The Atlanta Girls' School (AGS), a private institution that has been educating girls in grades 6 through 12 since 2000, is set to close its doors come May, the school confirmed yesterday. The school cited a stark decline in re-enrollment and ongoing economic challenges as the key reasons for its shutdown. "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," stated a letter from the school, as reported by Atlanta News First. Parents were notified of the impending closure through a letter from the Board of Trustees, which was sent out at 4 p.m. yesterday, immediately after faculty and staff were informed.
Described as the only independent, nonsectarian college preparatory school for girls in Georgia, this landmark institution was founded by Emily Ellison and Brooke Weinmann nearly 24 years ago. Upon its opening, it broke a decades-long absence of single-gender schools in the area. Despite various measures to keep the school afloat, including cost-cutting and ramped up fundraising, the board eventually decided there's no sustainable financial way to move forward. The decision, as explained in the announcement on the school's website, was not taken lightly, with many trustees also being parents of current students or alumnae, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.
The school assures that it will remain committed to its students until the last day of class and is dedicated to supporting students and parents in finding alternative institutions for the next academic year. AGS is slated to hold town hall meetings to address concerns and questions, according to the initial announcement. "Our top priority continues to be our students and preparing them for their life ahead," the school emphasized in a statement. Additionally, it was noted that for families who have paid deposits or tuition for the next academic year, refunds will be issued shortly.
Founded at a time when options for single-gender education had been scarce, the Atlanta Girls' School became known for its individualized attention to students and a 100% college acceptance rate among its graduates. Over the past nearly quarter-century, more than 280 girls have graduated from AGS, with tuition averaging around $27,890 yearly. In their farewell correspondence, the chair of the Board of Trustees, Chris Marquardt, expressed his gratitude for the community's support and the lasting impact the school's mission of "Inspiring Girls to Lead Lives of Purpose" will invariably continue to have. "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," Marquardt's letter stated, as confirmed by Atlanta News First.
