ST. PAUL, Minn. – McNally Smith College of Music saw its last class graduate on Saturday, just days after the news of its sudden closure.
Just this past Thursday, an email was sent to staff and students at McNally Smith announcing its closure.
The email stated that the school could not make payroll and would not be able to honor upcoming classes already paid for by students. It went on to say, “We deeply regret these circumstances and can only ask for your understanding, patience, and cooperation as we try to meet our obligations to you and our students. We are committed to making good on the wages owed to you and will do so as soon as we possibly can.”
Less than 48 hours after the news broke to students and staff, 38 students were set to graduate from the school.
“Everyone is talking to each other and trying to communicate but there are so many questions to be answered on a lot of different spectrums,” said senior Mitchell Benson on Saturday.
The outgoing students were allowed to graduate as planned, Benson among them.
“It’s hard," he said. "I guess it’s the graduation of everyone that has ever gone through here."
The school has been working to obtain nonprofit status for the past two years, a process that McNally Smith President Harry Chalmiers says was on track until recently.
"It was about Monday, this past Monday, when that begin to unravel and completely fall apart," he said. "In the end we just really had no other choice."
The email sent out to the entire staff on Thursday asked faculty members to finish the semester for the students without pay and acknowledged the “awkwardness” and “unfairness” of the request.
"People are concerned that the notice was so short and the timing of this, how could it be worse?" Chalmiers said. "The answer is simple. Until a week ago we believed we had a deal in place to continue."
KARE 11 has reached out to both school founders Jack McNally and Doug Smith for comment, but so far has not heard back.
Chalmiers said he is one of the employees not receiving a paycheck.
"It's a series of mixed emotions here today," said Elijah Williams. He was set to graduate next semester, along with dozens of other students. "Everyone is extremely proud of the graduates and extremely unsure of the future."
With the closure, his future, along with the future of many others, is now uncertain.
"It’s hurtful and difficult to see," he said.
The Minnesota Department of Education has said it plans on working with students to find other avenues to complete their degrees.