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The Alexander Robertson School (ARS) at 3 West 95th Street faces closure at the end of the school year after alleged unsuccessful attempts to renew its lease with Second Presbyterian Church (SPC), located at 6 West 96th Street. As of 2020, ARS has leased space from SPC but operates independently.
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In an October 1 email to the wider ARS community, school principal Brinton Parson wrote “The Alexander Robertson School was originally founded in 1789 by the precursor of SPC. Beginning in 2020, ARC Holding Inc. obtained an initial oral five-year license to do business as ARS and run the school. It was always widely assumed that this license to operate ARS would continue virtually indefinitely, and in that regard, there have been prolonged and arduous negotiations between SPC and ARS Holding Inc to properly establish a lease agreement. It is with regret that I report it was determined on 9/23/2024 that ARS Holding Inc. was unable to secure a proper lease with SPC.”
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ARS is a co-educational school teaching children of all faiths from Junior-Kindergarten through to 5th grade. The school’s lineage dating to 1789 makes it one of the oldest continually operating schools in New York City. ARS and SPC have a deeply entwined history, according to the school’s website. Their story began when SPC Reverend Dr. John Mason welcomed a young Black girl named Catherine “Katy” Williams (later Ferguson) to receive Communion, making her the church’s first Black member. After her freedom was bought by two congregants, Catherine began teaching at the church’s free school, founding the Murray Street Sabbath School. This eventually became The Alexander Robertson School.
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The inability to negotiate their lease means the school will close at the end of the current academic school year. Parson’s email explained the school’s anticipated next steps. “I will therefore be disbanding ARS Holding Inc in June 2025, and the school will not open next September under my direction. Rest assured that ARS will continue to operate through this current school year with everything fully in place, whether it continues thereafter will be a decision of and by the Second Presbyterian church.”
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SPC’s reasons for not renewing the school’s lease are currently unclear. We reached out to the church to request a statement but have yet to hear back. We also contacted The Alexander Robertson School for comment. We will update this post as soon as we know more.
The school’s impending closure can be expected to disrupt the lives of many students and families. Alex Silverman, ARS Class of 1982, brought the news to our attention and expressed his surprise at how events had unfolded between the school and church, given their close relationship over the years.
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“[The school] has been operating at 3 West 95th St since well before I attended in the 1970s, and is closing for good next June because the landlord (who was, at one time, one and the same as the school) The Second Presbyterian Church won’t renew the lease. We (the alumni who remain close) are devastated by this shocking announcement,”’ Silverman told us.
“The surprise here is that a) the school is 235 years old and closing and b) the school and church were one and the same until 5 years ago and now the church refuses to renew the lease for the school, putting it out of business with less than a school year’s notice. Alumni (and I imagine current families) are shocked at the news,” Silverman added.
Have ARS contact Church of the Heavenly Rest, 90th and Fifth, just across town. They have school space to rent that was previously the home of Trevor Day School. Speak to Ruth An. Regiannetto.