Hampshire School says some college students might not obtain levels attributable to closure

Native Information

Theupdate got here simply two days earlier than the June 1 switch deadline for college kids to use to totally different faculties.

Weeks after saying it could shut following the autumn 2026 semester, Hampshire School is warning that its deliberate teach-out might not be financially possible, elevating the likelihood that some college students might not be capable of full their levels as deliberate. 

Hampshire School, which enrolls roughly 700 college students and is a member of the 5 School Consortium, introduced in April that it could stop operations after the autumn 2026 semester. Underneath that plan, present college students would be capable of full their coursework by means of a teach-out course of, permitting college students of their last 12 months to earn their levels. 

However, in an electronic mail despatched Saturday to the Hampshire group, President Jennifer Chrisler mentioned the school might not come up with the money for to hold out that plan. 

“Our monetary modeling exhibits that presently the faculty doesn’t have sufficient out there funds to cowl the anticipated bills for the teach-out,” Chrisler wrote. “I can guarantee you, we’re actively exploring choices to safe the mandatory monetary sources in time for the teach-out, and we stay optimistic.”

That replace got here simply two days earlier than the June 1 switch deadline for college kids to use to totally different faculties.

The teach-out stays “contingent” on the faculty securing further funding and dealing with monetary companions to make sure it may well meet its commitments to college students, in response to Chrisler. 

The faculty is constant to plan for the teach-out, she wrote, however faces a number of monetary challenges. These embrace figuring out what belongings might be offered to generate working funds, assembly calls for from some distributors for upfront cost, and making certain projected income from fundraising and enrollment aligns with anticipated bills.

“I acknowledge that this replace comes at an already tough time. I’m deeply sorry for that,” the e-mail concludes. “Nonetheless, I consider sharing this data now’s the accountable plan of action.” 

Extra details about plans for the summer time and fall semesters is predicted within the coming days, Chrisler mentioned. 

When Hampshire introduced its closure in April, the faculty cited persistent monetary challenges together with stagnant enrollment, an incapability to refinance debt, and the failure to generate anticipated income from the sale of a portion of its land, in response to a assertion up to date Might 21 from Chrisler and the Board of Trustees. 

“We’ve lengthy identified that addressing these points is important to establishing a steady monetary basis, supporting long-term operations, and assembly regulatory necessities,” the assertion reads. “We’re confronted with the clear, heartbreaking actuality that progress on every of those three key components has fallen far in need of what we had hoped.” 

School leaders mentioned Hampshire not has the sources wanted to maintain full operations whereas assembly regulatory obligations. In addition they warned that continued enrollment declines would require price range cuts that would have an effect on the tutorial expertise, in response to the assertion. 

The school’s monetary statements for the 12 months ended June 30, 2025, present internet income was $36.4 million, whereas whole bills had been $40.39 million. 

The faculty’s monetary situation has additionally drawn scrutiny from accreditors. 

On March 24, the New England Fee of Greater Schooling ordered Hampshire to “present trigger” at its June 2026 assembly why it shouldn’t be positioned on probation or lose its accreditation. 

The fee cited issues together with declining enrollment — from 842 college students in fall 2024 to 747 in fall 2025 — in addition to the faculty’s failure to finish a deliberate land sale, refinance roughly $21 million in bond debt, and keep its unrestricted endowment.