June 14, 2025
Dear Plumfield Academy Friends,
The Board of Plumfield Academy, have engaged in deep, honest, and heartfelt conversations about the school’s future. We are writing now with difficult news, the result of prayerful deliberation and our best efforts to discern a way forward.
After much consideration, the Board has made the decision to stop operating with students effective immediately. This decision was not made lightly. We’ve been wrestling with fundamental questions: Can we responsibly continue? Do we have the enrollment, the resources, and the energy needed to sustain the mission of Plumfield for another year?
There are three key pillars that have always guided us: our commitment to pastoral care, to a Charlotte Mason education, and to a sound, sustainable business model. Our enrollment for the upcoming year stands at 13, a significant and unexpected downturn that occurred at the end of May. Despite the gratitude and support expressed by families, it became clear that the board and current leadership cannot ensure sustainability, nor can we expect John to continue to hold the primary responsibility of leading so many aspects of the school moving forward.
Some families stepped up with willingness to write reviews, offer coordination support, and contribute financially. These generous gestures moved us deeply. Still, we are also mindful of the burden that exists on a small group of individuals (staff and board members) and the toll it is taking. We have considered the potential of gaining a few more students. We’ve talked about various scenarios, including combining age groups, working in partnership with homeschooling families, and reorganizing staff responsibilities. Ultimately, the board came to an agreement to not operate with students for the 2025-2026 school year.
We offer our deepest gratitude to John and Nina Pension, whose unwavering dedication, vision, and care have shaped Plumfield for over 30 years.
We are grateful to each of you for your trust and your faith in Plumfield. Many of you expressed what this place has meant to your family—your words were not lost on us. You reminded us why Plumfield started and why it has lasted so long.
For now, we honor what was built together, and we close this chapter with tears, yes, but also with profound gratitude.
The Plumfield Academy Board of Trustees
Steve Dalton, Alumnus Parent, Christine Deloury, Alumnus Parent, Denise Gluckert, Alumnus Parent, Christopher Griebel, Alumnus, Mary Beth Katzounos, Alumna Parent, John Kwiatek, Community Representative, Matthew Mahoney, Alumnus, Jay Pension, Alumnus, Nina Pension, Alumnus Parent, John Pension, Alumnus Parent, Ruth Pension, Community Representative