A small independent elementary school on the outskirts of Sandpoint is asking the public for help after a wave of family departures this summer left it facing a financial shortfall too large to resolve without outside support.
The Hedge School, founded by Kelly McLean and now in its fifth year of operation, launched a GoFundMe campaign in July 2026 to bridge a funding gap created when six families chose not to return for the upcoming school year. The departures, which came at the start of summer, were attributed to academic preferences rather than dissatisfaction with the school’s model.
A School Born During the Pandemic
McLean established the Hedge School during the COVID-19 pandemic, building it around a nature-based, outdoor learning curriculum on a 30-acre property at the edge of Sandpoint. The school integrates hands-on activities throughout its approach to education — an element McLean has described as central to the school’s identity and daily life.
“We all sing with our children, we all draw with our children, we all paint with our children,” McLean said, describing the school’s collaborative, arts-integrated environment.
Over five years, the school built a small but dedicated community of families drawn to its unconventional approach. Independent schools like the Hedge School operate without public funding, relying entirely on tuition and private support — making enrollment fluctuations especially consequential for their financial stability.
Six Families, a Large Gap
When six families notified the school they would not be returning, school leadership assessed the financial impact and determined the resulting gap was too significant to close through internal measures alone. Salary reductions were considered as one potential solution, but administrators concluded that approach would not be sufficient to stabilize operations.
The decision to go public with a crowdfunding appeal reflects both the urgency of the situation and the school’s confidence that its mission resonates beyond its current enrollment. McLean framed the campaign not as a sign of failure but as a reflection of how committed the staff remains to keeping the school open.
“It’s the work we love, and we’re all willing to do more to keep the school going,” McLean said.
The GoFundMe campaign is now live, with a donation link available at bit.ly/4fd7M5i. The school has not publicly disclosed a specific fundraising target, but the campaign is aimed at covering operational costs while leadership works to attract new enrollment for the coming academic year.
Independent Education in Bonner County
The Hedge School’s situation highlights the precarious financial position that many small independent schools face, particularly those serving niche educational philosophies. Unlike publicly funded institutions, private schools have no safety net when enrollment dips — every family that leaves takes tuition revenue with it, and there is no district budget to absorb the shortfall.
Bonner County’s broader education landscape has seen its own pressures in recent years. The Lake Pend Oreille School District has navigated facility and resource challenges, including a school board decision to relocate Lake Pend Oreille High School students to portable classrooms as the district manages long-term infrastructure needs. Independent schools like the Hedge School operate entirely outside that system, which gives them flexibility but also leaves them more exposed to sudden enrollment changes.
For families considering alternative education options in the Sandpoint area, the Hedge School’s 30-acre campus and outdoor-focused model represent a distinctly different approach from traditional classroom instruction. McLean built the school on the premise that children learn more deeply when education is connected to the natural world — a philosophy that has attracted families from across the region since the school opened.
What Comes Next
The school’s immediate priority is raising enough through the GoFundMe campaign to stabilize operations heading into the fall semester. Beyond fundraising, leadership will need to focus on enrollment outreach to replace the families who departed and build a sustainable base for future years.
Families interested in learning more about the Hedge School’s program or supporting the campaign can donate directly at bit.ly/4fd7M5i. The school has not announced a deadline for the fundraising effort, but given the timing ahead of a new academic year, the coming weeks will be critical for its financial outlook.