Blue School, the school built by the founders of the Blue Man Group in 2006 and that relocated to the Seaport in 2011, will close after completing the 2022-2023 school year, the school announced. LREI will offer admission to Blue School students for the 2023-2024 school year.

From their website; read the full statement here:

“It is with great sadness that we announce that the 2022-2023 school year will be Blue School’s last year of operation. Blue School will close at the end of this summer after completing the current school year. In an effort to support all of the families who will be in need of a new school next year, Blue School has entered into an agreement with LREI, through which LREI will extend an offer of admission for every rising PK4-8th Grade Blue School student for the 2023-2024 school year.

“Over the past several years through the pandemic, Blue School has experienced a significant decline in its student population, which combined with other challenges has threatened the long-term viability of the school. While the Blue School Board and Leadership Team worked tirelessly to pursue every possible action to put the school on a sustainable financial path, they were ultimately unable to guarantee a future beyond the current academic year.”

Blue Man Group, the wildly successful and entertaining percussive and visual experience, was founded in 1987 and took up residence at the Astor Place Theater in 1991 (oy, time flies). The founders’ expansion into education was born out of an idea that school should be as expressive and as joyful and as fun as their performances. They first started a playgroup in 2006 and the concept grew over the years into a pre-k through 8th grade school. They relocated to Water Street in 2011, added middle school in 2015, acquired a site at 156 William in 2016 and sold it in 2021.

It’s my understanding that there are a couple hundred children still enrolled — and this must be a horrible loss for them and their families. This is how the school’s announcement concluded:

“While we are heartbroken that Blue School will close after this year, we are hopeful about the future for all of our students and families, and Blue School and LREI will work closely together to ensure the best possible 2022-2023 academic year for our communities.”

At Rockwell Group’s new @BlueSchoolNYC, “the space is almost the third teacher”: https://t.co/KcGxukiO7j pic.twitter.com/MDYrLeLmd8

— Metropolis Magazine (@MetropolisMag) September 25, 2018