ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — More than 200 Central Florida students are searching for a new school to attend next week.
The board for Legends Academy Charter School in Orange County voted officially to shut down the school Monday. The Board said there is insufficient funding for the school to continue operating beyond Dec. 31. The school, previously named Nap Ford Community School, has been open the last two decades.
Parents say school leadership let them know just two days before school let out for winter break that the school doors likely wouldn’t reopen. Next week, instead of going back to work, many parents told us they are forced to take time off to find another school to enroll their kids at.
Some parents tell Channel 9 they found out from their students at school pick-up that Legends Academy would be closing its doors.
“It’s sad to see that the family that I built over the years is being breaking apart,” said Chauncey Dudley, an 8th grader at Legends Academy. He said he was excited to be part of yearbook committee and play basketball this season. But he says he’s now forced to leave the only school he’s ever known. He’s attended Legends Academy since he was in kindergarten.
The charter school said it’s having to close the school because of “unsustainable financial challenges.” It blind sighted both parents and teachers, especially because the school planned to move students to a new building soon.
“And I’ve never once heard that this school was suffering from any kind of funding or anything. They didn’t give us a chance to even help the community get together,” said Anansa Adams, a parent of Legends Academy students.
Records the school filed with the IRS show Legends Academy consistently spent more than it was bringing in.
In the 2021 tax year, Legends Academy reported spending nearly $900,000 more than its revenue. In 2022, Legends Academy recorded it spent roughly $645,000 more than its revenue. The latest filings from 2023 tax year show the school spent nearly $720,000 more than it brought in.
Teachers say they don’t know where their next paycheck is coming from. Their health insurance coverage is uncertain. They’re trying to find a job during the holidays. They are concerned it will be tough to find a teaching job in the middle of the school year.
Meanwhile, parents say they’re scrambling to find a school for their children to go to next week.
“So, they’re going to go back late which is then still going to put them behind… that’s unacceptable,” said DeChandra Dudley, a parent of Legends Academy students.
“And in the middle of the school year,” Ashlyn Webb replied.
“In the middle of the year,” Dudley replied. “They could have at least went until the end of the year, which gives us more time to find these kids somewhere to go.”
We asked to interview with the chairman or a member of Board. The spokesperson for the school said they were not available to meet with us.
Legends Academy Charter School Full Statement:
“For nearly 25 years, Legends Academy has been a place of learning, growth and community for students and families, made possible by the dedication of its educators and staff. After careful review of the school’s financial condition and long-term viability, the Board of Directors made the difficult decision to close the school due to unsustainable financial challenges. This decision was not made lightly and does not diminish the impact the school has had on generations of families. The Board is working closely with the School District to complete the required closure process and support families as they plan next steps.”
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