...worth the long-term haul to rebuild over decades.