June 10, 2009|By Sarah Fisher | Sarah Fisher,sarah.fisher@baltsun.com
Ruxton Country School in Owings Mills will be closing its doors at the end of this week because of financial problems and will relinquish its property to Jemicy School, which purchased it in March.
The original agreement between the schools stated that Jemicy, a Baltimore County private school serving children with language-based learning challenges, would operate Ruxton through the 2009-2010 school year on the condition that Ruxton was able to fill an enrollment requirement of 85 students. According to Ben Shifrin, Jemicy's head of school, Ruxton was able to fill only 35 to 45 spots for the 2009-2010 school year, causing the school to close this year instead.
Students enrolled at Ruxton, which opened in 1913 and serves children in kindergarten through eighth grade, were placed into other independent schools in the area according to their needs, and some students entered the Jemicy program.
Currently located in Towson, Jemicy's upper school will move into the Ruxton building. As a result of the move, Shifrin said, Jemicy students will have a much-improved learning environment, with access to their own gymnasium, cafeteria and higher-quality classroom facilities.
The office of Ruxton Country's head of school would not comment on the closing because of its contractual agreement with Jemicy School.
