Paul Druzinsky, the veteran school administrator brought in to guide Roycemore School through a financial crisis, has stepped down as interim head just over two weeks after taking the job. His departure adds another layer of instability to the century-old Evanston private school, which announced July 15 that it will not open for the 2026-27 school year.

"As there will not be school to run I have stepped down as interim head," Druzinsky told Evanston Now in a text message.

Druzinsky started at Roycemore on July 1, having relocated from Wichita, Kansas, where he had been serving as interim head at the Independent School. He told the Pioneer Press he was recruited because of his experience managing schools facing "similar situations." That experience includes overseeing the closure of Elgin Academy during the 2023-24 school year.

Druzinsky said he plans to stay in Evanston for the next year to advise the board as it weighs whether to attempt a reopening. He is not confident that will be easy. He told the Pioneer Press on July 16 that reopening a closed school is "an extremely difficult process" because many closure steps cannot be undone. But he added: "I'm a firm believer in hope."

Why the school closed

Roycemore's Board of Trustees told families in a July 15 email that the school had experienced a "significant and unexpected" decline in confirmed enrollment. The board said enrollment "fell well below the level required to operate the school responsibly."

The financial trouble had been building. Annual fundraising dropped from $918,000 in 2018 to $495,000 in 2025, according to the Chicago Tribune. The school's model relied on tuition covering about 70 percent of operating costs, with the remaining 30 percent dependent on donations, Board Vice Chair Anita Shah told the Tribune in May.

An anonymous donor provided a grant that allowed Roycemore to finish the 2025-26 school year, but the grant required the school to retain at least 165 of 177 tuition contracts already signed for 2026-27. The school failed to meet that threshold.

Leadership turnover

Druzinsky's departure is the latest in a string of leadership changes. Former head of school Christopher English was removed by board members in April after serving since 2022. Interim Head Morgan Busbey stepped in briefly before Druzinsky arrived July 1. Former Board Chair Anthony Chambers and Director of Finance and Operations Michael Youkim both stepped down in May.

What families need to know

Trustees said they are working to transfer student transcripts, report cards, and official records to students' new schools. Families who submitted tuition payments for 2026-27 were told to expect communications from Roycemore's financial and legal advisors about reimbursement.

Druzinsky said area schools have been "incredibly kind, offering support and possible pathways" for displaced families, and that administrators are communicating with those who need help finding new placements.

Jessica Risker, a Roycemore parent whose child attended the school in 2025-26, told the Pioneer Press on July 16: "We are heartbroken. Roycemore was extraordinary."

No date has been announced for a board decision on whether to attempt reopening.