Acorn Preschool

Acorn Preschool has been in operation for 16 years and we have served well over 600 children since we began.   Our school does indeed have a very clear and openly disclosed policy that fees and tuition for registering and disenrolling a student are non-refundable. Our policy is stated on our...

website  [redacted]  and on all forms used by the school and signed by parents.  All registrants are also verbally informed of our no refund policy and are instructed to be certain of their intentions to register with our school before paying fees and tuition.   Our policy is in place because parents may commit to multiple schools at the same time which creates conflicts for providing sufficient teaching staff and creates uncertainty and anxiety for those parents who are on the waiting list but are unable to gauge whether they will be able to have certainty for registration that school year. The school requires a 30-day advance written notice if a parent intends to withdraw their child from the school.
The complainant (referred to hereafter as “AB”) was made aware of the school’s policy that fees and tuition are non-refundable prior to making a reservation for her child and paying the schools fees and tuition for summer school. 
    
AB’s complaint fails to represent the full factual circumstance surrounding her interaction with the school.   AB made a reservation for six weeks of summer school of which she paid one week.  AB called the school in May and indicated that her child would not be able to attend the June sessions but would be attending the July 9th session.  Her child never attended summer school.   Near the end of June, AB called the school again to ask if her fees could be applied to her fall tuition and I made an exception and agreed to apply her fees to the fall since she represented that her child would be attending in the fall.   
On July 18, a “welcome to school” email was sent by the school to all parents that were registered for the fall, including AB.  Four days later AB called the school to say her child would not be attending Acorn Preschool and that she wanted her fees refunded.  I informed her again of our policy of which she acknowledged she agreed to in her contract but she believed she deserved her money back regardless.   I then offered AB services at our other affiliated school to provide her services for her fees.  She refused on the basis that our schools were not convenient.   I explained her fees were being applied to September and that she was more than welcome to have her child attend for just the month; however, her fees were non-refundable.   I also made inquiries in the community and discovered that AB misrepresented her situation as she is still employed by the same school she was previously and has made no changes to her living or employment locations. To date, AB has not provided the school 30-days advanced written notice of withdrawal. 
AB then contacted another parent who plans to register at Acorn Preschool and asked her to let AB “gift” her tuition amount to her daughter and then have the parent pay her back rather than pay tuition to the school.  Acorn Preschool does not have a “gifting” policy because it creates an unfair advantage for children who are ahead in line on the wait list for those who may receive a “gift” in this manner.   I contacted the parent who AB intended to make the “gift” deal with. The parent had no intention to get involved with AB’s gift idea and asked that she not be involved in the dispute. 
AB’s complaint states that I avoided returning her calls; however, she and I have engaged in at least four conversations.  When the AB did not get the result she was seeking – a refund of her fees, she began badgering myself and my employee over the phone.   She ended our last telephone conversation by hanging up mid-conversation.  
Prior to filing this complaint,  AB posted disparaging comments about Acorn Preschool and myself on social media sites, including but not limited to, [redacted],  [redacted], and [redacted], in an attempt to damage the school’s and my reputation.  I am in possession of copies of AB’s social media posts.  AB’s complaint stems from a parent who acknowledged she knows the school’s policy that fees are non-refundable, failed to follow through with placing her child in summer school, failed to provide 30-days advance written notice of withdrawal, was provided another school located closer to her place of employment, and now continues to believe that she is entitled to be the exception to the school’s policies and receive a refund.    When her  telephone bullying tactics were unsuccessful in getting her fees refunded, she turned to social media and cyber-bullying to cause reputational damage to Acorn Preschool and to me personally.   She has now gone another step and filed a complaint with the Revdex.com.  
Our school has enjoyed 16 years of success.  All businesses require policies and rules and Acorn Preschool is no exception.  The majority of parents understand the policies yet continue to register and pay fees and tuition even though they are well aware that it is non-refundable.   As a business owner and member of the Flagstaff community, I will not hesitate to take legal action if AB continues on this reputational bullying path.

