Monroe Charter School Abruptly Closes Leaving More Than 160 Students In Chaos
There is so much about the story of Apprentice Academy that, as a parent, is a complete nightmare. Imagine last week, you drop your kids off at his/her school to begin a new education year. You survived another summer (whew), now back to the grind. Then, mysteriously you get a note from the school about being closed on Friday. On Saturday (on a holiday weekend, no less) comes word-via email-that the school is now closed, and you need to find somewhere else to educate your child. THAT’S what has happened at Apprentice Academy, a charter school in Monroe, or should I say, a former charter school in Monroe.
So, What Happened At Apprentice Academy?
This is not a one thing answer. Let’s start with legality. Apprentice Academy has operated out of two different locations. One on Old Charlotte Highway and another on Weddington Road. They hadn’t been in the Old Charlotte Highway location in several years but had decided to shift school operations back to that location. The problem is the school no longer had a valid certificate of occupancy. The Fire Marshall got wind of this and informed the school they needed this in a visit on Thursday (this led to the Friday closing). The school, citing the expense of obtaining the CO, shut its doors. Let me be clear here. The Fire Marshall DID NOT shut down the school.
Other Troubles At Apprentice Academy?
Unfortunately, the CO was merely the straw that broke the camel’s back for Apprentice Academy. According to Principal Barry Ross and Chairman John Jedra (via WCNC), “Despite our collective efforts, we have not been able to achieve the level of student academic growth that we aspired to,” they wrote. “Our school’s persistently low-performing status has further eroded the confidence of the community in our ability to fulfill our mission of preparing students for high-paying, high-tech careers.”
Now 160 students and families are thrown into educational chaos to begin the 2024-25 academic school year.
