Atlanta Girls' School announces closure at end of academic year

ATLANTA - Atlanta Girls' School on Northside Parkway NW has made the announcement that it is closing its doors at the end of the academic year in May.

The decision to close was announced on its website. 

"Really just utterly shocked because it was completely unexpected," said parent Darlene Whittington.

"It's devastating. Just devastating. It's an absolutely amazing school and environment," said Stacy Scott.

According to the school, they are closing because of a dramatic drop in re-enrollment and economic challenges.

"After careful consideration and extensive deliberation, Atlanta Girls’ School’s Board of Trustees has made the very difficult decision to close Atlanta Girls’ School at the end of the current academic year in May 2024. Our top priority continues to be our students and preparing them for their life ahead," read a statement to FOX 5 from the school. 

The school claims they explored various options, implemented cost-cutting measures, and intensified fundraising efforts like other small, independent schools.

"It's been a space where she can lead from the front and where she's been encouraged to grow and really be herself," said Whittington.

"To know that an all-girls school cannot thrive in a huge city like Atlanta like where can it? Where can it survive?" said Scott.

The school says it will remain focused on students' education through the end of the academic year and support students and parents as they determine their next step. It scheduled two town hall meetings at the school for March 19 at 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

The school also assured families that if they have already provided a deposit for the 2024-25 school year or payments to next year's tuition balance, a refund will be issued in the "coming days."

"To be in a single gender school where you're encouraged to lead is a special place and so I'm hoping that this isn't a trend that continues," said Whittington.

The school opened its doors in 2000 and is the only independent, nonsectarian, college-preparatory school for girls in grades 6 through 12 in Georgia, according to its website. It was founded by Emily Ellison and Brooke Weinmann.

"There's a lot of feelings of lack of transparency. Parents couldn't believe that you just all of the sudden know that you have financial problems," said Scott.

According to PrivateSchoolReview.com, there are approximately 200 students enrolled at the school. The website also says the average yearly tuition is $27,890. 

"I think just like the overall message that this sends to young girls it's just devastating. That they're just not important," said Scott.

Before the school opened, there had not been a single-gender school in Atlanta since the mid 1950s. Since it opened, over 280 girls have graduated from the school -- all of whom went on to attend a four-year college, according to the school. 

LETTER TO SCHOOL FAMILIES

Dear AGS families,

The Atlanta Girls’ School’s Board of Trustees has made the very difficult decision to close our school at the end of this academic year. We learned last week that our re-enrollment numbers for next year have drastically declined, and after careful analysis of the financial data, the Board determined there is no sustainable financial path forward.

This decision is not one the Board wanted to make. We care deeply about the school, its mission, its dedicated professionals, and most of all the students and families that AGS serves. Many of our trustees are parents of current AGS students or alumnae. We know firsthand the positive impact AGS has had on the young women it has served.

Similarly, this decision is not one that the school’s leadership team wanted. Our dedicated Head of School, Kimbrell Smith, and her AGS leadership team worked tirelessly to explore various options to continue the operations of our school. With the Board’s support, the team implemented cost-cutting measures and intensified our fundraising efforts in the face of severe economic challenges faced by small, independent schools. Kimbrell and her team deserve our praise and thanks for their hard work to sustain the mission of our school.

AGS will continue operating until the end of this academic year, and our focus remains on our students and preparing them for their lives ahead. At the same time, the administration is fully committed to helping families find the right school for their students next year. For those families who have already provided a deposit for the 2024-25 school year or payments to next year’s tuition balance, you will receive a refund in the coming days. Kimbrell will be in close communication with admissions departments at other independent schools in the area, and she is committed to being a resource to our families about options for next year and beyond. Detailed information on that will follow.

Students are receiving a separate email today with information about the closure decision, and we encourage you to have a family conversation to process the news together. Knowing this information will be difficult for our students to absorb, the school will have a modified class schedule tomorrow, Tuesday, March 19. School will begin at the normal time, and the school will provide space and time for students to gather in their respective divisions with teachers and school administrators.

The Board of Trustees tried to anticipate some of the questions you may have, and we asked the team to prepare the attached FAQ document. We are holding a parent/guardian town hall meeting tomorrow at two different times in an effort to accommodate busy schedules:

Option 1 - town hall meeting at AGS on Tuesday, March 19 at 8 a.m.
Option 2 - town hall meeting at AGS on Tuesday, March 19 at 5:30 p.m.

On behalf of the full Board, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our entire AGS community for your dedication, passion, and support of this truly incredible school and community that we have built. In particular, I want to thank our school’s talented leadership team and our hardworking and dedicated faculty for their professionalism and all the efforts they have invested in our students for many years – and for the professionalism they will continue to show for the remainder of the academic year. While the time has come to bring a close to Atlanta Girls’ School in a physical sense, the spirit of our mission, "Inspiring Girls to Lead Lives of Purpose," will remain. I am confident that all who have benefitted from this mission over the last nearly quarter of a century will ensure that it continues to resonate well into the future.  

Sincerely,
Chris Marquardt
Chair, Board of Trustees