Hours before the private Evanston school’s Blue and Gold fundraising gala, Roycemore School Board of Trustees Chair Anthony Chambers sent out an urgent letter addressed to parents and the school community.
“Roycemore has had inconsistent financial performance, which has put the school in a very difficult position,” Chambers wrote on April 24, a realization that has “compelled the Board to make immediate changes,” he told families.
Effective immediately, Morgan Busbey, the current assistant head of school for advancement, would be stepping in to lead as interim head of school for the K-12 institution, the letter said.
“Morgan has the full support of the Board, and that support is coupled with the donated guidance and expertise from an outside educational consultant who will help guide us through the end of this school year,” he wrote.
Chambers did not specify whether former head of school Christopher English was still affiliated with the institution or involved in the financial concerns Roycemore alluded to in its message to the school community.
English had served as Roycemore’s head of school since 2022.
As of Monday, April 27, his information has been removed from the Roycemore School website and staff directory.
English did not immediately respond to a Pioneer Press request for comment Monday. Neither did Roycemore School respond to a request for comment. Pioneer Press obtained Chambers’ letter from people in the school community.
Evanston Police Commander Chelsea Brown confirmed in an email sent on Monday that the Evanston Police Department has not been “made aware of any suspected financial crimes” involving the school or English.
“Roycemore has gone through difficult financial times on multiple occasions over its 110-year history,” Chambers wrote to parents on Friday.
“With the exceptional support of this incredible community, we, like the Roycemore Board before us, believe that we can close this gap and be ready to start the School’s new operating year on July 1.”
In a follow-up message sent two days later, Chambers informed the Roycemore community that the Board would be flying in a consultant “this week to do a deep dive to ensure that we can get reliable answers,” with a further update regarding the school’s financial situation scheduled to be sent out to families by the end of the week.
Chambers added that answers to several of the community member questions fielded in recent days would be addressed in the update, including how Roycemore has found itself with financial problems, if the school would continue to be open for the rest of the academic year, whether or not the 12th grade graduation would continue as scheduled and what the next steps in rectifying the situation will be.
“We recognize that this period brings both questions and challenges. Please know that the Board is fully engaged and is approaching this moment thoughtfully and responsibly, with the best interests of our students, faculty, and families at the center of our work,” Chambers said on Sunday.
“We remain committed to clear communication, responsible stewardship, and guiding the school forward with purpose and care.”
According to the school’s most recent 501(c)(3) tax filing, Roycemore reported about $8.36 million in total expenses, just above their reported $8.11 million in revenue for the fiscal 2024 year, which totals to about a $250,000 financial deficit.
Total assets for the 2024 year added to $14.8 million, with a reported $9.6 million in liabilities.
Tuition for the school starts at just over $7,000 per year for the kindergarten grade, which has a three half-day-per-week program, three full-day-per-week program and a five-day half-day program, of which the latter totals to over $14,437 in yearly tuition.
Grades first through eighth range from $29,818 to $35,272 in tuition costs per year, with high school tuition costing $40,042 for the 2026-27 school year.
Originally founded in 1915, Roycemore advertises itself as a “co-educational independent school” that serves students ages 3 through 12th grade.
2025 reports list the school’s total population to be approximately 240 students with a 6:1 student-teacher ratio.
Although Chambers did not make any mention of former head of school Christopher English’s role in the financial performance concerns mentioned, some parents said they felt news of his removal has been a long time coming.
Some Roycemore parents who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation described a continued lack of transparency from English and “little direct communication” from administrative leaders at the school.
Sarah Szczypinski, a current Roycemore parent, told the Pioneer Press if she and her husband had met English back in 2024 when they originally toured the school, her child “never would have gone to Roycemore.”
“In July, [English] sent an email communication to parents saying that, it was either 14 or 15, staff had either left or been dismissed and he wouldn’t say why or how, or if they’d been fired, or if they were quitting,” Szczypinski said.
“It was really concerning to us, because that’s 25% of the staff leaving on the same day.”
When Szczypinski emailed English to inquire about the school’s average turnover rate to gain a better understanding of the administration as a new parent, Szczypinski never received a response, she said.
Szczypinski added that during English’s time as head of school, he “did away with planned curriculum,” and the documentation about it was removed from the school’s website without “any kind of announcement.”
In an October 2025 email forwarded to parents of students in the fifth grade, English said Roycemore was “in the process of changing” its “approach to documenting curriculum, and that teachers have been tasked with identifying priority standards of learning.”
English said the school had completed its accreditation with the Independent Schools Association of Central States, which requires curriculum documentation, in February 2024.
A further request for materials relating to Roycemore’s curriculum accreditation was later denied by English, according to Szczypinski.
“Please know that any conversations about Roycemore’s curriculum belong with me,” English wrote in an email. “ISACS is not a governing body, nor do they have any role in mediating parent concerns at their member schools.”
As head of school, English would also send parents weekly emails to summarize administrative updates and upcoming events, which included occasional videos asking parents to “consider giving” to Roycemore.
“We rely on giving to close the gaps that are evident for us maintaining a small school that requires financial resources,” English said in a Nov. 21, 2025 video message sent to Roycemore parents.
“There’s a gap between our school’s income and our expenses, and every year, it’s our annual fund that helps close that gap,” English added.
In his April 26 message to families, Board Chair Chambers told community members the Board had made “considerable progress” in defining its path forward in the wake of new financial concerns.
“The north star for the entire Board of Trustees is to ensure that we all have reliable information in order to make trustworthy decisions,” he added. “We remain committed to clear communication, responsible stewardship, and guiding the school forward with purpose and care.”
Funds raised from Friday’s Blue and Gold Gala would be used to “close the gap for the remainder of this current 2025-26 school year,” Chambers confirmed.
