Nearly one year after Sandy Spring Friends School faced the possibility of closing, the school says it is seeing strong academic, athletic, and community momentum following a campaign that secured its future.
Last April, Sandy Spring Friends School, which has operated since 1961, announced it would close following the completion of the 2024-2025 school year due to financial challenges. Just over a week later, however, the school’s Board of Trustees said the school would remain open after members of the “Friends of Sandy Spring” coalition pledged $15 million to support the school.
School officials say the year since that announcement has brought a series of accomplishments and renewed community support.
One of the most recent highlights came on Feb. 26, when the school’s Quiz Bowl team finished the Montgomery Academic Beltway League (MABL) Championship Round with a perfect 4-0 record and an overall season record of 21-1-0. According to the school, Sandy Spring Friends was the smallest school in the competition but defeated seven other programs to win the championship.
Quiz Bowl coach and Global Language Department head Eduardo Polon said the achievement reflected how far the community has come since last spring. “I invite you all to take a moment to remember where our SSFS community was last April and think about just how far we’ve come,” Polon said in a post-match summary. “Faced with an economic winter that threatened to silence our halls, it was our alumni and friends who rallied to save us.”
The school says the Quiz Bowl victory is one of several positive developments over the past year. The boys varsity basketball team recently won both the regular season and championship banners in its division of the Potomac Valley Athletic Conference with a roster of nine players. Ten Upper School students qualified for the Washington Area Speech and Debate League MetroFinals, and seniors are being admitted to their top-choice colleges and earning scholarships.
School leaders also point to continued engagement from the community. In March, the campus hosted a Spring Crafts Fair featuring more than 70 parent artists and local artisans alongside admissions tours and information about the school’s summer camp programs. Officials say donor participation and contributions during the school’s Day of Giving exceeded expectations.
According to the school, the renewed momentum stems in part from the wave of support from alumni, parents, students, and community members that followed last year’s closure announcement. A documentary titled “Nine Days: Saving a Quaker School” recounts the period after the initial announcement, when donations and pledges quickly accumulated and helped reverse the decision.
One year later, the school says it is focused on long-term stability. Sandy Spring Friends now has a new Head of School and a new Board of Trustees, and officials report strong re-enrollment numbers, with roughly 90% of families already committed to returning for the 2026-2027 school year.
The admissions office has also begun sending acceptance letters to newly admitted families, which the school says reflects continued interest in its academic programs and campus community.
