Hundreds Of Philadelphia Students Forced To Find New School To Attend Next Year
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A problem-plagued Philadelphia charter school is closing its doors at the end of this school year.
It's the end of the line for the New Media Charter School. The charter in West Oak Lane has told parents in a letter that it is closing in June.
New Media opened 12 years ago with help from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, but in later years saw two of its founders admit to federal fraud charges.
The School Reform Commission last year denied the school a new charter, citing poor academics and financial troubles.
Four hundred and eighty students at the grade 6 through 12 school now have to find a new school.
Peng Chao, manager of turnarounds and operations in the district's charter schools office, says the district is working to ease the transition.
"We've already come up with a process to allow students to enroll in their neighborhood schools if they want to, or submit an application to enroll at a school that's not their neighborhood school -- be it a citywide school, special admissions school or another neighborhood school outside of their own catchment."
Chao says the school was unable to find a turnaround partner to manage the school.
New Media could have appealed the SRC's denial to the state Charter Appeal Board, but the school's board voted to close.