The Sandy Spring Friends School Board of Trustees has paused closure of the private Quaker school following an announcement by a coalition of parents, alumni, staff and community members that it had raised $15 million in pledges to keep the school running, according to a Saturday social media post from the school.
“We are hopeful that a path can be found,” the board said in its post.
The newly formed coalition — Friends of Sandy Spring Friends School — is comprised of several of the school’s stakeholders who want to “capitalize on our community’s resources in a collective mission to rescue Sandy Spring from crisis and stabilize the school for the future,” according to its website.
“Our Coalition leaders have promised, and I have promised, that we will not blindly hand over pledges with how things are currently done and without significant governance leadership changes” at the school, said the Friday announcement signed by Heather, an alumnus. “We have not changed our position on that.”
The school announced April 14 that it would close at the end of 2024-2025 school year due to what the board said was an “untenable financial position.” The school at 16923 Norwood Road did not immediately respond Wednesday to Bethesda Today’s phone call seeking comment on the closure.
According to the April 14 announcement, the school would need $14 million to $16 million in revenue over the next three years “in order to remain open in the long-term” while covering the cost of operating losses, debts, repayment of a loan and needed major maintenance projects.
More than 1,500 people signed an online petition last week urging the Board of Trustees to reconsider its decision to permanently close the school in May “It is inconceivable to us that the school has reached this point without transparent communication regarding the severity of the situation,” said the change.org petition started by Susan Donnelly, a parent at the Sandy Spring school. “The abrupt announcement has left the community reeling, and many of us feel blindsided.”
Craig Parker, parent of an eighth grader who was planning to attend Sandy Spring Friends’ high school, told Bethesda Today on Wednesday he was “shocked” and “furious” over the school closure and his daughter is “devastated.”
“I get a lot of information from that school, and I was completely unaware of the dire financial situation,” Parker said. “I was very surprised by … how much financial trouble they’re in with no prior notice to the community.”
The school, which operates under the “spiritual support” of the Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, opened in September 1961 with an upper school program for 77 students, according to the school’s website. A middle school program was added in 1980, followed by an elementary school in the early 1990s.
The most recent developments were the completion of a new upper school building in 2021 and, in February, the school announced the hiring of new leadership for the entire school, including the lower school and middle schools.
The school serves 615 students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 on a campus of more than 140 acres that include an educational farm, cross-country trails and a swimming pond, according to its website.
Annual tuition for the 2025-2026 school year ranged from $26,900 for preschool to $45,350 for high school. Thirty-three percent of students receive financial aid, according to the website.
The coalition
The coalition had more than 1,000 members as of Friday, according to its website. The group didn’t immediately respond Monday over email to requests for comment. On Friday, the coalition announced on its website that $15 million was “pledged and backed in three days.”
On Saturday, the board said on social media that it was “grateful for the outpouring of love and commitment” to the school and “welcomes offers of financial support and leadership.” The board said it was working with the coalition to move forward with continuing operations of the school.
Following that post, the coalition said on its website there was a “pause” on the school’s closure and it was relieved the board issued a statement sharing that it was working with the group. According to the group’s website, the coalition has also created advisory and technology committees for the board.
“That said, we know that every moment without a firm, final reversal is actively working against us. Families are making other plans. Staff are being recruited elsewhere,” the Saturday message said. “It’s a race against the clock, and we want you to know we are working as fast as humanly possible. The legal and financial process is complex and frustratingly slow. Progress is happening.”
On Sunday, the coalition said there are likely questions from the Sandy Spring community that need answers and “we are still early in this process, with more questions than answers ourselves.”
“While we may not have all the answers yet, we’re committed to transparent communication as we build this path forward together,” the coalition said Sunday. “And if we do not take good care of this organization we’ve created overnight, it will not be sustainable for the needs of the future.”
