Boston, R.I. private school faces uncertain future as board, parents seek funding
Editor's note: This story was updated at 1:30 p.m. March 23, 2026 to include comments from Croft School Spokesperson Jim McManus.
A financially troubled private school with two Boston locations is looking for financial options after its founder was accused of hiding $13 million in debt for years.
Parents and the board of the Croft School, which has locations in the South End, Jamaica Plain and Providence, Rhode Island, is working to find other funding sources to finish the school year, Spokesperson Jim McManus said in an email to MassLive on Monday afternoon. He denied reports that the school could close on March 27.
Last week, the school's board of directors wrote in a letter to parents that founder and Executive Director Scott Given had admitted to keeping two sets of financial records to conceal the debt.
The board of directors wrote in the letter that after suspending Given on March 7, they took steps to secure the school's finances. After paying employees with what little cash was left in Croft's accounts and securing a $400,000 "capital contribution" from an undisclosed source, the school was left with about $448,000, according to the letter.
The board wrote in the letter to parents that Croft needs at least $5 million to cover payroll and necessary operating expenses for the remainder of the school year. While the next payroll cycle is covered, the board is currently in talks with several potential funding sources.
Tuition for the 2026-2027 academic year ranged from $31,690 to $37,690, depending on the campus, according to the school's website
Croft was closed for spring break last week but opened for classes again Monday morning.
The accusations against Given came to light after the school backed out of a plan to expand its South End campus into a new space at 1421 Washington St., the current home of Foodie's Market, a grocery store set to close in June . Given had provided the landlord of the building, 1421 Washington Associates LLC, a $500,000 letter of credit as a security deposit when the school signed a lease for the space.
However, according to a lawsuit Washington Associates filed last week against Croft and Given, when a company manager attempted to cash the letter of credit after the school backed out, the bank said it was a forgery.
Croft's board wrote in its letter to families last week that Given had admitted to forging the letter of credit at the same time that he revealed the $13 million in debt.
Boston Public Schools said it was prepared to absorb any students living in the city if Croft closes.
"Boston Public Schools (BPS) has a legal and moral obligation to provide children living in the City of Boston with a high-quality, free, and public education," a district spokesperson said in a statement. "We welcome and enroll students throughout the school year and our team is ready to provide families with access to the district's rigorous academic programs, specialized services, and diverse extracurricular opportunities offered across our schools. We are dedicated to helping every student find a place to learn, grow, and thrive within our BPS community."
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