Rancho solano preparatory school closing

Rancho Solano Case Study

Rancho Solano Private School was founded in 1954 by the Bayer and Freesmeyer families. Over the years, the school grew to open multiple campuses around the valley (Gilbert, Union Hills, Greenway [Scottsdale,] Missouri [Phoenix,] and Hillcrest). However, the Freesmeyer family sold Rancho Solano to the for-profit Illinois-based Meritas Family of Schools in 2007. The mission of the Meritas group was to broaden the international focus of Rancho Solano, along with the nine other schools it owned (across the United States, Switzerland, and Mexico).

Within a few years of opening the school, parents noticed a subtle name change.The school which was called,“Rancho Solano Private School,”was now called“Rancho Solano Preparatory School.” This change didnot affectthe school’s image becauseit was still recognized by its acronym,RSPS. The move caught the attention of some parents, but overall was accepted. RSPS next attempted to enter into the high school business but was unsuccessful, and later relocating to a new campus in Scottsdale. Following that, RSPS decided to close both the Union Hills campus, and the Missouri campus by 2012. At the time of the Missouri closure, families were informed that low enrollment was the reason for the closure and that all other campuses would remain open. However, competition heightened over the following years and the economy was in a recession. In 2011 and 2013, two top-rated charter schools opened campuses within five miles of RSPS Hillcrest, taking current students from RSPS.In 2013, an e-mail was sent out to parents in error, informing them that the Hillcrest campus middle school wouldbe discontinued. The e-mail was withdrawn on the same day, and shortly afterwards, the head of the school resigned. A new head of school, Dr. Audrey Mernard, was appointed by Meritas. Upon assuming her role, Dr. Mernard continuously assured parents that the Hillcrest campus (pre-K through middle school) wouldremain open. Parents who attended the PTSA in mid-December 2013 affirmed that she offered assurances at the meeting.

January 2014

Winter break started on December 23, 2013 and students were scheduled to return to school on January 7, 2014. That struck some as odd because January 7 was a Tuesday rather than a Monday. The reason soon became evident. Early on Monday morning (January 6), the principal of the Hillcrest campus received information that the Hillcrest was closing down at the end of the semester. This news had to be conveyed to faculty and staff at the school. Within a few hours, the media reported that “parents of 170 students at Rancho Solano Gilbert and 260 at Rancho Solano Hillcrest received letters stating the company would close the two schools to ‘align our resources to the changing market’".Only two campuses would remain open: the Greenway campus and the high school in Ventura (both in Scottsdale).Parents were outraged, students were in disarray, and faculty and administration were in shock. The dilemma was that parents and faculty were left scrambling to find jobs and schools for the 2014-15 academic year. The timing of the announcement was poor because most schools had completedtheir hiring for staff and faculty, and open admissions for students at the remainingschools closed in December. Parents were upset about the timing of the news. If they had received the information earlier, it would have been possible for them to try to secure a spot for their child/children at one of the surrounding schools. They attempted to place their children on waiting lists, but most lists had already filled up. Some surrounding schools had a waiting list in excess of 800 students.

Parent meeting: January 8

Parents were invited to a meeting on January 8 to meet with the head of the school and a Meritas official. Parents invited the media to the meeting, but the media was denied access. At the onset of the meeting,Dr. Mernard took to the podium and started off by praising the Hillcrest campus and its community. These statements bothered parents who demanded to know why the school was closing if it had all these great attributes. At one point, Dr. Mernard stated that she would walk out if parents did not take turns asking questions. This further irritated parents, many of who werehighly educated and professionals in their fields. They took offense to what seemed to be a very condescending tone. The situation seemed to intensify.Parents felt betrayed because of the timing of the closure announcement, particularly the loyal families who were planning on continuing education with the school, and who had been continuously assured of the longevity of the campuses that were affected. When confronted with this, Dr. Mernard stated that busses would be provided to shuttle children (ages 2-12 years old) to the new locations. Parents noted that the closest campus would be at least a 40-mile trip on a school bus every day. It was evident that this would not be a viable option for most parents. Many parents felt that the announcement timing left no option, but to send their children to the Scottsdale campuses.Some parents tried to reason with the administration, others asked if the closure was due to financial reasons, but Dr. Mernard replied that the finances were not a factor, and the closure was for “demographic reasons.” Other parents tried to negotiate for humane terms, asking the administration to run the school for one more academic year so they would have proper time to transition their children. RSPS administrators did not agree. Some parents offered to pay more in terms of tuition, but administration again did not agree and no resolution was reached. Following themeeting, some parents pulled their kids out of RSPS immediately, even prior to the completion of the academic year (with no financial reimbursement). Others families decided to complete the academic year. At the end of theyear, student population had dwindled on the affected campuses. Of the students that remained at RSPS, some planned to transfer to surrounding schools, few decided to continue at RSPS, and others registered at a newly found non-profit private school opened by parents previously affiliated with RSPS Hillcrest. The daughter of Rancho Solano's founders was named the principal of the new private school. ”The point is saving our legacy, she declared.

Additional Resources:

Rancho Solano Prep Closing 2 Campuses; Parent Speak Out:http://www.azfamily.com/news/Rancho-Solano-Prep-closing-2-campuses-parents-speak-out-239441061.html

Rancho Solano to Close 2 Valley Campuses:http://www.kpho.com/story/24400084/rancho-solano-to-close-2-valley-campuses

Rancho Solano Closing Gilbert, Peoria Campuses: http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/gilbert/2014/05/02/rancho-solano-close-gilbert-peoria-schools/8611833/