Anna Pless Peel attended Atlanta Girls’ School begrudgingly.
She didn’t have much of a say in the matter because her mom helped start the school, but Pless Peel grew to love the small school for girls, with its small classes and close-knit community. She had the space to gain confidence, raise her hand to answer questions and express her opinions. Rather than competing with one another, Pless Peel said she and her classmates were encouraging and focused on their own personal growth.
They became the first graduating class and stay in touch to this day. Upon hearing the news Tuesday of the planned closure, they immediately scheduled a meeting on Zoom.
School leaders announced that it will close in May at the end of the academic year, the 20th anniversary of its first graduating class. Chris Marquardt, chair of the Board of Trustees, in an email to students and their families cited re-enrollment figures that have “drastically declined” and economic challenges.
“(After) careful analysis of the financial data, the (Board of Trustees) determined there is no sustainable financial path forward,” Marquardt said.
The school opened in 2000 and has 199 students in grades 6-12, 46 faculty members and more than 400 graduates. It says it is the only independent, nonsectarian, college-preparatory school for girls in grades 6-12 in Georgia. Students travel each day to the Buckhead campus from 60 different ZIP codes, according to the school website.
Credit: Courtesy of Anna Pless Peel
Credit: Courtesy of Anna Pless Peel
“To be a world-renowned city, you need to take into account all types of education. You need HBCUs, you need big universities. You also need single-gendered schools,” Pless Peel, now a college counselor, said. “Having this supportive and inclusive environment is what we’re going to lose.” In an all-girls school, Pless Peel said girls have more access to leadership roles and other opportunities.
Iman Ingram agreed. She attended Atlanta Girls’ School in grades 6-9 and left in 2007 for a coed school.
“I wish I would have stayed,” she said. Ingram, an entrepreneur and business owner, said the girls’ school provided space to grow up “unapologetically.” That meant no worrying about competing with or trying to impress boys, just “worrying about trying to be ourselves.” She credits AGS with helping her grow her confidence and be willing to speak her mind. She wondered how staying at the school would have further shaped her.
The school held informational meetings with families Tuesday, and the school day was modified to allow time for students to gather with teachers and administrators.
Marquardt said school leaders, particularly Head of School Kimbrell Smith, cut costs, ramped up fundraising and “worked tirelessly to explore various options to continue the operations of our school,” but they could not find a solution to remain open.
Pless Peel is hopeful that the school can continue in some way.
Ingram pointed to Agnes Scott and Spelman colleges as evidence that families are still interested in sending their children to single-gender schools. She said AGS could do more to stress that the environment fosters a space for girls to become their best selves during a challenging time in their life.
Pless Peel said, “People don’t understand the value of a girls’ school. They think the idea is great, but until you’re in it and get to live it every day and you get to feel powerful, ... you just don’t know.”
The school will refund deposits to families who have paid for the upcoming school year and help students find their next school.
“While the time has come to bring a close to Atlanta Girls’ School in a physical sense, the spirit of our mission, ‘Inspiring Girls to Lead Lives of Purpose,’ will remain,” Marquardt said. “I am confident that all who have benefitted from this mission over the last nearly quarter of a century will ensure that it continues to resonate well into the future.”
About the Author
