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A group of Manhattan Country School parents and alumni has taken over the governance of the financially distressed Upper West Side private school, following the resignation of its board chairman and a failed bankruptcy loan that left the institution on the brink of collapse.
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The emergency transition, announced on June 1, comes after a month of escalating financial turmoil that included missed payroll, a rejected emergency loan request, and a foreclosure lawsuit from the school’s lender, Flushing Bank. Manhattan Country School (MCS), located at 150 West 85th Street, filed for bankruptcy earlier this spring and as of late May, had just over $82,000 in cash on hand, according to court documents.
A new Parent Association–led emergency board has stepped in following the resignation of Board President Kiran Kulkarni and his appointed directors. The move followed weeks of growing frustration from the school community, who accused Kulkarni of neglecting his fiduciary duty after filing for bankruptcy and failing to secure funding for teacher paychecks. In late May, parents and alumni raised enough money to cover an entire payroll cycle, preventing what could have been an immediate school shutdown.
The newly appointed emergency board includes alumni Viviana Benitez and Daniel Green, chosen for their financial, legal, and organizational experience. Interim President Princess Lyles was also appointed to the emergency board in an ex-officio, non-voting role.
A former board member, Princess, has been named interim president and will serve in an ex-officio, non-voting role.
“This is the first step on an extremely challenging journey,” reads an update on the group’s recently-launched GoFundMe campaign, which has raised over $12,000 of its $480,000 goal as of this writing. Organizers say 100% of donations will go toward payroll and health benefits for teachers and staff — some of whom have continued working despite uncertainty over compensation.
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A virtual community town hall took place on Wednesday, where the new leadership outlined next steps, including an upcoming community-led election to form a longer-term “MCS Transition Board.” That board would serve for six to nine months and be tasked with overseeing the bankruptcy process, supporting impacted families, and charting a path forward for the school — or its legacy, depending on how events unfold. A rally outside the school also took place this week.
Founded in 1966, Manhattan Country School has long been known for its sliding-scale tuition, progressive curriculum, and a farm campus in Roxbury, New York where students engage in immersive environmental education. But despite its mission-driven approach and devoted community, the school has faced persistent financial challenges — losing money almost every year since 2010, with the exception of a $13 million profit from the sale of its former Upper East Side building in 2016.
Whether the school can survive this latest crisis remains uncertain. Its Upper West Side campus remains up for sale, and the court has blocked its attempt to secure $8 million in high-interest financing. But with renewed community involvement and emergency fundraising underway, supporters say they are determined to keep the school open through its June 12 graduation — and, if possible, beyond.
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