Aspen’s Wildwood School Launches Fund to Cover Operating Deficits

Aspen —Will a private preschool in Aspen’s North Star Nature Preserve stay open? That is the question behind Saturday’s "Into the Woods" fundraiser.

Wildwood School held its annual benefit on Sept. 19 at its 10-acre campus in the preserve. The event raised money for a new fund designed to plug three specific holes in the school’s budget: the gap between tuition and operating costs, teacher retention, and capital improvements.

The short version is that the school needs cash to keep its lights on and its staff employed.

Wildwood opened in 1974. For five decades, it has run a nature-based curriculum where kids learn through play and exploration in the woods. The school argues this approach builds academic skills like reading, writing, and math while reducing stress.

Tina Person, the school’s director, leaned into the romantic side of the location during the event. She told the Aspen Times that the forest floor is a "vast, invisible map of kindness." She said children stepping on the soft ground are standing on a "foundation of pure collaboration."

Read that again. It is poetic, but it does not pay the electric bill.

The fund targets three priorities. First, covering the shortfall between tuition revenue and operating expenses. Second, retaining exceptional teachers. Third, funding capital improvements. Person called all three vital to the school’s long-term sustainability.

The event itself was a community affair. Parents, faculty, and friends gathered on the campus despite rain earlier in the day. The weather cleared for the party.

Barclay and Molly Dodge, Wildwood parents who run Bosq, provided the food. Their staff, including Chef Barclay Dodge, handled the meal service.

Sally Maxwell, a parent, sang an acapella version of "When You Wish Upon a Star." Spencer McKnight, another parent, led the live auction. The auction featured two original works of art created by students from the campus’ Younger Dome and Older Dome. All proceeds from that artwork went directly to the teachers.

The crowd included a mix of local faces. Photos from the event show Ali Berry and Audrey Duggan at the benefit. Newlyweds Bella Northern, a Wildwood teacher, and Austin Northern were in attendance. Board members Lindsay Smythe and Allison Mangelsen showed up, as did Tina Person and Anna Cheyne, the head of the Younger Dome. Parents Will and Nathalia Dolan were also present.

The Aspen Times described the gathering as a "joyful celebration of community, creativity and generosity."

What the school did not say is how much money it needs. The announcement lists the priorities but offers no dollar figures for the operating deficit or the capital projects. It does not state how much tuition has risen recently or what percentage of operating costs are covered by current enrollment.

The school is asking for support to ensure its "long-term sustainability." That phrase does a lot of heavy lifting. It implies the current model is fragile.

Wildwood has been in Aspen for 50 years. It sits on a protected, picturesque piece of land in the North Star Nature Preserve. The location is a major asset for a nature-based preschool. But assets do not cover payroll gaps on their own.

The school is betting that its community will keep showing up, paying into the fund, and buying art at auction. So far, that seems to be working. The rain stopped. The food was served. The art sold.

Whether that is enough to bridge the gap between tuition and expenses is a question for the next fiscal year.

For now, Wildwood is still in the woods.