Acorn Preschool has been in operation for 16 years and we have served well over 600 children since we began.   Our school does indeed have a very clear and openly disclosed policy that fees and tuition for registering and disenrolling a student are non-refundable. Our policy is stated on our...

website  [redacted]  and on all forms used by the school and signed by parents.  All registrants are also verbally informed of our no refund policy and are instructed to be certain of their intentions to register with our school before paying fees and tuition.   Our policy is in place because parents may commit to multiple schools at the same time which creates conflicts for providing sufficient teaching staff and creates uncertainty and anxiety for those parents who are on the waiting list but are unable to gauge whether they will be able to have certainty for registration that school year. The school requires a 30-day advance written notice if a parent intends to withdraw their child from the school.

The complainant (referred to hereafter as “AB”) was made aware of the school’s policy that fees and tuition are non-refundable prior to making a reservation for her child and paying the schools fees and tuition for summer school. 

    

AB’s complaint fails to represent the full factual circumstance surrounding her interaction with the school.   AB made a reservation for six weeks of summer school of which she paid one week.  AB called the school in May and indicated that her child would not be able to attend the June sessions but would be attending the July 9th session.  Her child never attended summer school.   Near the end of June, AB called the school again to ask if her fees could be applied to her fall tuition and I made an exception and agreed to apply her fees to the fall since she represented that her child would be attending in the fall.   

On July 18, a “welcome to school” email was sent by the school to all parents that were registered for the fall, including AB.  Four days later AB called the school to say her child would not be attending Acorn Preschool and that she wanted her fees refunded.  I informed her again of our policy of which she acknowledged she agreed to in her contract but she believed she deserved her money back regardless.   I then offered AB services at our other affiliated school to provide her services for her fees.  She refused on the basis that our schools were not convenient.   I explained her fees were being applied to September and that she was more than welcome to have her child attend for just the month; however, her fees were non-refundable.   I also made inquiries in the community and discovered that AB misrepresented her situation as she is still employed by the same school she was previously and has made no changes to her living or employment locations. To date, AB has not provided the school 30-days advanced written notice of withdrawal. 

AB then contacted another parent who plans to register at Acorn Preschool and asked her to let AB “gift” her tuition amount to her daughter and then have the parent pay her back rather than pay tuition to the school.  Acorn Preschool does not have a “gifting” policy because it creates an unfair advantage for children who are ahead in line on the wait list for those who may receive a “gift” in this manner.   I contacted the parent who AB intended to make the “gift” deal with. The parent had no intention to get involved with AB’s gift idea and asked that she not be involved in the dispute. 

AB’s complaint states that I avoided returning her calls; however, she and I have engaged in at least four conversations.  When the AB did not get the result she was seeking – a refund of her fees, she began badgering myself and my employee over the phone.   She ended our last telephone conversation by hanging up mid-conversation.  

Prior to filing this complaint,  AB posted disparaging comments about Acorn Preschool and myself on social media sites, including but not limited to, [redacted],  [redacted], and [redacted], in an attempt to damage the school’s and my reputation.  I am in possession of copies of AB’s social media posts.  AB’s complaint stems from a parent who acknowledged she knows the school’s policy that fees are non-refundable, failed to follow through with placing her child in summer school, failed to provide 30-days advance written notice of withdrawal, was provided another school located closer to her place of employment, and now continues to believe that she is entitled to be the exception to the school’s policies and receive a refund.    When her  telephone bullying tactics were unsuccessful in getting her fees refunded, she turned to social media and cyber-bullying to cause reputational damage to Acorn Preschool and to me personally.   She has now gone another step and filed a complaint with the Revdex.com.  

Our school has enjoyed 16 years of success.  All businesses require policies and rules and Acorn Preschool is no exception.  The majority of parents understand the policies yet continue to register and pay fees and tuition even though they are well aware that it is non-refundable.   As a business owner and member of the Flagstaff community, I will not hesitate to take legal action if AB continues on this reputational bullying path.