By Emmett Beadnall
SSIS student
Spring Street students invite you to a special fundraiser to learn why the school means so much to them. It will be held Saturday, June 28, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. at Spring Street International School’s Commons Building in Friday Harbor. This event will give attendees a chance to connect with students and families. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
The fundraising campaign has already raised over two-thirds of its goal, demonstrating strong community support to keeping Spring Street’s doors open.
“Spring Street has educated students for over 30 years. It’s wonderful that the students are so committed that they organized this fundraiser on their own,” said Angela Maguire, Interim Head of School.
Community members are invited to support Spring Street either by attending the in-person event or by making donations online at www.tinyurl.com/savespringstreet. Even small donations make a difference.
The following is a statement from Spring Street School.
Spring Street International School, a valued part of the San Juan Island community for 30 years, is confronting a significant financial crisis.
We believe the school has a path forward and that the qualities that have made it a special, personal and empowering experience for students and our community for decades can be sustained. In order to achieve that, though, Spring Street needs to refocus its operations while generating pledges of $2 million.
The consequences are dire. If the money isn’t at least pledged by the end of June, the school will have to close.
As of June 20, the school has made extraordinary progress, and raised over $1.3 million towards the $2 million goal.
The primary driver of the crisis is that enrollment has dropped by more than 40% since 2023. A lack of strong financial management magnified the problem. Our expenses have exceeded our income over the last several years, and we didn’t make needed cuts soon enough.
At the heart of the issue is a breakdown in school culture, which led many families to leave.
Spring Street International has deeply explored this issue and has taken action to address it. We’ve made leadership changes and are engaging in open, honest conversations about creating a healthier, more supportive school culture. We have imposed financial rigor, such as better forecasting and ceasing the practice of relying on future tuition to cover current expenses. We are realigning our expenses to reflect our current enrollment. This means reducing staff positions and trimming costs that no longer make sense at our smaller scale. These are painful but necessary changes, and we’re prepared to take whatever additional steps are necessary to move forward with quality and accountability.
We hope our community will join and support our work to get through this and rebuild a strong foundation for this island jewel. Everyone benefits when we build problem-solvers, team players, learners, and leaders through advanced academics and hands-on curriculum in this safe and beautiful setting.
Not so long ago, our school thrived with the number of students who are currently enrolled. In many ways, this crisis is an opportunity to return to our roots and our values – to again be a lean and resourceful organization that offers high quality experiential and academic programs. We did this – and will do this – with not a lot of money and a whole lot of creativity. We know how.
