Pine Ridge School (VT) to close

[Ursus]

From what I can gather, this place was once a school pretty much solely devoted to addressing Learning Disabilities. Then... they decided to get on the TTI bandwagon and expand their market. Bad move.

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The Burlington Free Press
Pine Ridge School to close in June

By Molly Walsh, Free Press staff • March 19, 2009

The headmaster of Pine Ridge School in Williston confirmed today that the private boarding school will close after graduation June 5.

The closure will put 20 people out of work and force the school's 22 students to make other plans for the fall. The 136-acre campus, appraised at $5.1 million in 2003, is in limbo and could be sold.

Dana Blackhurst, the headmaster who saw the school through a controversial restructuring that resulted in a dramatic drop in enrollment, said his goal is to place students at other schools and help his staff find jobs. "I will be here when the ship goes down."


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Comments:

Digbee wrote:

This is too bad. Lesson learned, huh?

3/19/2009 10:42:38 PM[/list]
ofcorse wrote:

I had a chance to use the high ropes course at Pine Ridge about 15 years ago. It was a great way to teach teamwork and build trust among a group.

3/20/2009 2:45:53 AM[/list]
isign4uall wrote:

How sad that they cant acknowledge that Dana might have caused the school to close when he fired 90% of the staff!

3/20/2009 6:25:42 AM[/list]
blackpen wrote:

I have very mixed feelings about this. PRS has given me great friends and the ability to read. However some of the staff verbally destroy our confidence. Some staff neutered and believed in us, but others treated us like we were not even human like we were prisoners. PRS's mission was to give us the ability to succeed. This school was a school for dyslexics until they lost money and had to take in social behavioral students that they could not support. Sorry parents they lied like many other lies. By running away from their original goal PRS became more like a prison for LD's then a school. PRS also cut back on food, which was the quickest way to save money. We had to use our parent’s money so we would have enough food to eat. That is why your children called you sick because they didn't have enough nurturance. We lost weight rapidly if you didn’t notice and became sick easily. I am just happy no one else has to go through this like I did. Good luck finding new schools my friends.

3/20/2009 3:44:21 PM[/list]