MONROE, N.C. — The sudden closure of a Monroe charter school has left 160 students without a school and families trying to figure out the next steps.
The Apprentice Academy announced its sudden closure on Saturday. The school principal and chairman of the board cited a variety of reasons for the closure. Among those reasons, a Thursday visit from the fire marshal's office where the school learned their certificate of occupancy (CO) was expired.
"School administration had believed in good faith that the CO was valid as the school had previously occupied the same building and had a valid CO at that time with no expiration date on the documentation," school administration explained on it website. "The Fire Marshall informed Administration that the previous CO had actually expired when Apprentice Academy vacated the building in 2019."
In a statement released on Tuesday, the city of Monroe said the fire marshal did not shut down the school.
In a letter to families, Principal Barry Ross and Chairman John Jedra said "the uncertainty and potential financial burden associated with obtaining a new certificate added to our already challenging situation and further confirmed the need for us to consider closure," they wrote.
The city of Monroe said that even though the Apprentice Academy had previously occupied the same space, they had needed to obtain a new CO when they returned to the location at 2850 Old Charlotte Highway.
The school was also facing a decline in enrollment, according to Ross and Jedra.
"Our enrollment has dropped to an all-time low of only 160 students, far below our projections and the numbers needed to sustain our operations," their message reads.
Ross and Jedra also pointed to challenges with academic performance.
"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."
Comments on the school's Facebook page indicated students had just completed their first week of classes when the closure was announced.
As part of their closure, the school says it has surrendered its charter license.
Aiden Carlton is a senior at Apprentice Academy High, and his last year of high school is now coming with lots of hiccups.
“I just want to just finish up school and get out of there,” said he said. “The first week was so hectic, many students did not have a schedule."
From scheduling to some students being sent home early, and now to a decision to completely close the school, his mom Kathryn Carlton said it’s been a rollercoaster.
“It’s just been a mess for everybody," one parent said. "I am not sure where to go from here -- we have no guidance from the school."
School staff will be available later this week to meet with families of current and former students. Office hours will be offered both Wednesday and Thursday from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and again 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. In addition to collecting current computers and issuing parking refunds, the school says it will also be available to provide transcripts.
Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.