The Delaware Academy for Public Safety and Security in the New Castle area has abruptly closed.
A letter posted on the school’s website, stated that the closing became effective on Tuesday. The school is holding an enrollment fair in an effort to help students meeting a public school enrollment deadline by the end of September.
The school that aimed to educate students for careers as first responders had been struggling with multiple issues. The academy is based at a former parochial school on DuPont Highway.
“New financial information that came to the board only last week showed that our budget deficit for this school year is far greater than previously believed. At the same time, more than 30 students who had applied and were accepted at DAPSS did not arrive in the first weeks of school, causing our enrollment numbers to fall far short of what we expected,” the letter stated.
“It is clear we will not have enough money to keep the doors open for the entire school year. We have exhausted all options for additional funding,” the letter stated.
The school had been working with the Colonial School District to see if its services could be used to assist the school in building enrollment and improving its financial status.
Charter schools receive funding based on the number of students under the state formula for public schools.
The schools are responsible for start-up costs. In the case of some charter schools, the inability to recoup those costs or maintain enrollment can lead to financial problems and their eventual demise.
The formula has tended to favor better-funded schools with strong parent or private sector support.
