Students, parents surprised when charter school suddenly closes in Orange County

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Surprised parents had to race to pick their children up from an Orange County charter school Wednesday after being told it was shutting down.

Some parents told Channel 9 that they received a letter Wednesday about the closing, but that they had little warning.
 
"Not one time did I get notice or nothing, and then today.  Really, this is very unprofessional," parent Lakair Taylor said.
 
The closing of the west Orange County school left 300 students with nowhere to go.

Slideshow: Charter school closed

"We as working parents have to take off come and get our kids and find our kids standing outside. Really, who does that?" Taylor said.
 
"I feel like I have been played, that my education here was not taken seriously," student Nicholas Winston said.
 
Winston said he had hoped the academy would help him on a path to a bright future.
 
"I want to go to the military. I thought that the school, this so-called wonderful school, was going to give me the opportunity, but it just failed," Winston said.
 
A teacher with the school said he had no idea Acclaim Academy was shutting down.
 
"Today we had no idea it was closing, and they shut it down," teacher Daniel Reynolds said.
 
Students told Channel 9 that as soon as some of the students were given the letter announcing the closing word spread quickly and the school was put on lockdown.
 
"Chaos started brewing. They called a code 11, which means shut everyone in the room and then they started room by room getting the kids out," Reynolds said.
 
Channel 9 has reported on problems Acclaim Academy has been having in both Orange and Osceola counties.
 
The Osceola County campus closed because of money problems, compliance issues and poor performance.
 
On Wednesday administrators wouldn't talk to Channel 9 about the closing of the Orange County campus.
 
Some teachers said the school grew too quickly, without proper oversight and adequate funding for qualified teachers. They said that led to students leaving the school.
 
"I feel for the kids, the students. I feel for them," teacher Debra Britton said.
 
Parents said the problems started in the fall when some of the school's teachers started leaving. They said since that time the students have been caught in the middle.
 
"They are expected to go to a new school and pass the state test and they can't because the school let them down," parent Mark Phillips said.
 
Channel 9 learned that there were no seniors at the school, so graduation will not be affected.
 
Officials said other students can either go to their zoned public school or find another charter school for the remainder of the school year.

WFTV