New York Christian school closing due to lack of funds; Parents fight to save it
A faith-based school in Webster, N.Y. will be closing its doors permanently at the end of the present school year, but some parents are working together and looking for ways to support it.
Officials of Webster Christian School (WCS) announced late last month that the school will be closing for good because it doesn't have the budget to maintain operations.
In a letter dated May 26, the board of elders of Webster Bible Church, which runs the school, explained that the enrollment figures have gone down in the last few years, and with fewer students coming in, the school will no longer be able to sustain itself.
In 2012, WCS had an enrollment of 223 students, but in 2016, the enrollment went down to 131 students.
The board of elders added that even if the school will be able to raise up to $300,000 to help them for the following school year, it would just delay the inevitable and the school will eventually find itself in the same situation it is in right now.
The students' parents decided not to take the news sitting down. They held meetings to discuss how they can help the school get back on its feet.
"I don't think it's too late," Doug Hathaway, a parent of two students at Webster, said, according to Democrat & Chronicle. "I believe in the school and I believe in the community that developed the school. I cannot let go without a fight. People really need to start talking."
A GoFundMe page entitled "Save Webster Chrisitian School" was set up to help the school raise more funds. However, raising funds alone will not solve the problem, as Hathaway said good advertising that will attract new enrollees is also necessary.
Webster Christian School was established almost 40 years ago to teach "Biblical values found in the Christian home and church." It was originally only for kindergarten to sixth grade students. Later on, it began catering to high school students.
The school promised to help its faculty and staff in its transition as they look for other jobs. The WCS Faculty & Staff Gift Fund was established to help gather donations for them.
