The Orme School in Mayer, a private, grades 8-12 co-educational college preparatory boarding school, is in jeopardy of closing at the end of this academic year, officials publicly announced this week.
“It is with a profound sense of loss and heavy heart that The Orme School, one of the last remaining ranch schools in the United States, announces the possibility of its closure,” school officials said in a news release dated Jan. 22. “Since its founding in 1929, The Orme School has proudly offered a distinctive educational experience that combines rigorous academics with nuanced approaches to all learning styles, fostering growth for students of all backgrounds and abilities.”
Enrollment decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, a national, private school trend, and the need of 70% of its 75 students, 35 from Arizona, requiring scholarship assistance is financially unsustainable, officials said. A majority of the students receive funds through school tuition organizations, they said.
Boarding school tuition for the 2024-25 school year $51,500 with an additional $2,000 per semester academic resource fee.
Despite facility improvements, academic and enrichment program updates, marketing and capital campaign and alumni outreach efforts, the school Board of Trustees said it must generate $6 million in “immediate cash donations” to be in a position to open for the 2025-26 academic year. The trustees said this financial infusion needs to occur within the next six weeks. The Orme School now employs about 40 faculty, residential staff and administrative personnel.
News of the pending closing has left students, faculty, administration, and alumni saddened given what The Orme School has meant to so many since its opening almost a century ago.
“The Orme School has stood as a beacon of academic excellence, character development, and resilience for nearly a century,” said school President Kristin Durow on Thursday. “Today, we find ourselves at a crossroads.
“Financial challenges, compounded by declining enrollment and the lasting effects of the pandemic, have placed us in an incredibly difficult position. We remain hopeful that with the support of our alumni, families, and community members, we can find a path forward — whether than means preserving Orme’s mission in a new way or ensuring that the school transitions responsibly.
“We know that Orme has touched countless lives, shaping generations of students who have gone on to lead with integrity, curiosity, and purpose. If there is a way to save this institution, we are committed to exploring every possible option.”
Two-year student Justice lamented the planning closure given the school has “changed my life in ways I can’t fully put into words,” she said in an appeal to Arizona business leaders she emailed to The Daily Courier.
From the beginning of his time at the school, located in the remote Spring Valley area, Justice said he felt a “sense of freedom, opportunity and belonging” with teachers who care about each individual student and classmates with whom he has built what he knows will be lifelong friendships.
The Orme School, founded by the Orme family as a one-room abode schoolhouse on a cattle ranch, is nationally recognized for its focus on academic excellence, character development and outdoor education. Since its start 96 years ago, The Orme School has “embodied the pioneering spirit of the American West, while preserving a commitment to cultural heritage and educational excellence,” said the school’s news release. The school’s has long provided scholarships to enable students from all over the nation and the world to experience its unique brand of education.
Beyond its focus on high-quality academic courses and hands-on learning, Justice said the school has enriched her life through its ranching traditions, particularly with students’ ability to interact with horses. For Justice, a highlight of her time at the school has been participating on the barrel racing team, she said.
“Through riding, I’ve connected with some of my best friends and discovered more about myself than I ever thought possible,” she said.
Justice suggested that there might be a way for the Arizona Corporate Tax Credit program to be tapped to enable the school to continue its legacy to future generations of students.
“For me, Orme is more than a school—it’s my dream,” Justice said. “I’ve always imagined myself graduating on this beautiful (300-acre) campus, giving my senior speech in front of the next class of students, and returning someday to see Orme continuing to inspire others as it has inspired me.
“But that dream is at risk without the support of businesses like yours … I can’t imagine a world without it (the school).”
School leaders said the financial realities involved in this decision “is a sobering reminder of the fragile nature of educational institutions nationwide,” the release said.
The National Association of Independent Schools statistics cited on the school’s website indicates that between 2018-19 and 2022-23 36% of participating schools suffered enrollment decreases of 10% or more. Boarding/day schools experienced decreases as high as 17%; small schools like Orme had a median drop of 9%, with highs of 14%. International student enrollments have declined by 22%, the association said.
Durow shared her hope that those who believe in Orme’s legacy, many who may have benefitted from it, will step up to help them find a way forward.
“The potential closure of The Orme School marks the end of a chapter in American education, as it would signify the closing of the last ranch school ‘of its kind’ in the country,” she and fellow officials said in the news release. “This would leave an irreplaceable void in both the educational and cultural fabric of Arizona and the nation as a whole.”
Though she was candid that the school’s future is uncertain, Durow said she, the board, faculty and staff and students are not ready to give up.
“With support, we remain hopeful that this is not the end of Orme’s story,” she said.
For more information and how to donate, visit The Orme School website at www.ormeschool.org.
