Two private schools in metro Atlanta are opening their doors to displaced students after the news broke that Midtown International School in Druid Hills is abruptly closing its doors on Friday, April 3.
Families were given less than one week notice that MIS was in financial trouble and plans to shutter before the end of the school year, leaving more than 100 students without a school.
MIS is known for its tight-knit community that caters to gifted students, some of whom also have been diagnosed with ADHD, discalculia, dysgraphia, dyslexia, or anxiety.
Capstone Academy in Druid Hills and Eaton Academy in Roswell both reached out to Rough Draft Atlanta offering to help MIS families.
Capstone is holding an open house on Saturday, April 4, at 11 a.m. Lucy Pastore, Capstone Dean of School, said she is committed to providing a welcoming and supportive environment for displaced students as soon as possible. With about 130 students in sixth to 12th grade, Capstone holds classes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday so that students can learn outside the classroom and pursue their passions, including art, ballet, theater, and sports.
Pastore heard about the closure from a former colleague who teaches at MIS.
“A mother came in from MIS today – just showed up with her fifth grade student. She was crying on my shoulder, and that’s when I said, ‘We have to contact the media and let them know that we are going to be there to support these families,'” Pastore said. “I thought, ‘Okay, we’re going to fix this for you.'”
Serendipitously, Pastore said that Capstone has a fifth-grade curriculum and could accommodate that class as well.
“We have a financial plan in place for [families from MIS] to come to our school for the remainder of the year,” said Pastore.
Pastore is offering two options: Students can join Capstone for the next six weeks and in the event that they intend to enroll for fall, pay only a minimal re-enrollment fee. Otherwise, students who only need a home through the end of the 2025-2026 school year would pay a pro-rated tuition fee.
Eaton Academy in Roswell, about 20 miles north of Druid Hills, has been in this situation before. When Brandon Hall school closed in 2023, Eaton extended a hand to students. Prior to that, Eaton took in students during COVID-19 school closures.
“In the Atlanta private school world, we really do view it as a community,” President Brian Uitvlugt said. “It’s an easy decision for us because we are a small school and we have several different types of programs.”
Eaton offers a low student-to-teacher ratio, independent study with customized curriculum and pacing, and robust college prep, post-grad programs. Because Eaton operates in a small group setting, teachers can tweak and adjust the assignments to meet the individual needs of the kids, Uitvlugt said.
“We may not be geographically convenient for them, but we have a lot of experience with live instructors who will work with a student or students online,” Uitvlugt added.
Capstone Academy’s Dean of School Lucy Pastore can be reached at LPastore@capstoneacademy.com or (678) 477-1336. Eaton Academy President Brian Uitvlugt can be reached at BrianU@EatonAcademy.org or
(770) 645-2673.
