ORLANDO, Fla. – After the sudden closure of Legends Academy charter school, parents arrived Monday to fill out paperwork and figure out what is next for their children.
“My son finally started playing sports this year and my daughter was coming out of her shell. So, it’s very frustrating to them,” Jakara William said.
The board of directors for Legends Academy voted to permanently shut down the school during a virtual meeting last week — during winter break.
[VIDEO BELOW: Parents work to find new school for their kids]
“Oh, [my kids] started crying and they were so sad,” one parent, who did not want to be identified, told News 6.
Now, parents of more than 200 students are scrambling to find new campuses for their children to continue the school year.
“We’re just trying to get their papers in and go to a few schools to see if they have any openings, if they can try to work out,” Williams said.
[VIDEO BELOW: Charter school suddenly closes]
In a statement to News 6, the school’s board of directors said, “After careful review of the school’s financial condition and long-term liabilities, the board of directors made the difficult decision to close the school due to unsustainable financial challenges.”
According to IRS tax statements obtained through ProPublica, the school — formerly known as the Nap Ford Community School — reported spending hundreds of thousands of dollars more than its revenue for several years. In its most recent filing for tax year 2023, the school reported a deficit of nearly $720,000.
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Students, like sixth grader Jeremiah Hughes, are sad to see the school close its doors so abruptly, especially since he just made the school’s basketball team.
“Disappointed and also a little nervous to go to my new school,” he said. “I’ve been doing really good in this school, just really good.”
Parents also say they were previously told the school would be relocating to a new building off the C.R. Smith campus, making the closure even more unexpected.
In its statement, the board also said, “This decision was not made lightly and does not diminish the impact the school has had on generations of families.”
News 6 also reached out to Orange County Public Schools for comment.
“Orange County Public Schools was notified this week of Legends Academy Charter School’s decision to cease operations and close immediately. We understand that this unexpected news has created uncertainty and concern for many students and their families attending the charter school,” the district said in a statement.
“OCPS has contacted impacted families to offer guidance, support, and provide student enrollment options within our schools or explore other school choices through Open Enrollment. We are committed to supporting students through this transition so they can continue to receive high-quality instruction.”
According to a sign posted outside the school, there will be a transition team there all week to help parents.