- James Schrader resigned as owner of The Frazer School, transferring control to a new three-person board including founder Will Frazer.
- Financial issues including delayed teacher paychecks and $4 million in unpaid renovations prompted Frazer to initially sever ties with the school.
- The school is working to become a nonprofit and address a cash crunch from its $8.5 million building purchase and ongoing renovations.
The Frazer School in Gainesville is undergoing a leadership change as owner James Schrader stepped down on Thursday and transferred control to a three-person board consisting of the school’s founder, principal and a UF finance professor.
Schrader’s resignation was announced Thursday night during a meeting with parents at North Central Baptist Church in Gainesville.
The meeting came on the heels of a recent Facebook post by Will Frazer, founder of The Frazer School, in which he announced his decision to “break connections with the school” over various financial management problems.
In the post, Frazer provided several reasons for his decision, including delayed teacher paychecks, roughly $4 million in unpaid renovation expenses, misuse of funds, unpaid taxes and an increase in tuition.
In a separate Facebook post, Frazer outlined what it would take for him to stay at the school, noting he and Schrader had discussed this for months.
“We thought we had an agreement, but Mr. Schrader wouldn’t sign,” Frazer wrote.
The agreement called for Schrader to “resign immediately,” turn the school over to an unpaid board consisting of Olanrewaju Fayiga, a UF finance professor and principal of The Frazer School, and Frazer, and to file the required paperwork to turn the school into a nonprofit.
In an interview with Mainstreet this week, Schrader said he was working with his attorney “to walk away” from The Frazer School and sell it for $1.
“That way nobody made money,” he said, adding that a vendor report completed in September evaluated the school for $1 million. “I am willing to walk away so Will will come back. Somehow, I’ve been painted as the villain. And for me, education is more important than money. And I’m willing to walk away so that this school can continue on.”
It was noted in the meeting that a deal had been signed and the disagreements between Frazer and Schrader had “essentially been resolved.”
“I, and a lot of people, owe great thanks to Mr. Schrader,” Frazer said while speaking during the meeting. “The Frazer School wouldn’t exist if he hadn’t taken a risk to get it open.”
The school is now turning its attention toward the future, guided by new leadership.
Max Dolinsky, also a finance professor at UF, will join Frazer and Fayiga on the three-person board. A triple Gator, Dolinsky said he received his undergraduate degree in industrial engineering. He also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and a doctorate in finance.
“As a part of being on the board, it’s going to be my priority that we keep developing very strong placements,” he said. “We have the talent, we have the commitment of parents, we have the teachers. And so now, we just make sure that we tell our story.”
Frazer said they’ll start with three people on the board, but more will likely be added.
Additionally, Ethan Fieldman has joined The Frazer School as a Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
According to his LinkedIn profile, Fieldman is based in Gainesville and serves as an instructor at UF. He is also the executive director of Curio XR and is a board member of the UF Lastinger Center for Learning, Take Stock in Children of Florida and CareerSource North Central Florida.
“He’s all [in] the educational world,” Frazer said of Fieldman.
Frazer said Fieldman will not be paid as the CFO, noting he is doing it as a volunteer.
“He cares about the school,” Frazer said.
While speaking, Fieldman explained that The Frazer School currently has a “cash crunch,” noting this is due to the Hudson Building, or Frazer Building, located within Santa Fe Village Health Park at 4700 NW 89th Blvd. in Gainesville.
Schrader purchased the 60,000-square-foot building in November 2024. At that time, Frazer had told Mainstreet that the school’s enrollment had increased throughout its first year of operation, increasing by 50% heading into its second year of operation from 300 to 450 students.
Fieldman said it cost $8.5 million to buy the Hudson, with $4.5 million down. In the Facebook post, Frazer said the other $4 million was financed with Capital City Bank.
Fieldman explained the problem with the purchase.
“Think about a $400,000 house where you put down half of it [the cost],” he said. “You put down $200,000 in cash. Now, you have no money to pay the light bill. You have no money to pay for anything, but you still have the money. It’s just in the house. It’s in the equity of the home.”
Fieldman said this made it hard to make payroll, pay teachers and pay for other necessities because the money was all in the building.
He also noted the nearly $5 million renovation being done on the Hudson without a construction loan.
In his Facebook post, Frazer said payments are behind on the building’s renovation of the upstairs and downstairs.
Fieldman said roughly $1.6 to $1.7 million of those renovation costs have been paid.
“Joyner Construction has been incredibly nice about not asking for as much cash as they should be on it…” he said of the company doing the work.
Fieldman said they will be working to raise money to get a construction loan.
“Typically, people raise the money and then they go build the buildings,” he said. “In this situation, we got the buildings, and now we’re going to raise the money. Things were done very quickly. The school opened incredibly fast. So, it caused a lot of issues. And now we’re kind of going back and fixing up a bunch of those issues.”
In an interview with Mainstreet after the meeting, Frazer said the upstairs of the Hudson will eventually become the new home of the Frazer Elementary School. The elementary school is currently housed in the Peddie Building, located around the corner from the Hudson, which Frazer said they would “ideally” like to purchase down the road.
The Frazer School owners signed a contract to lease the Peddie in January. Frazer said they’re currently paying a little over $37,000 a month to rent the building.
He said they’re in the process of becoming a nonprofit, noting it’s roughly a two-month period due to the Florida Department of State being backlogged.
Frazer said becoming a nonprofit is a dream he and others have shared for a long time.
“We kind of wanted to be a public-school kind of feel, but, you know, this seems to be the best of both worlds,” Frazer said. “We can have freedom that you get in the private world, but also feel like…people know we’re not sitting here trying to make a profit. (We’re) doing it for the good of the community.”
