Questions, debts abound as Episcopal school faces closure in Northern California

Posted by Kendall Harmon

Parents are angry and Roseville City School District officials have plans to sue after St. John's School trustees announced the small private school is broke and will close at the end of the month.

The 32-year-old Episcopal school is more than a half million dollars in debt, including owing more than $170,000 to the Roseville school district for leasing the Barbara Chilton Middle School campus.

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Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Episcopal Church (TEC) • * Christian Life / Church Life • Parish Ministry • Stewardship • * Culture-Watch • Children • Education • * Economics, Politics • Economy • Corporations/Corporate Life • The Credit Freeze Crisis of Fall 2008/The Recession of 2007-- • * Theology • Ethics / Moral Theology

6 Comments
Posted May 14, 2012 at 7:01 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Undergroundpewster wrote:

“Some parents said the church and diocese should bail the school out or at least pay its bills, but church officials say the school is a separate corporation and that they are not liable for its debt.”

Hah! How’s that for a time to use “neutral principles” to your benefit?

May 14, 9:31 am | [comment link]
2. Cennydd13 wrote:

What….....no bailout from 815?

May 14, 10:33 am | [comment link]
3. Statmann wrote:

This parish has had about the same $350K Plate & Pledge since 2002 which means that inflation adjusted dollars are down about 20 percent.  And ASA has declined from 350 in 2002 to 180 in 2010.  Walking away from the School debts will not endear the parish to Roseville.  I suspect further ASA losses.  Statmann

May 14, 3:47 pm | [comment link]
4. Teatime2 wrote:

Schools can be a huge drain on parish finances. It’s only smart to keep them as separate entities. That’s the way it’s been at the last two parishes to which I’ve belonged. The schools don’t even share the same name as the parishes. That said, though, it’s a real shame that this school’s finances were a shambles and the situation with the community is very awkward.

May 15, 2:28 am | [comment link]
5. dwstroudmd+ wrote:

But, but, but the TEc in AC is hierarchical.  Go get the Bishop and his funds!

May 15, 4:45 pm | [comment link]
6. Rob Eaton+ wrote:

Just a couple of years ago things were going great, or at least, stable enough to make it work.  What happened?

May 17, 1:04 am | [comment link]
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