Name: Apprentice Academy
Address: 2850 Old Charlotte Highway, Monroe, NC, 28110-9115, US
Telephone: (980) 313-8610

School
Permanently Closed

Next Steps for parents and guardians:

The school office hours this week:

Tuesday - no office hours

Wednesday - 10:30am - 12:30pm, 5pm to 7pm

Thursday - 10:30am -12:30pm, 5pm to 7pm

Friday - no office hours

At the office hours the staff will assist with:

Medications

Transcripts

Chromebook turn-in and fee refunds

Parking Fee refunds

Timeline of Events leading up to closing the school:

8/23 - enrolled student number was 201.

8/26-8/29 - student enrollment decreased to 161 (21% drop) due to students de-enrolled in PowerSchool.

8/29 4pm - visit from City of Monroe Fire Marshal informing school that the 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. The Fire Marshall informed Administration that the previous CO had actually expired when Apprentice Academy vacated the building in 2019.

8/30 - School building closed to students and staff due to lack of valid CO.

8/30 - enrolled student number 161 confirmed.

8/31 9am - Emergency board meeting which resulted in the vote to surrender the charter and close the school.

Consideration for the decision:

As the budget resulting from 161 students would not cover the expenses of the school year, the decision was made to close immediately to have the smallest possible impact to students’ education. Giving notice prior to 9/3 allows for the students to enroll in the district school to which their home address is assigned with minimal loss of learning time.

The school’s charter is approved for a hybrid school (physical and online) and could not be only virtual. A change to the charter would be a 2 month process at a minimum and would require the approval by the State Charter Review Board.

The process to receive a certificate of occupancy would have started 9/3 and required multiple City of Monroe departments to inspect and approve the CO. Each department would have 14 days to respond. The school would not have been able to have students on campus during this time. As the school is not authorized to offer 100% virtual classes, without a physical building, the school would be in violation of its charter.

8/31 7:45-8:00pm - Emails sent to staff, parents, guardians. Posts made to Website, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Email sent 8/31/2024 - 7:50pm ET - similar email sent to staff 7:45pm ET

Letter to Parents and Guardians: Announcement of School Closure

Date: August 31, 2024
To: Parents and Guardians of Apprentice Academy
From: Barry Ross, Principal

John Jedra, Chairman of the Board of Directors

Subject: Important Announcement Regarding the Future of Apprentice Academy

Dear Apprentice Academy Parents and Guardians

It is with a heavy heart that we write to you today to share some deeply difficult news regarding
the future of Apprentice Academy. After much deliberation, the Board of Directors, on the
recommendation of the school administration, has made the painful decision to surrender our
charter and permanently close the school.

This decision was not made lightly, but it has become clear that it is the most responsible course
of action given the current circumstances. Over the past few years, our school has faced
significant challenges, and despite the best efforts of our dedicated staff, we have struggled to
overcome them.

Declining Enrollment:
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. This decline is indicative of a loss of faith
within our community in Apprentice Academy as a school of choice. This decrease in student
numbers has made it financially unfeasible to continue operating the school at the standards we
have set for ourselves.

Academic Performance:
Despite our collective efforts, we have not been able to achieve the level of student academic
growth that we aspired to. 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. We understand the impact this has had on our students and their
families, and it deeply saddens us that we were unable to meet our goals.

Facilities Compliance:
Lastly, on Friday, August 30th, the City of Monroe Fire Marshal informed us that the Certificate
of Occupancy under which we have been operating is no longer valid. This revelation forced us
to abruptly close the building for safety reasons and request an emergency meeting of the Board
of Directors. 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.

Given these factors, it became evident that continuing to operate Apprentice Academy would not
be in the best interest of our students, staff, or the community we serve. The Board of Directors
and the school administration are committed to supporting our students, families, and staff
during this transition. We are working closely with local educational authorities to ensure that
our students can smoothly transfer to other schools.

Next Steps:
Parents and guardians, I highly encourage you to contact the homeschool within the district you
reside first thing Tuesday morning to register your child for school. We will be preparing student
records for shipment so there is no reason for you to come to Apprentice Academy on Tuesday to
pick up records. Please have your new school fax us a request for records and we will process
them as fast as possible.

Thank you for your commitment to Apprentice Academy. We will always be proud of the work
we have accomplished together on behalf of your children.

Sincerely,
Dr. Barry Ross, Ed.D.
Principal

Mr. John Jedra
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Apprentice Academy