Japanese Nazarene School to shut

Japanese Nazarene School, a personal, nonprofit Christian liberal arts establishment in Massachusetts, stated late Tuesday that it might shut and transition to “a brand new instructional enterprise” to hold on its legacy.

“We all know this information will come as a shock and disappointment to many, particularly these whose lives have been reworked by their affiliation with Japanese Nazarene School by its wealthy historical past,” stated David W. Bowser, the board chair. “We stay up for creating alternatives to rejoice this wealthy historical past and protect ENC’s legacy transferring ahead. Taking this step now will make sure the continuation of ENC’s mission to supply a transformational schooling by annual scholarships that empower college students dwelling in our area to attend different Nazarene colleges.”

The establishment’s announcement stated that “like all small, non-public, liberal arts schools,” Japanese Nazarene has struggled financially. Knowledge on the faculty’s web site exhibits that its unduplicated head depend enrollment fell from 699 in 2020 to 652 in 2021 and to 541 in 2022, the latest info out there.

“Throughout that point,” the faculty’s assertion stated, “the board and a number of presidents have pursued quite a few options to closure. Whereas these efforts produced fruit that enabled ENC to proceed working till now, the underlying challenges have intensified. It has grow to be clear that transitioning to a brand new instructional enterprise is the one viable path for persevering with ENC’s mission of offering transformational schooling.”

This can be a growing story.