8 June  2021

Dear  Families, Faculty, and Friends,

Over fourteen months ago, we closed our campus, put on masks, and pivoted to remote schooling. We reimagined MayTerm (twice), learned to love Zoom, and then looked forward to a post-zoom world.  By most measures, our community has been incredibly fortunate. We limited the spread of Covid, took care of our neighbors and families, and figured out a way to safely do a mostly in-person school year for those who wanted that option. Nine months ago we re-invented middle school into beach school until the winds from the south chased us off of Jackson’s beach. And then, just two months ago, we began to plan MayTerm in earnest. Sailing a tall ship, kayaking our local waters, painting with Taylor in the art studio, paddling the Green River in Utah, and rafting the San Juan River outside Moab - all that safely came together and for many became that moment where we would feel connected together as a community for the first time in over a year. Globally, islands have fared better during this pandemic than all other locales. This includes big islands like New Zealand, Taiwan, Japan, and Hawaii. And it also includes small ones like the San Juans. While geography helps, I suspect it is also a way of thinking that charts our path. Islanders have a sense of community that respects both the individual and the obligation to help their neighbor. I cannot thank all of you enough for your support, trust, and faith in us as we navigated our Spring Street ship in these uncharted pandemic waters. Your continued support tonight makes this journey possible.

• Tuition covers 90% of our total expenses with the balance coming from the generosity and support of families, friends, and granting organizations
• 50% of our local students receive financial assistance, for a total of $350,000 annually
• Our tuition is a fraction of comparable schools in Seattle (40% less on average)
• 80% of our budget goes to faculty salaries and benefits 
• 20% of our budget goes to mortgages, rent, utilities, technology, experiential education gear, landscaping, maintenance, and lots of copy paper 

Without your support, Spring Street School can neither sustain the programs nor the relationships that are at the core of who we are. As you scroll through the auction items, please know that every dollar you pledge helps make the Spring Street dream possible. Your pledges help support school programs such as art, theatre, and experiential education, as well as tuition assistance to local families in need. Your pledges make this all possible. 

All of us - students, parents, faculty, friends, alumni, supporters - are here for individual reasons, but there is one that binds us together. We believe that how we prepare the next generation matters. We believe that challenging students in the classrooms of Spring Street, the mountains of Nepal, and the remote villages of Guatemala prepare them to both be ready for an unknown future and make that future better for their presence. So, thank you. Thank you for your support. Thank you for helping make our dream possible.  

Louis Prussack

Head of School