Financial Policy: Miracles and Hard Work

How did we make do financially?

As the recipient of 13 acres of land and the original barn building that still houses the kindergarten, the school has had the good fortune never to worry about rents or mortgages.

And, since the early days, we have been blessed with benefactors, among them, Joan Dufault, a future grandparent at the school, Zip Falk Szold, Ruth Ginzberg and the Whitney Foundation. just as valuable were the small and faithful gifts which over the years enabled the school to grow. Later, in the summer of 1976, Catherine Barrett and Stanley Gershen founded the Friends of Pumpkin Hollow to encourage support for the school in the community. This was the beginning of one aspect of our Development program created officially in 1989.

We have felt extremely fortunate through the years to receive major gifts from the Waldorf Educational Foundation, the Waldorf Schools Fund, the Foxhollow Foundation, the Lennox Foundation, the Archbold Foundation, the Woodner Foundation, the Halligs, Norrises, Browns, Krainises, Lippmans, Ellistons, Chesters, Flints and many other generous parents, friends and teachers.

in 1977, we experienced an amazing twist of fate. Out of the clear blue sky, Dean Arnold of Arnold Bread, offered the school his million dollar estate, a house and 100 acres on Shun Toll Road in North Egremont. When the would-be donor gave in to his neighbors' complaints about increased traffic in their secluded area, the offer was just as abruptly withdrawn. While still reeling from shock, we were rescued in true fairy tale style by an anonymous stranger who rode up on a white bicycle and said, "I can't give you a million but I can and will give you $50,000."

This gift made possible our 1977 expansion. We moved the barn onto a knoll 1/4 mile down West Plain Road which enabled us to add a new floor of classrooms below. The architect was a former parent, Jonathan Rose. Parents and teachers lent a tremendous hand in the moving and construction. And our continuing healthy financial situation was based on the Thorn Zay principle never borrow - no debts. Thorn, sculptor and shop teacher, was our treasurer in the early days.

In 1984, we added the west wing which included the nursery on the upper level and the 5th grade and current Resources room on the lower level. Such yearly expansion taught the school the importance of both fund raising and a tuition that reflects the quality of the school.

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