Parents angry and dismayed over how Fort Worth church handled school closure

In less than a week, the St. Stephen Presbyterian Day School went from being a decades-old and beloved institution to being no more, and parents say church leaders have been largely silent about what precipitated the closure and what happens next.

It all began on Oct. 29 when school director Lauren Ferguson was dismissed from her role. According to a St. Stephen teacher and multiple parents whose children attended the school, Ferguson’s firing seemingly came out of nowhere. Later that day, church administrators informed parents that Marcie Ellen Duplantis, St. Stephen’s director of Christian formation, would take over as director.

In the days that followed, at least seven of the nine St. Stephen teachers resigned, along with at least two board members, sources told the Star-Telegram. Former teacher Sonia Behrens, who taught at St. Stephen for 23 years, said she resigned in solidarity with Ferguson. That backlash seems to have caught school and church leaders off guard.

“They didn’t anticipate the tectonic shift,” said Connor Brankin, who had two children enrolled at St. Stephen.

Parents said they were told the dismissal was not the result of criminal wrongdoing or abuse allegations.

Neither Ferguson nor Duplantis have responded to requests for comment. The Star-Telegram also left a message for St. Stephen head pastor Elizabeth Callender.

The St. Stephen Presbyterian Day School, at 2700 McPherson Ave. in Fort Worth, had classes for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The school operated on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., but documents obtained by the Star-Telegram show there were plans to expand the program to five days a week in the coming years. There were approximately 50 students enrolled in the school.

Ferguson had served as director since 2019, according to her bio on the school’s website, which has since been removed.

St. Stephen parents speak out

Jessica Rhodes, a parent, said communication from the church over the past several days has been lacking, adding that several parents never received emails church leaders sent regarding the school’s leadership change and subsequent closure.

Church administrators scheduled a meeting for Sunday, Nov. 2, to address questions, but that meeting was canceled less than two hours before it was set to begin. In the email announcing the cancellation, families were told the school was ceasing operations.

“We apologize for the short notice and appreciate your understanding that classes cannot be held without teachers,” the email read.

Despite the meeting being called off, several families still went to St. Stephen on Sunday evening in search of answers. Rhodes said Callender and Duplantis were not available, but parents met with Bill Curtis, one of the church elders.

Rhodes believes church leaders haven’t done enough to show empathy for the children and families impacted by their decisions.

“Nobody will take responsibility,” she said.

Another parent, Kacey Blaisdell, said Callender was in the church during the informal parent gathering on Sunday, but that she wouldn’t come out and speak. Blaisdell and others also said Callender hasn’t responded to their emails.

“Where is the minister? Where is she?” Blaisdell asked rhetorically. “It is beyond disgusting and cowardly not to show up at that meeting.”

While the school and the church largely operated independently, parents told the Star-Telegram Callender had oversight over the school’s operations.

Brankin said when unpopular decisions are made, leaders are the ones who should be accountable. He said he understands that the church can’t comment on personnel matters, but he would like to hear someone say sorry for the disruption to kids and families that Ferguson’s dismissal caused.

When he didn’t receive a response to his emails, Brankin said he went to the church offices and spoke with Curtis and Callender. He described that meeting as somewhat cold and said it did little to lessen his disappointment over how things were handled.

Leslie Ramirez, a parent who has had children at St. Stephen for the past seven years, praised the school and Ferguson’s leadership, saying her children, especially her youngest daughter, thrived at St. Stephen.

Because of the positive experience they had, Ramirez said she was happy to pay the $285-a-month tuition despite there being free pre-kindergarten alternatives in Fort Worth.

Ferguson had already told administrators she planned to leave the school in May 2026, according to documents obtained by the Star-Telegram. Ramirez wondered why the church wouldn’t allow Ferguson to work out her term while they searched for a new director instead of springing the change on everyone so suddenly.

The parents who spoke with the Star-Telegram made it clear they don’t blame the teachers for resigning. All placed the blame rests solely on the administrators who made the decision to dismiss Ferguson without understanding how it would affect school staff.

“The ones who were hurt by this were our children,” Ramirez said.

In addition to disrupting the students’ routines, parents said the school closure forced them to scramble to make child care arrangements. On the Monday after the closure was announced, Rhodes had her child with her while she was working, as did others. Brankin said parents were having to make time to tour schools and paying unexpected application fees to get their children into new programs.

This week, St. Stephen notified families that they would receive refunds, though it was unclear how much they would get and if the refunds would include things like the $285 supply fee.