(KNSI) – Parents at a public charter school in St. Cloud are devastated after learning their child’s classrooms will close at the end of the academic year.
More than 250 kids in kindergarten through eighth grade attend Athlos Academy in St. Cloud. They will need to find a new home if the school fails to convince its authorizer, Volunteers of America Minnesota, to renew their license for another year and release them as their authorizer so they can seek another partner.
The school had been under pressure for the last three years or more to cut costs, improve grades and increase enrollment. Parents and staff claim the school has made huge strides in the last six months and has turned the corner thanks to a change at the administrative level. They’re appealing last month’s decision to close the school, asking for help from both fellow parents and the community. Kate Hill’s son is in third grade, and she told KNSI News it will be hard to find another fit. “This is his safe place, his safe people outside of our home, and that’s just ripped away. And It’s just pure sadness. We kept our son here and we were so happy with the progress and communication and all the efforts.”
She refuses to put her child in the public school system for personal reasons and will seek out another charter school. Ashley Olson’s daughter is in first grade and told KNSI News they really felt like they found a home for her. “My husband and I actually vetted so many schools before Athlos. My daughter came from a Montessori-style background, and we wanted something that still had a smaller class size, where the classes and the activities and the homework is structured around the child, not the entire class. And this was the only place in town that I saw could do that.”
The school is asking parents, staff, and supporters to advocate for them by contacting VOA leadership and asking them to reconsider their position, leave positive Google reviews and social media posts with the #SaveAthlosStrong #OneMoreYear, and calling on state lawmakers to intervene.
The final bell will ring for students on May 30th, 2025, unless something changes. The current charter expires at the end of June.
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