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated.
Suggested Articles
No related articles found.
What happened to the $150,000 a month rent Frazer wrote about in his first post?
The school is now paying the mortgage, utilities, and other costs directly, instead of rent to GCCS. And there is a plan for Frazer School to buy the building from GCCS very soon.
https://warrington.ufl.edu/directory/maxim-dolinsky/
I guess journalism for some people means sharing Facebook posts? Where are the facts, what are the angles? Who does this article serve other than free advertising, outreach, and propaganda for Frazer?
It’s newsworthy that the internal issues have been resolved, with a new board appointed and the process started to become a non-profit.
True, that is the story, and it is newsworthy. Ethan, you bring more clarity and focus to the story with your diligence and concern, facts and analysis. It’s frustrating to see others milk the story for its click bait assumptions, and generalizations to stoke fear and outrage over uncertainty and unsubstantiated accusations. I didn’t think Main st daily news was truth social.
Thank you. Myself and a bunch of great teachers and staff are trying our best.
“V” – Any project /initiative as bold as this has setbacks and, admittedly, some mistakesare made along the way. Despite it all Frazer is a beacon of light in an otherwise dismasl academic field. The school will not only thrive but it will survive. I sense a lot of people in this city would love to see it fold but it will not.Issues are being addressed expediently.
Very well written article. Carried the spirit and important quotes of the evening. Thank you, Nick and the MSDN!
We (just two parents) are completely relieved of concerns about the school’s future. We knew little about it when we first visited at the old site, but the enthusiasm and happiness of kids from 3rd through 12th grade, as they streamed in each morning we were there for shadowing, paperwork, etc., was the single biggest selling beyond Mr. Frazer’s vision.
The work is rigorous, but it makes our kids feel as if their teachers believe in their abilities to perform, something not powerfully present in all schools! Going back to public school after this would be like having a Ferrari and being told you can only drive it in a crowded supermarket parking lot, never out on the road.
This really was a Christmas miracle!
The school just opened and right away they’re buying an $8 million building and spending $5 million to renovate it. Maybe that wasn’t the best decision.
I agree. Hence many of the issues.
We are parents, and we made a big mistake by enrolling our child in this school. There is still no clear direction for our child at the elementary level, and what has been finalized is still uncertain. Do not trust Frazer Marketing when it comes to taking people’s money.
Starting a new elementary program comes with growing pains. It has been less than six months since Frazer School launched its lower grades, and just as with any new school or grade levels, there are areas that continue to be refined and improved.
That said, Will Frazer and the entire staff are working diligently, especially now that several foundational issues have been resolved, to strengthen direction, curriculum, and communication. The school is taking feedback seriously: over 500 comments from current parents (positive and negative) were recently collected through surveys specifically designed to identify areas for improvement, and that feedback is actively being reviewed and acted upon.
If you have specific concerns or suggestions, the school genuinely wants to hear them. I know that principal of Frazer School and current board member, Dr. Fayiga, welcomes direct feedback and responds promptly to email. Open communication is always the fastest way to create meaningful improvements.
Opposite experience here. Our fourth grader has learned almost as much in one semester as in two full school years in public school. His self-confidence is far beyond what it was before. Public School teachers seem to have little faith in their students’ ability to learn, and they crawl at a snail’s pace.
Our fourth grader comes home with work to do each evening and weekend, and he gets it done; he’s learning to manage his time, and his teachers have taught the whole class how to keep their work very well organized. The lower school is extremely well run and student centered.
It does take considerable time and encouragement as a parent when kids are performing at this level, but the results are extraordinary.
Given the recent issues surrounding Will Frazer and school leadership, many families are increasingly concerned about the direction and stability of this school. School was not safe and recent changes is more concerning.
It is troubling that Will Frazer appears more focused on protecting reputation and academic branding than on addressing safety, transparency, and the overall well-being of the school community. Will is good in marketing but he does not hold his promises.
I’m not sure what specific incidents you’re referring to, so it’s difficult to address your concers. What I can say is that safety, transparency, and student well-being are taken very seriously, and when specific issues are identified, they are addressed. I’m just an unpaid advisor helping out at the school, but I have been in enough meetings to see the strong commitment of the staff to address any and all issues.
I would highly recommend contacting Dr. Fayiga, the school’s principal and a board member. He welcomes direct communication and responds promptly to email.
I can’t read his mind, but I don’t get that sense at all. A school that prioritizes academic excellence needs great teachers as they push their students. Of course the brand is important because private schools need donations. Even Oak Hall which has been around for decades is now asking for donations to build two new gymnasiums. People would not contribute if they didn’t have faith in the Oak Hall brand which has taken many many years to become the trusted institution that it is now. Remember Fraser school is only in its second year of operation and has moved to this new building while doing some great education at the same time. Is it perfect? Is it smooth everyday? No, of course not, but I’d rather have a little bit of turmoil and students who are being treated as if they can achieve then be in what seems like a stagnant, pessimistic Quagmire at some of our public schools here in Alachua County. It was a choice I’m very glad we made.
If they were a non-profit the bldgs could be donated for a tax credit by the bldg owners. Not sure that would apply to a bank loan, however.
Regardless they’re better situated than Celebrations Pointe creditors. Many graduates and parents of Fraser curriculum are likely future deep pocketed donors. Future can only get brighter 🥳🥳🥳
The point about the time it will take to get non-profit paperwork processed shouldn’t be overlooked. Ask yourself why the Florida Department of State is so “backlogged”. Has Florida DOGE increased efficiency or made it worse. Blaise is running his mouth about other entities, but doesn’t care much about his own department’s performance. If you won’t maintain enough staff to get the job done, are you really “saving” $?