The board of directors of West Side Summit Charter School decided on June 18 to close the school and cease operations effective June 30.
Sarah Hanson, the executive director, communicated to the parents the following day:
While we believe we have served our students well over the years, in many cases, our reading and math test scores have not reflected the growth necessary to adequately prepare students for the rigors of high school and college. The West Side Summit Board of Directors met last night for a regularly scheduled board meeting to discuss our academic results and the future of West Side Summit. After hours of deliberation and discussion, the board took a vote and made a difficult decision to close West Side Summit effective June 30, 2019.
What are some of the effects on us, the parish community of Saint Matthew?
- We will no longer receive a monthly lease payment of about $21,000.
- We will continue to have a $10,000 monthly mortgage payment. But, directly because of the possibility of the school closing, there was money set aside to pay the mortgage for one year.
- We will be working with the realtor, the Catholic Finance Corporation, and other entities to try to find another school to occupy our building. Indeed, there has been an inquiry from a commercial real estate person about another charter school coming on to our campus.
- We will not have to juggle funeral lunches to ‘fit between’ WSS lunch and Loaves & Fishes.
We pledge to keep you ‘up to speed’ about the developments as we search for a new resident in our school building.
John Riehle Karen Thompson John DelVecchio
Pastoral Administrator Trustee Trustee
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