Onemom’s quest to save her children’s school
Spring Woods Christian Academy was like the light at the end of a long, dark tunnel for Whitney Morgan.
Finding an in-person preschool during COVID-19 — especially one still open for enrollment — seemed like a miracle. Discovering a program where both her sons — 4-year-old Cade and 5-year-old Roen — could flourish while she navigated her personal struggles was equally surprising.
Recently divorced, Morgan sold her home in West Virginia in the summer to move closer to her family.
“I packed up my stuff, came here andmoved to an apartment where my brother lives,” she recalled.
Morgan enrolled her sons in public school but soon learned that online learning wouldn’t work for her family.
“We did one day of it,” she said. “At the end of the day, I knew this wasn’t going to work.”
As a public interest attorney, Morgan was able to work from her home in north Spring, but helping them with school at the same time was overwhelming. Still, she assumed all other options would be full — or also online.
It was a sign, literally, that brought Morgan to Spring
Woods Christian Academy. She was driving by Spring Woods United Methodist Church, which operates the faith-based preschool, and saw a banner for open enrollment.
“I was feeling run-down and exhausted,” Morgan said. “I toured the school, and I immediately realized I had stumbled upon something really special. This was an answer to a prayer I was too tired to even make.”
The teachers had been there for years — and their love and attention immediately made an impact on her boys. Though Roen has always loved going to school, Cade struggled with learning.
But Cade’s new teacher, Patricia Pampell, soon became one of the most important people in his life.
“She’s a daily name in our household,” Morgan said. “Both of my sons’ faces light up in this school, but the way Cade looks at Pampell, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of relationship.”
Cade delivers Pampell drawings of hearts with expressions of love almost daily, Morgan added. “As a single mother, knowing my son is dearly cherished at school means so much to me,” she explained.
Discovering a safe, supportive place for her sons seemed like a dream.
“It was a huge beacon of hope that we would have some normalcy,” Morgan said. “They have a regular place to go, friends and teachers they love. I’m so grateful for where I’m able to put my boys — and it just breaks my heart that it might not survive.”
She is still reeling from the news: In late November, parents learned that Spring Woods Christian Academy enrollment levels have dropped by a third; Spring Woods United Methodist Church is facing a $36,000 deficit from operating the school.
Closing the academy’s doors made the most sense, considering the situation, but still was one of the most difficult decisions to make for the Rev. Steffon Arrington, senior pastor at Spring Woods.
“It was just gut wrenching,” he said. “But we can’t absorb a $36,000 deficit when the church is struggling as well. COVID has hit everyone. Even our finances on the church side have suffered. We had to reduce hours, furlough employees, and even some of the musicians left.”
The preschool started 40 years ago as a mothers’ day out program and eventually evolved into Spring Woods Christian Academy, offering a Christian education, complete with Spanish, art, music and chapel, for infants through kindergartners.
In 2018, the school served 40 students; in 2019, the number increased to 50.
“When COVID hit last spring, we shut down and remained closed for the rest of the year,” Arrington said.
Teachers provided packets and assignments to help students learn from home. The instructors even hosted a drivethru kindergarten graduation to allow students to still celebrate their achievements.
The instructors were dedicated, Arrington explained, and the parents committed.
Students returned when school reopened in the fall, but open houses, usually held in the summer, were canceled because of the virus. In August, the fall information session was placed on hold as well.
“We weren’t able to get the word out,” Arrington said. “And our school director has not been able to recruit.”
Other programs that help the community know about the school — such as the trunk-ortreat or breakfast with Santa — also were canceled to preserve safety and health for students and teachers.
Arrington recently sent a letter to parents, saying the school would close on Dec. 18, as the fall semester ended. He also wrote letters to staff.
The pastor had been praying and fasting over the problem for the past few months, begging, “Lord, help us work through this.”
He never expected the answer to come from a courageous parent whom he had never even met.
Morgan took it upon herself to create a GoFundMe page, setting a goal of $100,000 for the school.
“There is so much I can’t control in my personal life or with the trials of the world, but when I found out about this, I just thought, ‘not this, too,’ ” she explained. “Especially, when I saw the teachers with tears in their eyes, I realized I was not OK with this.”
On the GoFundMe page, she explains that the school was devastated by COVID, “leaving some of the most loving, devoted and Christ-centered people I’ve ever met without jobs, families scrambling to find care and a couple dozen children to deal with transitions to new schools.”
Morgan also writes that “the world has been very difficult on God’s littlest people lately. As resilient as children are, it breaks my heart to keep saying to my children what they can’t do or how things must change because of COVID and to know the challenges imposed on their little minds and hearts.”
Creating an online fundraiser was completely new for Morgan, but she had seen other families use GoFundMe for worthy causes. She decided to give it a shot to create an appeal for the school.
“I have no idea what I was doing, but I will try to do something,” Morgan said. “I just took a leap of faith.”
Parents have already been reaching out and sharing the fundraiser, hoping to keep the school in operation. As of Friday morning, the GoFundMe page has raised about $5,000 toward its $100,000 goal.
“It’s really special to see a glimmer of hope in people’s eyes,” Morgan said.
Pastor Arrington said that Morgan’s fundraiser is heaven sent.
“You think you have crossed every bridge,” he said. “We have lamented, and we have wrestled with this. But God doesn’t operate on our time. I see this as God’s hand, and it may be just what the school needs.”
If the fundraiser is successful, the school can remain open, Arrington added.
Other church day cares and schools have also been forced to make difficult decisions in Houston, he explained. He has seen reduced hours, fewer days of operation and even boarded-up schools.
“COVID has affected the economy and families more than we can even imagine,” he said.
“The one thing I’ve learned through this pandemic is that we will never go back to what’s considered normal. Every day, we’re creating a new normal. It’s not about going back. It’s about moving forward.”
Arrington is certain that God is acting through Morgan, who provided a path for parents and the community to make a difference.
“Now there’s a crack in the door, and God is coming in,” he said.