The school year has just began in Union County but one charter school abruptly closed just before classes started, leaving students and parents in limbo.
On Saturday evening, parents learned that Apprentice Academy in Monroe would close its doors before the school year even began. Now 161 students have to find a new home for the 2024-25 school year.
According to a message posted on the school’s website, the number of students dropped sharply, from 201 to 161, between August 26 to August 29. Things continued to get worse for the charter school after the Monore fire marshal informed Apprentice Academy that its certificate of occupancy had expired.
The school held an emergency board meeting and determined that the reduced number of students wouldn’t cover the expense of the school year. Board members voted to give up their charter and close the school permanently.
However, the school also noted that Apprentice Academy hadn’t reached its academic goals, and said the school's poor academic performance was also a factor in closing.