DENVER — Spring break hasn't even happened and one school is already thinking about the last day of the year. North Central Denver charter school Wyatt Academy could be counting down its final days.
Earlier this week, the charter board of directors notified staff and parents that the decision was made to close classrooms at the end of the year, a vote that was made without community input.
"Just seems like a shady backroom deal," one frustrated parent told 9NEWS. "Backroom deals have been going on without letting anybody know."
Wyatt administration and teachers said they're processing the stages of grief, putting off "acceptance" for as long as they can.
"Number one, sadness, for the loss of such an important pillar of the community here," 5th-grade teacher Tim Lewis said. "But also, frustration that we weren’t consulted. Anger, in the fact that we put our heart and soul into this building and the students we see every day."
Lewis said the board of directors made its decision Monday morning at a special meeting. Staff was notified that afternoon they might be out of a job in four months.
"We felt really disrespected with the lack of transparency in this decision," Lewis said. "We felt as professionals, community members, we feel betrayed by the board for them to do this behind our back."
According to board chair, Katie Brown, the decision comes due to challenges with funding and enrollment.
In a statement to 9NEWS, she briefly highlighted some of the issues contributing to the controversial move:
"It is heartbreaking to be confronted with this decision. The stark reality facing schools in Denver and nationwide is that low enrollment is not financially sustainable. The financial challenges facing Wyatt have been an ongoing discussion over several years.
Our students and staff have been feeling the effects, unfortunately. Budget constraints have resulted in significant cuts in recent years, including, but not limited to:
- Art enrichment
- Dedicated science classes
- Reading and math interventionists
- Paraprofessionals from every grade level except kindergarten
- A dedicated campus nurse
- Onsite tech support
- Teacher supports such as deans, human resources and professional development programs
The Wyatt board timed these critical decisions to give families time and help exploring their enrollment options for the 2024-25 school year. The Wyatt team is dedicated to supporting our families during this transition."
Wyatt Academy is a public, charter school, but is an extension of Denver Public Schools. The district's round-one enrollment window for the 2024-25 school year closes Feb. 12 at 4 p.m.
"I basically had to tell her that the school she’s been planning on and gearing up to go to that she can’t go anymore and we have to find her a new school," one parent explained.
"Because the school’s shutting down," his daughter chimed in.
"Yeah, school’s shutting down and we’ve been working on getting her into this school for a year now," the parent concluded.
The board opted to engage in a partnership with fellow Denver charter, University Prep. All Wyatt Academy students can transition to UPrep for the 2024-25 academic year if they desire. UPrep is one of several options families will have through the district's SchoolChoice process.
Lewis said some faculty were provided documentation on how to apply for jobs at University Prep, but for him, that information was as good as garbage.
"The reason I’m not interested in teaching anywhere besides Wyatt is the community feel we have here," Lewis said. "It’s a small school, we’re small, but we’re mighty."
Lewis said he's heard from his students, big and small, on how they feel about the closure.
"My fifth-graders who are going to middle school next year anyway were up in arms because of the impact this school and staff have had on them," Lewis said. "We have kindergarteners coming up to us offering their piggy banks to see if it’s going to help keep their school open because they just want to stay with their friends, they love their teachers and they want to stay with the Wyatt family forever."
Wyatt Academy's building is one of the oldest buildings in Denver that has always operated as a school, dating back to the 1800s.
"There’s generations of families that have been in this building and walked the halls of Wyatt Academy," Lewis said.
Lewis said if there's anything he could ask for from the board, it's an opportunity to prove the school is worth more than what they're being cast off as.
"They gave up on us and they’re not giving us a chance to step up to the plate that we can come together as a community and make it work," Lewis said.
Wyatt Academy's last day of school is May 31.
Read the notice of closure below:
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