The York City School District laid out its transition plan for New Hope Academy students Thursday night. The charter school will close its doors at the end of the year and the district is reaching out to parents and students to make the change easier.
Superintendent Eric Holmes presented the plan to a group of teachers and administrators, but no New Hope parents or students attended. The decision to close the school was controversial, and students rallied against it.
The meeting was held at Hannah Penn School in York. The school is being re-opened as a K-8 School. Boundaries are being re-drawn so some students will also be moved there to keep school sizes equal.
The plan will bring a popular performing arts program back into York City Schools. The William Penn Senior High School Performing Arts Institute will return for the first time since 2011 when the it was cut.
The transition plan will assist New Hope students and students within the district attending a new school. It includes a mentoring program. The superintendent also highlighted the Bearcat Cyber Academy as an alternative option for New Hope students who are not ready to attend another school.
“I’m a believer in choice, and I believe that parents have a right to choose where they send their children to school,” says Holmes. “We’re hoping that we can show that this is a good place to send their kids, and we do that by our actions and not by our words.”