MILWAUKEE — Penfield Montessori Academy in Milwaukee will close its doors after nearly 10 years due to financial hardship.
A statement provided from the school said it does not have the funding required to make success sustainable for students.
“We wanted to make sure to give the families and staff enough time to look for other school opportunities for the following school year,” said Bob Mikulay, who sits on the school’s board. “We are heartened by the future for the families of the school and are supportive with their future endeavors to open a new school within the west side community.”
Amy Kroll said she and her two children who attend the school are devastated by the closure. She said she chose Penfield Montessori for its diversity and inclusivity of students with all abilities.
“The kids with disabilities aren’t taken out of the classroom. They are fully included into the class and that’s something I want my kids to learn growing up,” said Kroll.
She said parents learned about the closure via video call.
“My husband was the only person who asked a question on the call, because I think most people were angry and upset,” said Kroll. “He asked, ‘How much do we need to raise to keep the school open?’ They gave us the number and we were told if we started fundraising we could do that.”
She said not long after the video call, the school board decided it would not fundraise to keep the school open. Parents brainstormed a new plan.
“One of our teachers has a connection with Adeline Montessori out in Oconomowoc,” said Kroll. “They are their own Montessori school and they’ve taken us on under their charter. So now we’re working to open that school: Westside Montessori Academy.”
Kroll said they have to fundraise $1 million in the next month, as donations or pledges, to open the school under the new charter.
“Until we can get the funding in from DPI because that first funding wave will come in October,” said Kroll. “We will need funding to find a potentially new building — to buy or lease — extra supplies and the starting cost of our staff to come with us.”
Emily Rodriquez, head of Adeline Montessori, said she couldn’t watch a school like Penfield dissolve because of financial circumstances.
“Just knowing what awesome work they do with special needs students and blending Montessori with that,” said Rodriquez. “It’s something my team and my board members wanted to not see go under. They serve about 129 students, I think, and for all of those students to be displaced a week before open enrollment closed wasn’t fair to those families.”
Kroll said she is confident they’ll be able to fundraise enough money in time to open the new school.
“It’s a lot of money, but we have a very strong team. We have a group of very dedicated parents and staff,” she said.
Read the full statement from Penfield Montessori Academy below:
Penfield School Closing One... by Spectrum News
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