Parents are upset and children are confused after learning their Osceola County charter school could be closing on March 31.
Now the Osceola County School Board is filing an emergency lawsuit to make sure that doesn’t happen, in hopes of taking over operations to ensure students do not have to transfer with only two months left in the school year.
“I just think that the school should have gave us a chance to finish the school year,” shared Jordan Bridges, who is a seventh grade student at Acclaim Academy Charter School on Pleasant Hill Road.
“This is like a family to us and we don’t want to let that family go away,” said Angelica Angeles, a seventh grade student who often stays after school to participate in a boot camp-like fitness program.
Acclaim Academy Charter School is a military-style college prep charter school, where students feel like their teachers truly care about their well-being and their education.
"The reason why it’s different is because here there’s no fights. There’s no bullying. The teacher will prevent it. Here the teachers will actually listen to you, they will give you advice. They will not give up on you,” Angeles continued.
However, when the charter school received two consecutive “F” grades, state law required the Osceola County school district to close it.
District leaders said they thought they had an agreement with the school that it would stay open until the end of year.
“They were allowed to stay open and they made a business decision not to,” said Osceola County School Board member Jay Wheeler.
“Right now they are not only running away from the situation, they left the whole battalion behind,” added Acclaim Academy parent Janette Martinez.
Acclaim Academy leaders requested a waiver from the State Board of Education to stay open indefinitely but that request was denied. However, school board members said they have given the charter school every opportunity to stay open until the end of the school year.
“I do feel as if Acclaim Academy has quit on these students. I understand they may have financial concerns that they need to look at, but you know what? bThe money aside, we’re talking about kids,” said Osceola County School Board Chairman Tim Weisheyer.
“We’re talking about their lives and their education and as far as I’m concerned, we can’t make decisions based on what’s financially expedient for us. We need to make decisions based on what’s best for these kids and these families,” Weisheyer continued.
District leaders said that means they’re filing an emergency injunction against Acclaim Academy to force the school to allow the district to take over operations, which would allow students to finish out this school year at the charter school.
“I don’t have an actual number on the costs but I can tell you, whether it was a dollar, a $1,000 or $100,000, we’re going to be committed to these 360+ students to make sure they get what they need,” Weisheyer said.
“My son is a senior this year. It’s a lot of pressure to put on them the last two months of ‘oh my god what am I gonna do if I don’t graduate?’ How do they not graduate? It’s not their fault,” shared Acclaim Academy parent Jenniffer Maisonette.
We reached out to Acclaim Academy to get their side of the story but they have not yet responded to our request for comment.
Osceola County Public Schools is hosting a meeting to help Acclaim Academy parents work through this process on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the auditorium at Liberty High School in Poinciana.