LEONARDTOWN, Md. – In a letter to family and staff sent on January 18, 2024, Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy announced the school will be shutting down.
“It is with a heavy heart that we are announcing the closure of Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy. This institution has been a pillar of the community for over a century. We are deeply saddened and did not come to this decision lightly,” Headmistress Sarah Green stated in the letter.
Leonard Hall, which was established in 1909, sent a previous letter on January 15, 2024, announcing that they would no longer be occupying their current location and would be on the hunt for a new home. The building they are currently occupying needs over $500,000 in repairs, which were beyond the scope of the school’s capabilities.
Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy entered a lease agreement with the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County on September 10, 2013, which expired on June 30, 2023. In a letter to Sarah Green, St. Mary’s County Administrator David Weiskopf stated that the county understands that Green is new to her position and inherited many problems, but the current conditions of the school can no longer be ignored.
“After reviewing the drafted financial plan and the current updates needed to the facility, the County feels it necessary for the health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens that it is best to terminate that rental relationship between the parties,” Weiskopf stated in the letter. “To not disrupt the current school year, the County is hereby giving notice pursuant to MD Real Property Article § 8-402 that the current month-to-month tenancy shall terminate on June 30, 2024, at midnight.”
However, it looks like the search for a new home came to no avail, including other factors, which have led the school to make the tough decision to shut down entirely.
“I am so sorry to see this happening. I’m sorry for the school, for the history, and for the families and students who found a positive place to grow and learn. Over the past 100+ years, so many community members stepped up and supported this school. It was a part of our community. It should not have come to this,” St. Mary’s County Commissioner Eric Colvin stated in a social media post.
The BayNet reached out to Commissioner Colvin for more insight into the dealings between the Board of Commissioners and Leonard Hall that may have led to this situation.
“I am not familiar with their current financial status, but I have to think that the decision by the majority of the board of commissioners to not renew the lease hastened the school’s decision to close their doors.”
Members of the community have started to react to the announcement on social media.
“So sad to hear. I owe my entire 12-17-year-old life to LHJNA. I will always be truly grateful for all I learned, got to be a part of, and ESPECIALLY the people I met during my time there,” stated Brandi Michelle Cooper.
“It should have never come down to this. They have known for years about repairs and how to plan for upcoming expenditures. I’m so sad for this school and its families. I hope everyone finds the fit they need for their children, they have some wonderful kids and families,” stated one community member.
Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy ended their letter hoping the school would live on in the hearts and minds of the community.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support we have received over the years and privileged to have been an integral part of the community, and more importantly your families lives. We hope Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy will continue to be revered in your hearts, as it will in ours.”
Contact our news desk at news@thebaynet.com
Shame that school is closing. There is a lot of history behind it, and a lot of us citizens attended the school. It was a different school from the rest but most of us loved it. The brothers were hard on us, but it made us much better citizens.
Extremely saddened by this news . We need to keep this school alive . What can be done?
All I can say is Karma always comes back.
My son started the beginning of this semester and was so happy and proud to finally be in a school that was more of a family then anything else. His dream is to go into the military and serve his country and this school made him feel better then anything else. He loved putting on the uniform and always practicing his salute. It breaks my heart to see the disappointment in his eyes when he heard the news. Its a sad day and pray that for all the kids that attending LHJNA.
I predict that county offices will miraculously be housed in the spaces that will be freed up by the school closing down. After all Great Mills Elementary was declared unfit for being a school right before it became a campus for Charles County Community College, then White Oak learning Center, then Fairlead Academy, and now Virtual Academy.
I bet that “miracle” happens too.
Notice how this started when the mew headmistress came. Obviously the incompetence starts with her.
You are correct. I was going to join the BOT as a community member but then realized I wasn’t in the clique so anything I did would have been for nothing.
I want to say soooooo much more but I really don’t want to get hauled into court. The BOT cronies will put more effort in finding anyone who says something bad than doing the job they volunteered for.
Probably not. I think she inherited a lot of problems that should have been dealt with long ago. She probably feels terrible, even though she didn’t create the situation.
I want to say so much more but I’ll just go with SHAME. I pray the HeadMistress leaves education so as not to ruin any other school. A 100+ year old school and the BOT just rolls over and closes the doors. ALL of you knew there were issues, nothing was new.
I went there for one year in the dark ages..1953 and 1954…and received great support, from one brother in particular, who became my mentor when I was so unsure of everything.