Only one month into the school year, Delta Prep Academy for Social Justice is closing its doors to more than 200 students and staff.
The decision came after enrollment concerns prompted the school board to vote on whether to shut the school down or not. The vote ended in a 4-1 decision, promoting the school to close effective October 1st.
Ronald Rizzo, director of the charter school office at Ferris State University, says the last day of classes will be Friday and unclear if homecoming festivities will happen Saturday evening. "It's really unfortunate," Rizzo said. "It's a terrible time to have this happen.”
Get this. The school opened this year hoping that with all the shuffling that occurs in the Detroit area, the enrollment size would improve. Basically taking a risk to see how many kids would walk-up and enroll at the last moment. Well doesn't that just make you feel like a casino chip. SMH!!
Seniors who started as freshmen were visibly crying when they received the news of the schools closing.
As a parent trusting an school board members, teachers, and staff - ALL WE ASK IS TRANSPARENCY. Tell us whats up ahead of time. Take us through the process with you.
Renee Burgess, president of EQUITY Education said in a letter posted to the school's Facebook page (below) that she is troubled by the board's decision.
"It is wrong to educationally evict children from their school, particularly once the school year has started," Burgess said. "The instability and trauma that is created when you close a school will remain with these children."
Burgess said parents can enroll their children in two other high schools the company manages: the Detroit Leadership Academy or Detroit Collegiate High School.