Following the board communications to the community in April 2025, SSFS began soliciting, curating, and posting a list of frequently-asked questions and responses in order to address some of the primary topics of interest regarding the 2025-2026 school year and re-enrollment process.  With the July 1 start of the new school year, along with frequent emails and website updates available to the SSFS community over the past several months, many of the questions regarding School administration, leadership, faculty-staff, and admissions have now been addressed and are available on our public website, and on the parent, faculty-staff, and student portal pages.

Questions that may still be relevant to the community are posted below. If there are additional questions you would like ask (or if you would like a copy of the full list of FAQs from last spring), we encourage you to use this Google Form, and a member of the admin team will get back to you as soon as possible. We are committed to keeping you informed and being transparent!

FAQs

Q: What opportunities will there be to engage with or hear from administrators before school starts? 

• New and returning families are invited to attend the July 24 Summer Community Gatherings (kindly RSVP by July 18!)
• Meet and Greet sessions with Dr. Sean are currently being scheduled throughout July and August; please keep an eye on your inbox for dates, times, and details!
• Division-specific Coffee & Conversations with Kay Mason (LS), Jesse Hardman (MS), and Meredith Shankle (US) are scheduled for the week of Aug. 11 (US C&C: Aug. 12; MS C&C: Aug. 14; LS C&C: Aug. 15). Zoom meeting links will be emailed to families.

Q: Can financial aid awards be reconsidered (e.g., for families who were not granted awards but whose circumstances have changed, like the loss of a job, since awards were granted)? 
Families who have had a change in circumstance, such as job loss, can contact the enrollment team to engage in conversations about financial aid.

Q: Will SSFS remain open for more than three years?
While no institution can make absolute guarantees, the Board of Trustees, Administrative Council, the Coalition, and major donors are actively and collaboratively working toward ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of SSFS. Significant efforts and planning are underway to support the School's strength and stability for years to come, including growing our School’s endowment.  We expect enrollment to rise over the years.

Q: Will SSFS be re-accredited by the Association of Independent Maryland Schools (AIMS)? 
SSFS has been on track for our 10-year reaccreditation following the accrediting team's visit to SSFS in the fall of 2024. Our final step in the process is to submit an Action Plan to AIMS by October 1, 2025 with responses to their recommendations. Once our Action Plan plan is reviewed and approved, our reaccreditation will be confirmed. We are actively working to meet the requirements and are confident in the process moving forward.

Q: Since SSFS is so enrollment-dependent, have you identified the factors within SSFS as to why other schools have wait lists, while we seem to be vulnerable to enrollment dips/peaks on a year to year basis? How can SSFS be more competitive?
Most nonprofit independent schools—if not all—are enrollment-dependent, with tuition serving as the primary source of revenue (over 80%). At SSFS, auxiliary programs such as Summer at Sandy Spring and other offerings, along with fundraising efforts, help offset operational costs and provide important supplemental income. However, the most effective way to ensure long-term stability and protect against enrollment fluctuations is through the growth of a strong endowment.

Q: How much does the school's endowment need to be to cover operating expenses? 
While our endowment is a vital long-term asset, it does not directly cover operating expenses. Instead, tuition, donations, and community events like the Auction provide the critical funding needed for daily operations. On average, every $1 million in endowment generates approximately $40,000 annually to support key priorities such as equitable compensation for our dedicated faculty and staff, the development of robust academic and extracurricular programs, building maintenance, and more. Growing our endowment is essential to ensuring the long-term strength, excellence, and accessibility of our school — and we are deeply grateful to those who invest in our mission.

Q: What is the size for the school's endowment?  
The school's endowment corpus is $2MM. 

Q: How can parents, faculty/staff, alumni, donors, etc. be sure this doesn’t happen in the future? 
Committed involvement and active engagement, including robust participation in the Springers Fund is critical. There is a new make-up of a smaller Board which will have a particular fiduciary radar. 

Q: Will my donation to the Springer Fund in the future be important? 
Yes, the school’s tuition never covers all of our expenses, and the Springers Fund supplements all the great things for our students. 

Q: It sounds like parents want to hear from the Board since the administrative council can only answer some questions.  How can we go about setting that up?
While we cannot speak on behalf of the Board, we agree that increased transparency and regular communication are important. We will pass along the recommendation for an annual State of the School or Business Meeting to provide updates on finances, strategic planning, and key initiatives. Many in the community have expressed a desire for greater transparency, and we recognize how important that is in rebuilding trust and moving forward together.

Q: Please speak to the intention and viability of important non-academic features that are important to the SSFS experience. Is there an intention to keep the Intersession trip program in the Upper School, as well as performing arts, athletic teams, and clubs?  
We intend to continue offering a rich school experience, including Intersession trips, athletics, clubs, dining services, and the arts. We recognize how vital these programs are to student life and learning.

While lower enrollment may require us to adapt the scale or structure of some offerings, our goal is to preserve the core opportunities that define the SSFS experience. For Intersession trips, this may mean more local or regional options, or partnering with other schools or organizations. For athletics, our Athletic Director, Sal Benitez, is actively engaged in discussions with the PVAC regarding our athletic participation for the 2025–2026 school year. While we anticipate challenges related to meeting minimum player requirements for some teams, we remain committed to offering meaningful athletic opportunities for our students. In some cases, this may take the form of club-level experiences rather than traditional league competition.

Our commitment is to maintain a vibrant, engaging student experience, even as we adjust to new realities.

Q: Will the courses offered and extracurricular activities continue next year as they did this year?
We expect to offer a similar range of courses and extracurricular activities, including sports, next year. However, with anticipated shifts in enrollment, some offerings may need to be adjusted based on student interest and participation. Our priority is to preserve the breadth and quality of the student experience, and we are committed to being flexible and creative in maintaining academic and extracurricular opportunities.

Q: What programs can you *guarantee* will not be cut next year?  For example: learning support specialists, school lunch program, after-school care, etc.
We are committed to maintaining essential student services like learning support, school lunch, transportation, and after-school care.

Q: Will SSFS offer bus services for 2025-2026? 
Yes. Current routes and stops are available online.

Q: Is the Summer Camp still on for this summer? 
Summer at Sandy Spring is on!

Q: Can Admissions work with current parents who are willing to support outreach at recruiting events and school fairs?
The admissions team is actively working on outreach efforts and has already engaged a number of current Family Ambassadors to serve as advocates for the school. Parent voices are incredibly impactful, and we’re grateful to those who are helping share the SSFS story with prospective families through events and personal connections. 

If you are a current parent and would like to get involved, please contact admissions.team@ssfs.org.