SPARK School Springs closes it doors

Low-cost private schools network SPARK Schools closed three of its 21 schools, including SPARK Springs, at the end of 2020 due to lower-than-expected demand for a private school in these areas.
According to the network of schools, the Covid-19 pandemic has also impacted the schools as families have experienced retrenchments, lay-offs and salary reductions, causing them to be unable to pay fees.
The combination of these factors have led to the schools no longer being financially viable.
SPARK School Springs opened in 2019.

Also read: How SPARK Schools and Ignite Education Fund are helping parents affected by Covid-19

The school offered classes to children from Grades R to Three with the promise to grow by a grade each year.
SPARK Schools says it worked closely with SPARK Springs parents and staff to accommodate as many of the affected staff and learners as possible in other schools within the SPARK network.
SPARK Schools co-founder and CEO Stacey Brewer said: “Our goal as an organisation has always been to make private education available to those previously marginalised or excluded.
“However, in some areas, it has become evident that the need for this type of private school offering is not as large as we had anticipated.

Also read: SPARKS holds first open day

“In the past, SPARK Schools would have given our newer schools more time to ramp up, but the financial impact of Covid-19 in South Africa, the SPARK business and SPARK families has made that impossible under the current circumstances.”
SPARK Schools said it had already taken several steps to mitigate the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic before coming to the decision to close SPARK Springs, including:
• Facilitating payment holidays with its suppliers and landlords.
• Reducing staff and executive team salaries.
• Retrenching a number of support office staff.
• Applying for TERS funding.
• And allowing SPARK parents to pay their fees over 12 months instead of 10.

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