St. Margaret’s Episcopal School Announces It’s Closing Its Doors

St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church’s school in Palm Desert will not re-open for classes in the 2011-2012 school year, according to church leaders.

In a letter sent to parents on Wednesday, Lane Hensley, Rector of St. Margaret’s blamed a dire financial situation for the closure of the school.

“St. Margaret’s School is home to some of the most dedicated teachers and families in the Coachella Valley,” he said.”However, the modest average tuition and small class sizes that make the school so special also produce a structural deficit – a deficit that is built into the school’s business model. This deficit cannot be fixed by increasing enrollment, because we charge less per pupil on average than it costs to run the school. And regrettably, in this economic climate, we cannot reliably attract enough donors each year to close the gap.”

Read: St. Margaret’s School Letter

The letter said the church has absorbed $1.3 million in school debt, and continuing to allow this debt to mount would jeopardize the parish’s ability to continue its mission, and eventually exist.

A meeting has been been scheduled for Thursday night at 6 p.m.at the church where leaders will be able to answer parents’ questions.

“Please join me in keeping the students, teachers, staff, families and alumni of St. Margaret’s School in your prayers,” Hensley wrote. “I ask that in the coming weeks, we treat one another and the entire school community with kindness, compassion and forbearance so that we can all best understand where God is leading us next.